Thomas Stauffer, cello, Professor Emeritus of Music at San Diego State University, is a native of Napa County. His first concerto appearance was with the Napa Symphony in 1963. He studied with Margaret Rowell and Gabor Rejto before moving to Europe where he was a Fulbright Fellow in cello at the Music Academy of Zagreb, Croatia and a Student extraordinar in composition at the Academy for Music and Dramatic Arts in Vienna. After returning to the United States, he taught at a number of Bay Area universities from 1976 to 1984 during which time he also served as principal cellist of the Santa Rosa Symphony under Corrick Brown. He was appointed to the faculty at San Diego State University in 1984 and spent twelve years as the principal cellist of the San Diego Chamber orchestra.