Claire is a second-year medical student at the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio. 

She was born in Seoul, South Korea, and moved to Houston, TX, at the age of 8. When she began learning the piano as a simple hobby at the age of 6, she did not expect that music would become her lifelong companion. 

When she moved to the United States, she met Mrs. Shu Hao Pao, who cultivated a genuine passion and appreciation for music. Mrs. Pao remains a great inspiration to Claire to this day. Claire has since participated in numerous local, state, and national competitions and performed for a variety of concerts and charity events.

Claire did not expect to continue her musical studies when she moved to Nashville, TN, for college. However, she was incredibly lucky to meet Dr. Heather Conner at the Blair School of Music, who played a critical role in shaping Claire’s understanding of the piano as an instrument and of music as a field of study. Claire graduated from Vanderbilt University with a major in neuroscience and a minor in piano performance. 

After moving to San Antonio to study medicine, Claire missed playing music with others and began looking for opportunities to do so. She fortuitously discovered SACO and is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to make music with its members! 

She hopes you enjoy the performance as much as she does!

Alexis Barton is a San Antonio based pianist and violinist. Originally from Chandler, Arizona, Alexis began piano lessons at the age of eight. After pursuing a chemistry degree in college, she decided she could not give up music in pursuit of a career in medicine, and instead chose to pursue a second bachelor's degree in music at Northern Arizona University. While at NAU, she studied under Dr. Frank Scott and was an active collaborative pianist, performing with vocalists and instrumentalists and with the NAU Piano Ensemble. She also played violin in the NAU Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. Following her studies at NAU she attended the University of Oklahoma for a master's degree in piano performance and pedagogy under the direction of Dr. Jeongwon Ham, Dr. Barbara Fast, and Dr. Jane Magrath. While at the OU, Alexis' research was featured in a poster session at the MTNA National Conference and her article on motivation and performance was published in Piano Magazine.

Alexis moved to San Antonio in 2021 to pursue a career in music teaching. She is currently an active member of the Music Teacher's National Association and Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity. After searching for an orchestra with which to continue playing the violin, Alexis joined SACO in April 2023. Alexis currently shares her passion for the piano with children and adult students at the Musical Arts Center of San Antonio, where she serves on the piano faculty and as the Events Director. 

Courtney McReynolds is a piano teacher based in La Vernia, Texas. She taught in homes all over San Antonio and the surrounding areas from 2017-2022 before centralizing to teach from her home in 2023. She especially loves helping elementary age children discover the joy of making music by using songs and genres they already love. Her goal is to reduce the number of adults who wish they had stuck with piano, and replace them with adults who were encouraged and equipped with everything they need to enjoy making music their whole lives.

Tyler Westbrook is first chair alto and soprano saxophone in the varsity band at Harlan High School and plays organ at Zion Lutheran Church. He is also a member of the Varsity track and cross country teams at Harlan.

Anna Addington has seen playing piano for eight years. She is a home schooled junior and is attending Northeast Lakeview Alamo Collages for dual credit. Anna started teaching piano in November of 2022 and now teaches 11 students. She is active in her highschool band at church and sings in the church choir.