“Mary Margaret Neel is an accomplished violinist, orchestral musician, and teacher dedicated to using music to inspire people from all walks of life. Originally from a small town in North Georgia, she discovered her passion for the violin at the age of nine. Her early musical experiences included performing with the Chattanooga Youth Symphony and serving as Concertmaster of the Buckhead Youth Orchestra. She earned scholarships to the Sewanee Summer Music Festival and the Bowdoin International Music Festival. During her final years of high school, Mary Margaret commuted to Columbus, GA, to study under Patricio Cobos and won the Buckhead Youth Orchestra’s concerto competition, performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto as a featured soloist.
Mary Margaret’s pedagogical training includes advanced studies in the Suzuki Method through the Lamont School of Music’s pedagogy program, and she is registered with the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Her teaching experience includes roles such as head violin graduate teaching assistant at the University of Denver, Suzuki program director at Mile High Academy in Denver, CO, and various teaching positions across Georgia, Colorado, and Tennessee.
As a section violinist, Mary Margaret has performed with orchestras in Georgia, Tennessee, and Colorado and has played professionally across the United States, Europe, and Asia. She is one half of the York Street Duo, which made its Carnegie Hall debut in March 2018. Mary Margaret holds degrees in Violin Performance from Columbus State University’s Schwob School of Music (B.M.) and the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music (M.M.). She currently resides in Chattanooga, TN, where she continues to contribute to the music community through both teaching and performance.
Current Facility: Walker State Faith & Character Based Prison