Greg Schwaegler has been a professional music educator since 2006, but he’s been a musician since birth. As the son of two music teachers, he was immersed in the world of classical music and school ensembles throughout his childhood. Now entering his eighteenth year as a music educator at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, Illinois, Schwaegler draws on his experience as a violinist and percussionist to direct three curricular orchestras and assist with the school’s marching band.

Outside of District #204, Schwaegler has acted as guest clinician for the Illinois Grade School Music Association, guest conductor at the Illinois Summer Youth Music camp, and substitute rehearsal conductor for both the Elgin Youth Symphony and the Merit School of Music. Additionally, he has served the Illinois Music Educators Association as District Co-Representative and conductor of the District 9 Junior Festival Orchestra.

Schwaegler holds both bachelors and masters degrees in music education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he studied violin with Simin Ganatra (Pacifica Quartet), conducting with Donald Schleicher, and string pedagogy with Louis Bergonzi. His musical intuition is based on an expansive range of artistic experiences, from symphony orchestras and concert bands to bluegrass, jazz, rock, marching band, film, and liturgical music. This genre jumping allows him to combine a multitude of influences and observations, and the versatility of Schwaegler’s skills as an instrumentalist, educator, conductor, composer and arranger is on full display in his compositions, rehearsals, and performances.