Kaitlyn Raitz ’11, ’12
Kaitlyn Raitz is a multi-style cellist based in Nashville, TN.
Equally at home playing the works of Schubert or Sondheim, immersing herself in a bluegrass jam or diving into the intricacies of a Beethoven string quartet, performing on stage at Carnegie Hall or the Grand Ole Opry, her versatility as a musician knows no bounds.
Originally from Long Island, NY, Raitz is also an accomplished music photographer and videographer, describing herself as “Cellist by day, photographer and videographer by night—but mostly also by day.”
Raitz’s new classical crossover album In Spite of Everything features “intimate, cello-forward instrumental music shaped across several years.”
At the 68th Grammy Awards held February 1, 2026, Raitz performed with Grammy-winners Brandy Clark and Lukas Nelson on Reba McEntire’s performance of her Grammy-nominated song “Trailblazer” during the In Memoriam tribute to artists who passed this year.
Raitz then arranged the strings and played on the studio recording of “Trailblazer (Dream Chaser Version).”
Raitz also leads the creative string quartet collective Atwood Quartet as artistic director alongside husband Ben Plotnick, an award-winning fiddler. Atwood Quartet has collaborated with artists across all genres.
Their cover of Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey’s “Snow On the Beach” was featured in season 3 of the hit Netflix series Bridgerton.
At Purchase, her recitals blended sonatas, fiddle tunes, and collaborations with dancers and singers, signaling her unique artistic path.
Raitz later earned her MM from McGill University in Montreal, where she performed with the Grammy-nominated cello ensemble Uccello.
Throughout her career, Raitz has collaborated and shared the stage with…
- Experimental pop artist Thanya Iyer and the contemporary folk band The Bombadils
- Singer-songwriter Jesse Daniel Smith, co-founding the folk duo Bride & Groom, and recording three albums
- Trumpeter and composer Frank London of the Klezmatics
- Country superstars Eric Church, Tyler Childers, and Brandy Clark
- Fiddler and songwriter Laura Cortese
- Pop singer-songwriters Jillette Johnson and Bre Kennedy
- Tabla player Shawn Mativetsky
When she’s not on the road, Raitz can be found in recording studios and on stages throughout Nashville on albums by notable artists such as…
- Billy Strings
- The Kitchen Dwellers
- Ashley Cooke
- Brett Young
- Lucy Dacus
- Brennen Leigh
- Glüme
- Steve Wariner
She also lends her talents to video game, film, and TV soundtracks.
In 2025, her incredible contribution to Americana music earned her an Instrumentalist of the Year nomination from the Americana Awards & Honors.
Facing pandemic-induced isolation, Raitz found solace in music and embarked on a personal musical experiment. The result was her innovative debut solo album, Me, Myself, Myself, and I (2021), a combination of the technical brilliance of contemporary classical music with folk and pop melodies.
Raitz is also a sought-after composer, and beyond music, she finds joy as a backup zookeeper in the Behavioral Husbandry department at the Nashville Zoo.