Dr. Veronica Garcia
Dr. Veronica Garcia is a conductor, violist, and arts administrator whose career bridges public education, higher education, nonprofit leadership, and professional performance. She currently serves as Music Director of the Austin Civic Orchestra.
She earned her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance and Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Sam Houston State University, and her Doctor of Musical Arts in Viola Performance from Texas Tech University, where she was an AT&T Chancellor’s Fellow.
Dr. Garcia’s teaching career spans every level, from middle school to university. Most notably, she served as Associate Professor of Strings at Texas A&M University–Kingsville, where she was also Music Director of the Kingsville Symphony Orchestra and Director of Mariachi Javelina. She founded the JAVELINA Strings Youth Orchestra, securing over $150,000 in funding to provide free after-school orchestra instruction to local students and real-world teaching experience to music education majors.
In San Antonio, Dr. Garcia led the orchestra program at Bush Middle School and was named 2023–2024 Teacher of the Year and a finalist for NEISD District Teacher of the Year. She also served as Region 12 Middle School Coordinator for the Texas Music Educators Association, coordinating events for students across the greater San Antonio area.
Her leadership in the nonprofit arts sector includes her tenure as Artistic Administrator for OPERA San Antonio, where she managed financial operations and helped secure major grants from the NEA, Texas Commission on the Arts, and the Kronkosky Foundation. Her design and marketing work also supported branding and outreach for multiple seasons and events.
An active guest conductor and clinician, Dr. Garcia has led numerous region orchestras across Texas and held fellowships with the Los Angeles Conducting Institute, the Allentown Symphony, the International Conducting Institute (NYC), and the International Conducting Workshop and Festival (Bulgaria). She regularly presents on topics of pedagogy, programming, and music education, including appearances at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention and the American Viola Society Festival.
Dr. Garcia is passionate about inclusive access to the arts, community collaboration, and mentoring the next generation of musicians. Her programs and performances consistently reflect a commitment to both excellence and meaningful engagement.
She is currently in her second season as Music Director of the Austin Civic Orchestra, where she is focused on expanding youth engagement, fostering collaborations with local performing arts organizations, and delivering powerful and inspiring musical experiences to the Austin community.