Erin Cassel

Cello Teacher

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 cellist and chamber musician with the Savannah Philharmonic, Erin is also a member of Celli, a professional pop/classical cello quartet that performs in venues throughout the state.

Erin is the head of her Suzuki Cello Program in Atlanta and is the Artistic Director of Newton County Youth Strings (NCYS) in Covington. She runs a Cello Choir in Atlanta, a Performing Group with NCYS, an annual Fall Strings Workshop, and Georgia’s annual Cellobration! at Porter Performing Arts Center. Erin has been a guest clinician at the Blair School of Music’s Suzuki Workshop and Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus’s Summer Festival.

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. .