Margaret Watts Romney
Cello
Margaret Watts Romney is a cellist and educator with over 30 years of teaching experience. From 1993 to 2016, she maintained a private studio of up to 55 students and prepared them for concerto performances of works by Boccherini, Elgar, Haydn, Lalo, and Saint-Saëns, with 95% of students earning “Superior” ratings at National Federation of Music Clubs festivals. She trained extensively in the Suzuki method, completing Books 1–10 multiple times, and went on to teach at institutes including the Intermountain Suzuki String Institute, the Idaho Suzuki Institute, and the National Cello Institute.
She served in numerous leadership roles within the Suzuki community, including Cello Vice President of the Suzuki Association of Utah, where she oversaw graduation recitals for over 100 musicians and served as Cello Chair for Celebration concerts featuring more than 2,000 musicians, Cello Co-Chair of the Intermountain Suzuki String Institute where she created the organization’s first co-chair structure, and as Communications Director at the Suzuki Association of the Americas headquarters in Boulder, Colorado. She founded and directed the Salty City Cello Band, a performing cello ensemble of up to 24 musicians, leading performances at venues including the Downtown Farmer’s Market and the Salt Lake City Gallery Stroll, and hosting a five-day summer intensive for teenage cellists. As a performer, she co-founded the Avenues String Duo, served in the pit of Pioneer Theater Company productions, and performed with organizations including String Love and Aerial Arts of Utah.
Margaret holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from the University of Arizona, where she received a four-year full-tuition merit scholarship from Prof. Peter Rejto and graduated Magna Cum Laude, and she trained earlier at Idyllwild Arts Academy on a merit scholarship. After the her initial teaching career, Margaret spent ten years coaching C-suite leaders, technical professionals, and academics to communicate complex ideas with clarity, confidence, and authentic presence, work she now draws on directly in her teaching: helping adult students build not just technical skill, but the mindset and self-trust to express themselves fully through the instrument. She currently teaches a private studio for adults over 50 in the Upper Valley, meeting each student at their own pace, history, and purpose for playing.