TOLEDO, OH — The Toledo Symphony (TSO) has announced Michelle Keaster, Monclova Christian Academy music teacher, as the recipient of the 2025-26 Outstanding Music Educator of the Year Award. This is the seventh consecutive year the TSO has honored current, full-time, Kindergarten through 12th grade music educators who teach music in public and private schools in the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan region.
Through the Outstanding Music Educator Award, the Toledo Symphony recognizes the vital role music teachers play in the lives of the students they teach. Music teachers introduce, instill, and cultivate a love of music that surpasses the time spent in the classroom. They lay the foundation for a lifetime of appreciation that serves to perpetuate these artforms.
“Few educators have the opportunity to influence students across their entire academic journey the way Mrs. Keaster does,” says Mark Lenentine, principal of Monclova Christian Academy. “From introducing our youngest learners to the joy of music in kindergarten to leading our band and choir programs through junior high and high school, she plays a meaningful role in shaping both the musical and personal growth of our students. This recognition from Live Arts Toledo is a wonderful affirmation of the passion, dedication, and care she brings to our school community every day. Monclova Christian Academy is blessed to have her on our team!”
Michelle has been teaching since the age of 16 when she taught her first private flute lesson. She has maintained her flute studio and is currently in her 17th year at Monclova Christian Academy where she teaches kindergarten through 12th grade general music, choir, and band. Prior to MCA, her teaching experience included four years at Bowling Green Christian Academy teaching kindergarten through 8th grade. She also served three years as the assistant flute instructor at Wichita State University.
Michelle earned a Bachelor of Music Education with a vocal certification and a Bachelor of Music in flute performance from the University of Central Missouri. She completed her Master of Music in flute performance at Wichita State University.
In addition to teaching, Michelle is a member of Ohio Music Educators Association, American Choral Directors Association, Ohio Choral Directors Association, American Orff-Schulwerk Association, and Northwest Ohio Orff Chapter #90.
When Michelle is not teaching, she enjoys working as a freelance flutist, cheering on her hometown Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Chiefs, traveling, and spending time with her husband, Aaron, a TSO double bassist, and her daughter, Kaelee, a TSYO oboist.
“It is an amazing gift and privilege to be named the recipient of the 2025-26 Outstanding Music Educator of the Year Award,” says Michelle Keaster. “I am honored to have been nominated along with three outstanding music educators, Frank Ramon, Nick Van Vorhis, and Ryan Williams, who work tirelessly to provide high quality music education experiences for their students and to collaborate with other music educators. I am grateful for them and am driven to strive for excellence because of their example.
“I am humbled by this award and share it with my family, friends, colleagues, and fellow musicians and educators. I am so thankful for the many people God has put in my life to be my cheerleaders and co-workers. Each one of them has encouraged, supported, and come alongside me to help me be the best music educator possible. I could not do my job without them.
“I want to thank my past and present students. Thank you for the opportunity to be your teacher. Without you, this award would not be possible. It truly is a pleasure to be called “my music teacher” by so many. It is a thrill to watch you take baby steps and then giant ones, to see you experience something new for the first time, to hear you work together for a greater good, to take on challenges that seemed too big, to accomplish more than you thought you could, to challenge me, and to make a positive impact on the lives of others. You have made a huge difference in my life and on my heart. Thank you!
“Thank you, Live Arts Toledo, for recognizing the work of music teachers and making this award possible. Toledo has so many outstanding music educators, so receiving this award is a humbling experience. I have trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that I am being rewarded for what I am passionate about. As I think about the meaning of the award, I must step back and self-evaluate as this award comes not only with notoriety, but also with great responsibility. This responsibility is one that God has entrusted to me to be excellent in my field, true to my students, and strive daily to be an outstanding music educator.”
2025-26 Outstanding Music Educator Award Finalists included Frank Ramon (Waite High School), Nick Van Vorhis (St. John's Jesuit Academy), and Ryan Williams (Perrysburg Schools).
For more information about the Toledo Symphony’s Outstanding Music Educator of the Year Award or educational outreach opportunities for schools, please contact Emmy Adkins at eadkins@liveartstoledo.com or visit liveartstoledo.com/omeya.
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About The Toledo Symphony Orchestra
The Toledo Symphony Orchestra is a community-supported organization of professional musicians and teachers who deliver quality performance and music education for all. Formed in 1943 as The Friends of Music and incorporated in 1951 as the Toledo Orchestra Association, Inc., the Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) has grown from a core group of twenty-two part-time musicians to a professional orchestra that employs seventy professional full-time musicians.
The Toledo Symphony reaches more than 260,000 individuals annually through performances and education programs. The series concerts (Masterworks, Pops, Chamber, and Family Series) are the critical underpinning of the orchestra’s artistic mission and regularly draw people from 135 postal zip codes. Education programs, student performances, and community concerts are held in schools, neighborhood churches, performing arts centers, and community facilities throughout the region; many are offered at no charge or provided at a reduced fee to help expand participation.
About Live Arts Toledo
Live Arts Toledo, formerly the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), is the region’s hub for live performance, cultural education, and community connection. Bringing together the Toledo Symphony, Toledo Ballet, Toledo Jazz Orchestra, Toledo Symphony School of Music, and Toledo Symphony Youth Orchestras, Live Arts Toledo presents more than 200 nights of programming each year, offering unforgettable experiences that stir the senses and strengthen the cultural fabric of Northwest Ohio.
Media Contact:
Emmy Adkins, eadkins@liveartstoledo.com
