Ms. Gayle L. Castle

Gayle L. Castle has conducted orchestras and taught strings lessons and classes for over thirty years, specializing in violin and viola.  She has trained with prominent Suzuki teacher trainers from the United States and Canada.  She received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Bowling Green State University, and Master of Music in Education degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.  Ms. Castle has studied conducting with David Barg, Ignite Response LLC,  Brian Cole, former Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Dr. Aik Khai Pung, Assistant Professor of Music and Director of CCM’s Concert and Chamber Orchestras.  Ms. Castle has conducted the previous Middletown Symphony Orchestra, the Harry Alexander Music Festival Orchestra, and the VAA Youth Orchestras.  While at CCM, she conducted the University of Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati New Horizons Orchestra.  Ms. Castle has served the Ohio Music Education Association in adjudicating for the Northwest and Southwest Region Orchestras.  She is a member of the American String Teachers Association, the National Association for Music Education, and the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

Ms. Castle is the Director and founding member of the Vision for the Arts Academy, LLC , an organization with a vision to empower every individual to realize their personal growth through the arts of string playing, orchestra, chamber ensembles, conducting, philosophy, and creative writing.  Ms. Castle has pioneered the Vision for Young American Conductors Program at the VAA LLC.  In this innovative program, young students learn the skills of conducting, including rehearsal and performance of an ensemble through their conducting class and within an orchestra of their peers.  Ms. Castle is also Director of the Suzuki String Program at the Vision for the Arts Academy LLC and maintains an active studio of Suzuki string students at the Evendale Cultural Arts Center in Cincinnati.  She is a violist and board member for the Seven Hills Symphony.