Alumnus’ Composition Featured at Casa Loma
On the heels of his graduation from St. Michael’s College School (SMCS), gifted musician and composer, Eddie Teng ’25 was offered an exciting opportunity to showcase his talent on Canada Day 2025.
Teng had the unique opportunity of composing a piece for the Casa Loma Symphony Orchestra, led by Maestro Paolo Busato ’75, which they performed during this year’s Canada Day celebrations.
“The experience was incredible, I’ve always wanted to hear my music be played by a professional orchestra, and I’m honoured to have it be featured by Casa Loma!” says Teng who based the piece on one he wrote for the SMCS Senior Concert Band.
“Paolo Busato heard our Sr. Band performing one of Eddie’s compositions at the spring concert and felt it would be a perfect addition to his Canadian content for Canada Day celebrations at Casa Loma,” says Jamie Oatt, Music Department Head. “They worked together to adapt the arrangement for an orchestra for the performance.”
Teng has been composing music since he was around eight, scribbling down ideas on tissues. At the age of 12, he began learning music theory and started writing full songs.
“I love the little details in writing music that not everybody notices,” he says. “Most of the music I write has hidden symbolism and meaning within the music that only I would know. It’s a nice way for me to express my emotions in my music while declaring it outright, almost like a nice little puzzle for the listener.”
This fall, Teng is beginning his first year at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he’s studying biochemistry with a minor in music.
“As much as I love music, I’m equally passionate about science and STEM,” he says. “It’s not just me either; I know many people who are torn between both arts and STEM and have difficulty choosing between them. It’s a hard problem to solve because both categories have so many interesting topics that most believe that they can’t do one without dropping the other. I believe I can do both (at least I hope so) and plan to pursue both my interest in science research and composition.”
He adds, “I have written for many games and other media, and I taught music theory and piano over the summer, but I hope to write for a short film or something in the future.”
At SMCS, Teng was a member of the Sr. Concert Band and Sr. Wind Ensemble. He also participated in several clubs and activities, including Dungeons and Dragons, HOSA, National Biology Competition, and the Blue Beacon student newspaper.
“St. Mike’s has given me a lot of experience with writing for band and improvising. I love playing music for the radio plays every year because I get creative freedom while also hearing feedback from teachers and classmates. I love being able to change what I play every single time (to the horror of Mr. Oatt). Without Mr. Oatt, I would have never had the opportunity to write for Casa Loma!”
Oatt adds, “Eddie is a gifted musician and composer who has been an integral part of the SMCS music and drama programme for the past five years. He is a very accomplished piano player and improvisor whose talent for music composition has positively impacted our fall drama productions and our music concerts. It’s incredible what he’s been able to accomplish at such a young age.”
Teng shares the following advice for fellow students: “Music is beautiful because there are no rules, only guidelines. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, because that’s how you gain experience. I’ve created over 200 pieces of music, and it took me a lot of mistakes to learn what I know. To people in the same position as I am, unsure whether to pursue music or something else, why not pursue both? I know I am. And if I can’t, I’ll never completely forget either.”
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