Erin Cassel

Erin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance from the University of Louisville with teacher Paul York and a Master’s degree with renowned cello pedagogue Martha Gerschefski at Georgia State University. Other teachers and mentors include Felix Wang of Vanderbilt University, Melissa Kraut of the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Gilda Barsten of the Music Institute of Chicago. Since moving to Georgia in 2009, Erin has continued her busy schedule of performing and teaching, touring in China and across the United States with orchestras and performers such as Shirley Jones. A frequent cellist in the symphonies of Augusta, Columbus, Savannah, Valdosta, Rome, and Macon, Erin is also a member of Celli, a cello chamber group that performs in venues throughout the city.

Erin is the coordinator of the chamber music program with the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra, directs the Durham Middle School cello choir, and leads cello sectionals at many middle and high schools in the metro area. She is the head of the Suzuki Cello Programs at the Georgia Academy of Music in Atlanta and Columbus State University’s Schwob School of Music Preparatory Department. Erin has been a cello group clinician at the Blair School of Music’s Suzuki Cello Workshop and cello faculty at the Greater Columbus Youth Symphony’s summer festival, and she was the co-director of summer music festival AtlantaStringMania. Erin’s Suzuki cello life began at age 4 in Vanderbilt University’s Suzuki program with teacher Anne Williams. Her teaching is centered around Dr. Suzuki’s philosophy that “every child can.” She strongly believes that every child, with the help of both teachers and parents, can learn not only how to play cello but how to become a beautiful musician and person. .