Hanna Castellano is a product of the Wake County Public School System and a proud graduate of Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School. A dedicated musician and National Board Certified teacher with fourteen years of classroom experience, she serves as the chorus director and piano instructor at Ligon GT/AIG Basics Magnet Middle School. Previously, she spent three years as the chorus director at Heritage Middle School in Wake Forest, North Carolina. Previously, she taught a wide range of subjects including general music, chorus, steel drums, and musical theatre for kindergarten through eighth grade students in Charleston County, South Carolina. In recognition of her impact as an educator, Mrs. Castellano was named a semi-finalist for the 2026 CMA Music Teachers of Excellence Award. 

Hanna Castellano has actively contributed to her school community, serving on the MTAC committees. She has taught both the International Baccalaureate PYP and MYP programs and worked with artistically gifted and talented students in Charleston County through a specialized three-week program. Mrs. Castellano regularly collaborates with the arts department as the music director of the school musical and music directs for local theatre companies around Raleigh. She has held numerous leadership roles, including regional PLT lead, WCPSS Staff Development Chair for Middle School Chorus, WCPSS Middle School All-County Chorus coordinator, school fine arts department chair, and yearbook advisor.

Mrs. Castellano’s students participate in prestigious events such as NCACDA Middlefest!, NCMEA State Honors Chorus, NCMEA Middle School All-State Chorus, WCPSS All-County Chorus, and the ACDA National and Southern Region Honor Choirs. They have performed at renowned venues including the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC; the Gaillard Center in Charleston, SC; with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra; the North Carolina Symphony in collaboration with the Raleigh Youth Choir; as well as Universal Studios and Disney Springs. Choirs under her direction have received superior ratings and high praise from adjudicators at festivals including NCMEA Music Performance Adjudication, Festival Disney, Heritage WorldStrides Festivals, and Carowinds Festival of Music.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Campbell University with a concentration in voice and percussion and a Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Florida. She is certified in Orff-Schulwerk Levels I and II through Appalachian State University. She is a member of the North Carolina Music Educators Association, the National Association for Music Education, the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and NC ACDA, where she serves as the Social Media and Communications Chair. Hanna believes deeply in the transformative power of music education as a means to build bridges and connect people.

She resides in Raleigh with her husband Matthew, their three children and their dog, Ginger.