In 1972, a young violinist named Christian Teal arrived in Nashville to begin teaching at a small music school called Blair Academy. Although he held the rank of assistant professor at Peabody College (then Blair's parent institution), Teal's primary job was teaching youngsters in the academy's precollege division. He also became first violinist of the Blair String Quartet, a relatively new ensemble that had seen more turnover than a fast-paced game of musical chairs.
This Sunday at Ingram Hall, Teal will present his final faculty concert at Blair. Certainly, much has changed in the 42 years since he first arrived in Nashville. Blair is now part of Vanderbilt University, and the Blair String Quartet has gone from playing musical chairs to performing at New York City's Weill Recital Hall. The change in Teal's status has been just as dramatic. He arrived in Nashville to teach at a small precollege academy located in a house on 18th Avenue South, and he rose to become the Joseph Joachim Professor of Violin at Vanderbilt University.
"I never had to leave Nashville to advance in my career," says Teal. "I moved up by staying put."
But he didn't remain idle. As first chair of the Blair Quartet, he has performed much of the chamber repertoire, including all of the Beethoven and Bartok quartets. He has also championed contemporary music — over the years, Teal and the quartet have worked with such notable composers as Elliott Carter, John Harbison, Michael Hersch and Joan Tower.
"I've devoted a lot of time working with composers," says Teal. "That's been one of the richest parts of my career."
Arguably, the most rewarding aspect of Teal's career has been working with the hundreds of students who have passed through his studio. Violinist Cornelia Heard, now a member of the Blair Quartet, was one of his first students. Melvin Chen, a professor at Yale University, was another protégé.
"Music is a tough profession, but many of my students have gone on to pursue successful careers," says Teal. "And I'm absolutely thrilled that many of my former students are planning to attend my final recital."
For a performer, Teal comes across as surprisingly soft-spoken and unassuming. He does not seek publicity. Nevertheless, his final concert programs at Blair demand attention. That's because he's ending his tenure by scaling the musical Himalayas, performing some of the most precipitously difficult music ever written.
His concert with the Blair Quartet last month included a performance of Beethoven's mighty "Grosse Fugue." His valedictory recital on Sunday will be even more demanding.
The program will include Bach's Partita No. 2 in D minor. The amazing five-movement work concludes with the famed "Chaconne," which the violinist Joshua Bell once aptly described as "not just one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, but one of the greatest achievements of any man in history."
Pianist Jennifer McGuire will join Teal for the final two works — Brahms' Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor and Debussy's Violin Sonata in G minor. As the Joseph Joachim Professor of Violin, Teal seemingly had to play something by Brahms, since Joachim — a great 19th century German violinist — had been Brahms' close friend and interpreter.
It also seems fitting that Teal should play Debussy's sonata. Composed in 1917, it was the last piece Debussy wrote before he died. If Teal wanted to find the perfect swan song, the Debussy sonata would be it.
After he retires, Teal will move to Boston, where he'll marry his fiancée, and with luck, spend more time working on fewer things. "Boston is a great place for a musician," says Teal. "There are plenty of teaching and performing opportunities there, so I should feel right at home."
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