My teaching strongly revolves around Dr. Suzuki’s philosophy that “Every Child Can!” It is this belief that every person possesses the ability to play beautiful, satisfying music. There is no one person that possesses an innate talent that another person does not have, and it is my joy as a teacher to discover that talent in each and every student.
George Teague is a cellist and teacher in the Madison area. He completed his Master’s degree in Cello Performance at the Chicago College of Performing Arts under renowned pedagogue Dr. Tanya Carey. Before moving to Chicago, George completed his undergraduate degrees at Northern Arizona University under Dr. Mary Ann Ramos. While at NAU, he was the recipient of the Nadene Bean Performance Scholarship. He currently sits principal cello for the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra, and has held principal seats in the CCPA Symphony and NAU Symphony Orchestras. As an active performer in the area, he has performed with groups such as the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra, Lake County Symphony Orchestra, and Metropolitan Chamber Players.
George enjoys performing and teaching in a variety of styles, and takes special interest in performing contemporary works for the cello. His current performance projects include works and improvisations that examine the role of the musician in current society, and those that break down the barrier between performer and audience. His Chicago-based ensemble Otherminded was recently awarded the 2023 Innovation Fund Award for the establishment and execution of a Suzuki-based improvisation curriculum. Recent performances have been awarded funding by the IL Arts Council Agency and Chicago DCASE.
George’s students have won numerous regional competitions and are members in local youth orchestras across the state of Wisconsin. He has been on faculty at the Ravinia Festival’s El-Sistema program of Chicago, and as a full-time faculty member of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. In Fall of 2023, George will be joining the faculty of the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Aber Suzuki Center. He has completed training in Books 1-10 of the Suzuki Method and enjoys maintaining a studio of all ages- from 3 to 93!