AAPF Fall 2025 Benefit Concert Performers

Cécile Chaminade was one of the most popular composers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Her Concertino in D Major for flute and orchestra is a staple of that instrument’s repertoire. Unfortunately, her piano works are less well-known, although pieces such as the Scarf Dance are found in anthologies. Published when the composer was forty-one-years-old and at the height of her creative powers, Thème Varié is delightful on first listening and deeper study reveals the work of a truly great composer. Statements of the theme (itself in two parts) are separated by poetic couplets that are themselves varied. After a massive variation in the minor key, the theme is transformed with delicate trills circling the main tune. In just a few minutes, Chaminade explores nearly the entire keyboard and a range of colors and emotions. My edition of the piece addresses the many inconstancies in the original publication and envisions the ending as a restatement of the original delicate opening rather than Chaminade’s own grandiose conclusion. Dr. Andrew Adams is a Professor of Piano at Western Carolina University. He holds a B. M. in Piano from the Kansas City Conservatory of Music and M. M. in Vocal Coaching and Accompanying from the University of Illinois. While in Illinois he was the assistant to John Wustman, the accompanist of Luciano Pavarotti. Just after grad school he was an accompanist at the Tanglewood Music Festival where he played for the master classes of Leonard Bernstein, Yo Yo Ma, and Phyliis Curtin. He completed his D. M. A. in Piano Performance at the University of Colorado. Dr. Adams was Vocal Coach and Director of Collaborative Piano at Iowa State University from 2003 to 2006. He served on the editorial board of The Journal of Singing, the official publication of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, for twelve years. He has published articles and reviews extensively in numerous musical publications and journals. In 2024 he published A Shifting Canvas of Expression: Analytical and Critical Commentaries on the Études of Philip Glass (Amazon) and in August 2025 he published Unfortunate Relations: Lydia Lindgren, Otto H. Kahn, and the Trials of a Swedish Nightingale (Amazon), a biography of the tragic life of Swedish soprano Lydia Lindgren.

This piece, written by candlelight over the course of several days after the aftermath of Helene, has become part of a larger album project of mine called Light Motives / Dark Matters. At the root of the piece are themes that are interwoven throughout each of the songs on the album. They are treated differently within each song (major/minor, fast/slow and other contrasts). In this particular piece, the somber treatment of the themes reflect the stillness and shock that accompanied the loss of power, property, and conventional connections. Revisiting this composition a year later, I see it less as a snapshot and more as the beginning of a journey. I changed some of the treatments to better portray the wisdom and grace that accompany recovery from traumatic events. On September 28th of this year, at the year-and-a-day anniversary of the storm, my neighborhood begins a tradition called "The Miracles of Saint Helene" where we gather around a firepit with lights off, sharing stories and acoustic music, to celebrate the community that we discovered when the power went out and we all pitched in for each other. I named the piece in honor of our neighborhood's wondrous discovery. "Miracles of Saint Helene" was performed as part of the Hard Times, Come Again No More Faculty Showcase Concert on September 25th at 7:00PM in the Blue Ridge Room. NEH Distinguished Professor and Professor of Music Dr. William Bares received his Ph.D in ethnomusicology from Harvard University and taught at Harvard, Brown, Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory before moving to UNC Asheville in 2011. Bares's musical and academic interests lie in the fields of jazz studies, experimental music, and ecomusicology. He has published articles in American Music, Jazz Research Journal, and the Grove Dictionary of American Music, and his book, Jazz and the European Dream, is forthcoming on Routledge Press. An active pianist and music promoter in Asheville’s musical community, Bares has released several albums, leads acclaimed local groups, and hosted several series, including the weekly Sunday Jazz Showcase at Asheville’s Isis Music Hall, and “Ecomusicologies 2014: Dialogues”—a conference/festival that took place in Asheville in October 2014. .

American composer Samuel Barber is one of the most celebrated and well-respected composers of the mid-twentieth century. This Waltz is the first piece of a six-movement suite entitled Souvenirs (1952). While using traditional dance forms, his harmonic vocabulary incorporates musical modernism. The suite was originally written in this piano duet form and later was adapted for two pianos, an orchestral suite for the Ballet Society and a solo piano version. In Barber’s own words, “one might imagine a divertissement in a setting of the Palm Court of the Hotel Plaza in New York, the year about 1914, epoch of the first tangos; Souvenirs, remembered with affection, not in irony or with tongue in cheek, but in amused tenderness.” Karen Boyd graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory (B.M.), West Chester University (M.M.), and did post-grad studies at Rutgers University. She is a founding member of AAPF, and is its current president. With fifty years of teaching experience, her students have won competitions and many have continued music study at major universities. As a performer Karen played in chamber music ensembles and accompanied many choral groups. She loves playing piano duets and two piano music.

