Although Susan Metzger grew up in a piano-playing family, it was four decades before her latent musical aspirations found expression and eventually led her to Colorado State University. To help students realize their dreams, she recently made a $2 million planned gift to create two scholarships for undergraduate or graduate students studying viola or piano.
“The gift from Susan was a welcome surprise, and its effect on the school will be immense,” said Dan Goble, director of the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. “Every time we recruit an outstanding, talented student, it raises the level of the musical and academic experience for everyone. So, every student in our orchestras and other ensembles benefits from Susan’s gift. Every student in the music school, and in theatre and dance, benefits because pianists are part of performances and rehearsals. These scholarships will make a huge impact on everyone.”
For Metzger, this gift honors the evolving role music has played throughout her life and will make a difference for future students. She credits the inspiration for the gift to her viola teacher, Margaret Miller, senior viola instructor with CSU’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance and coordinator of the Graduate String Quartet.
“Margaret is an absolute gem of an instructor. She has transformed my life to be able to help transform other people’s lives. What’s better than that?”
As a psychotherapist, writer, teacher, and musician, Metzger knows a thing or two about life transformation.
A long and winding road
Although Metzger grew up playing piano, in third grade, she decided to play the violin instead. But after her parents quashed that dream, she mostly put music aside. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Iowa State University in 1970, and later, both a master’s degree in counseling psychology and an MBA at George Williams College in Chicago.
She worked in mental health centers and as a school counselor before earning a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at Western Michigan University in 1992. For the next 25 years, Metzger taught college-level composition and research writing in Illinois, Indiana, Wyoming, and Colorado. When time permitted, she continued her work as a therapist and began writing a series of novels.
In 1999, after some difficult years, Metzger’s long-standing appreciation of Colorado folk singer and guitarist Chuck Pyle and his sidekick violinist Gordon Burt reignited her desire to play the violin. She was 51 years old at the time. Eight years later, when she was taking lessons from Claire Barta in Cheyenne, Barta suggested she consider playing the viola, a slightly larger version of a violin that produces a lower and deeper sound.
“I played one only once,” said Metzger, “and thought, ‘Oh wow! This sound! It’s so rich. It really speaks to me.’ That’s when I switched.” Barta knew Margaret Miller at CSU and helped connect them. Metzger moved from Cheyenne to Fort Collins in 2010 and since then has studied with Miller nearly non-stop.
'I’m really grateful to CSU'
For 43 years, Metzger had managed some family land on the outskirts of Chicago. After that property was sold in April 2023, she began exploring investment and charitable ideas with her son, Dr. Alex Ryan, a radiologist in Seattle. Similar to his multitalented mother, Ryan is a pianist, has written the scores for two Broadway musicals, and, while continuing his medical career, is working on a bachelor’s degree in music composition and theory from the University of Washington.
Metzger’s gratitude for Miller and all the years of viola training quickly rose to the top of the list. “She came into her lesson one day and had this scholarship proposal,” Miller said. “I was just stunned by the generosity of the gift. The scholarships, named for Susan and Alex, will be extraordinary for attracting outstanding players within Colorado and truly transformative for students who might not have the financial means to attend a university.”
Derek Dictson, vice president for University Advancement at CSU, concurs with Miller’s assessment. “The impact Susan will have on so many CSU students is awe-inspiring. We are truly grateful for her generous planned gift, and we are excited to ensure that her legacy supporting music students thrives for generations to come.”
According to Miller, Metzger’s commitment to her musicianship goes beyond the viola; she reads a lot about the composers of the pieces she plays and tries to gain insight into them and their influences.
Metzger also remains immersed in music in other ways. “All my friends in Fort Collins are from the orchestra,” she said, “so they are my family. I play in a couple of different groups, including the Health and Wellness Orchestra, which was founded by healthcare professionals. Even my two best bicycling pals are violists. I just can’t imagine what I’d do if I didn’t have music in my life.”
Learn more
For more information on how you can make a life-changing gift to students or programs at CSU, visit giving.colostate.edu.
