A virtuoso violist, composer, conductor, chamber music and recording artist, music educator, and music department administrator, George Wargo was principal chair in the National Symphony in the nation's capitol for fifteen years and taught in two Seventh-day Adventist Colleges.

Wargo began his music education at age seven. His musical gifts won him a scholarship at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music where he studied violin with the eminent Russian violinist Boris Koutzen.

At age 16 he had a successful debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra, playing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. At age 19 he became principal violist of the National Symphony in Washington, D. C., where for many years he was its youngest member. During his fifteen-year tenure with the National Symphony he appeared as soloist and as guest conductor, conducting the premiere performance of his Symphony in G Major.

In 1932 Wargo accepted an invitation to teach at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, a position he would hold for ten years. During those years he performed in the Conservatory Faculty String Quartet and earned B.Mus. and M.Mus. degrees at Peabody, while still serving as principal violist of the National Symphony.

Midway through that decade at Peabody, Wargo taught for a year at Washington Missionary College (now Columbia Union College). While teaching there he became acquainted with Seventh-day Adventists, was baptized, and helped with evangelistic meetings in the area. At this time he met and married Audrey Beekman, a piano student at the college.

From 1942 to 1955, Wargo served as Chair of the music department at Washington Missionary College and conducted the CUC Chorale and Orchestra. He also continued performing as a member of both the Washington String Quartet and the American University String Quartet. He completed a D.Mus. at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music in 1946.

From 1955 to 1959 Wargo taught at the University of Virginia, moving from the area when he accepted the Chairmanship of the music department at Pacific Union College. During his ten-year tenure as music chair at PUC he was the driving force behind the building of the new music facility, Paulin Hall, and strengthened the music graduate program.

Shortly after arriving at PUC, he became conductor of the Vallejo Symphony, a position he would hold for 21 years. The music editor of the Vallejo Times-Herald observed that Wargo's demanding but inspiring leadership lifted the level of performance and molded the musicians into a very fine ensemble. He retired from PUC in 1973 with the rank of Professor Emeritus of Music. For thirteen more years he would conduct the Vallejo Symphony and continue performing, forming the Wargo Trio with himself as violinist.

Wargo's compositions include works for piano, voice, chorus, chamber groups, viola, chamber orchestra and symphony orchestra. In addition to his Symphony in G, mentioned earlier, the Vallejo Symphony also performed his Concerto for Strings. A friend of George Vandeman, Wargo composed and conducted the theme music and other numbers for the It is Written television program. He also recorded for Chapel Records with The Wargo Symphonette.

Wargo was living in Yountville, California, when he died from a sudden heart attack at his home. He was 89.

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