TERESA SKINNER, a native of Hollywood, California has resided on Maui since 1986. Her professional career began while still attending Hollywood High School. Her teacher, Carole Mukogawa saw her ability and contracted her to play viola in various orchestras in the greater Los Angeles area. Additionally, Ms. Skinner doubled on viola and violin for commercials and motion picture and television soundtracks in acclaimed Hollywood studios.

On Maui, Ms. Skinner is an avid performer. She has performed with the Kapalua Music Festival (now the Maui Classical Music Festival), was a violist with the Hawaii Symphony for 25 years and now subs, is the principal violist of the Maui Pops Orchestra, was the principal violist for the Maui Chamber Orchestra before it’s end. Ms. Skinner has performed with acclaimed Nā Hōkū Hanohano award-winning artists including Barry Flannigan/Hapa, Amy Hanaiali’i-Gilliom, Eric Gilliom, Willie K., Keali’i Reichel, Uluwehi Guerrero, Keola Beamer, Jake Shimabakuro and Kalani Pe’a. In the classical world, she has performed with world-renowned musicians including Los Angeles Philharmonic Concertmaster Martin Chalifour, pianists Rohan de Silva and John Kimura Parker, violinists Benny Kim, Andres Cardenes, Scott St. John, cellists John Michel and Yo Yo Ma, mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne, composers Marvin Hamlish and Burt Bacharach, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recipients Smokey Robinson and Ray Charles.

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An injury to her neck in 2002 left her unable to use her left arm and fingers, thus putting a hold on her career as a symphonic musician. Through caring and knowledgeable physicians, multiple surgeries, and physical therapy, Ms. Skinner regained use of her neck, left shoulder, arm, and fingers, and had to re-learn to play her violin and viola. Through determination from this injury, Ms. Skinner’s career path metamorphosed from being a full-time performer into being a teacher/mentor. She founded the Suzuki-Maui School of Talent Education and Ability Development, fostering students to learn to play violin or viola in the Suzuki Method or “Mother Tongue" method of Talent Education. In addition to Suzuki-Maui, Ms. Skinner has led the String Program at Haleakala Waldorf School in Kula since 2015.

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Since Suzuki-Maui’s inception in 2002 and teaching students at HWS, Ms. Skinner has touched the lives of more than 1000 students. Several students she has trained now play in our Maui Pops Orchestra. Ms. Skinner is a registered instructor of the Suzuki Method with the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Ms. Skinner was recognized with the 2015 Women of Excellence Award by the United States Senate, U. S. House of Representatives, and the Maui County Office of the Mayor for her dedication in teaching instrumental music to the youth in our community.

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In addition to teaching, Teresa raises a variety of hens and roosters who enjoy listening to music, clucking and crowing to their hearts content in beautiful, well tuned intervals throughout the day.