El Gervasio - Violin/Viola Fundamentals Teacher for Con Brio Orchestra

El Gervasio began studying violin when she was 7, started by her mother. In high school, El sang in chorus, studied clarinet and baritone horn so she could be in band as well as orchestra. She graduated from New York University with a degree in music education, and taught in public school, mostly in Buffalo (the one in Minnesota), while maintaining a private studio.  She taught Suzuki strings, orchestra, band, choir and classroom music (all concurrently.) El’s pivotal professional experiences include deep involvement in the development of a public school Suzuki early childhood and traditional string program, as well as community orchestras in Minnetonka and Buffalo, Minn., and Ormond Beach.  In 1997 she received an award for “Leadership in Educational Excellence” from the Mid-Minnesota Educational Consortium.

El studied cello as a part of her teacher training for a year at The Julliard School in New York, with Leonard Rose and Channing Robbins, and later with Faith Farr in Minneapolis.  She studied string bass with the first bass of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra a long time ago. If she could change three things about her life thus far, she’d be a cellist, study piano longer (and more seriously), and learn to type faster (Mavis Beacon is a daily study now.)

El recently retired from 10 years of registered nursing and 34 years of music education. She is currently a member of four performing groups: Daytona Solisti, Daytona State College Orchestra, Space Coast Symphony Orchestra in Cocoa Beach, and Trinity Chamber Players. She has two children and four grandchildren. El lives her dream by the Atlantic in winter and by a northern Minnesota lake in summer with her husband Bill of 43 years.