American composer Samuel Barber is one of the most celebrated and well-respected composers of the mid-twentieth century. This Waltz is the first piece of a six-movement suite entitled Souvenirs (1952). While using traditional dance forms, his harmonic vocabulary incorporates musical modernism. The suite was originally written in this piano duet form and later was adapted for two pianos, an orchestral suite for the Ballet Society and a solo piano version. In Barber’s own words, “one might imagine a divertissement in a setting of the Palm Court of the Hotel Plaza in New York, the year about 1914, epoch of the first tangos; Souvenirs, remembered with affection, not in irony or with tongue in cheek, but in amused tenderness.” Wayne Smith, DMA is a solo pianist, accompanist and church organist (St. James Episcopal church in Black Mountain). Wayne and Karen Boyd recently formed the Swannanoa Piano Duo to explore and perform four-hand repertoire. He is currently a board member of the AAPF and is once again the liason for the AAPF benefit concerts committee. Wayne has been soloist with the Dallas Symphony and the Tulsa Philharmonic. Past performances in Washington DC include a solo recital for former First Lady, Betty Ford, and a recital at the National Gallery of Art.

Ante el Escorial (In Front of the Escorial) was inspired by the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, a majestic architectural complex in Madrid, Spain. The music is intended to evoke the grandeur of the buildings in the complex. The “Toccata” from Trois Pièces, a very short, virtuosic piece that explores a range of textures and harmonies, is characterized throughout by frenetic energy and sudden changes of keyboard registers. Dr. Leslie Downs is active as both a solo and collaborative pianist. He has performed in solo, lieder, chamber and choral concerts throughout the United States and in Canada. A versatile artist, Dr. Downs enjoys playing many styles of music. For 16 years he worked as a freelance pianist/teacher/vocal coach in New York City. He currently serves as the Music Director for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville and maintains a private teaching studio. He holds degrees from Centenary College of Louisiana, Yale University, and University of Oklahoma.

The polonaise is the national dance of Poland and dates back to the ancient days of Polish pomp and splendor, always Slavonic in tone and aristocratic in its manner and mood. Although the Polonaise in C-sharp minor is quite heroic and martial in the opening section, the contrasting themes are unsurpassed in poetic beauty and lyrical style. Composed in 1836, this was his first published polonaise. As a reflection of his deep love for his native land, Poland, Chopin wrote many polonaises and mazurkas (a Polish dance form). However, because of the political situation in Poland, Chopin lived most of his mature life in France. Sharyn Edwards has concertized throughout the eastern United States in solo and chamber recitals, as well as guest soloist with the Charlotte and Charleston Symphony Orchestras among others.  She was an Artist with the N.C. Touring Artists Roster from 1989-91, and made her debut at Weill Hall, Carnegie Hall in 1999 in New York. A native of Asheville, Dr. Edwards’ formative training was with Dorothy Krauss and she holds the Doctorate of Music Degree in Piano Performance from the University of South Carolina where she studied with the renowned Raymond Dudley.  Other teachers include Dr. John Adams, James Bonn and coaching with Madame Lili Krauss.  She has served as adjudicator frequently for NCMTA. Former Lead Instructor of Music at Southeastern Community College, presently she is Director of the 47th Dr. Sharyn Edwards Piano Festival and Competition.

Pedro Sáenz, a composer, pianist and harpsichordist, was an Argentinian and (after 1985) Spanish composer. After compositional studies in Paris with Honegger, Milhaud and Rivier, he returned to Buenos Aires where he held numerous teaching and administrative posts. In 1973, for both artistic and political reasons, he settled in Madrid, Spain. Sáenz’s music employs a wide diversity of styles and shows a preference for short form and variation technique. While this piece is inspired by folk music, he experimented with many other compositional techniques including tonal, non-tonal, 12-tone scale and nine-note chords. In his last decade, Sáenz favored more of a neo-baroque style, based on parallel minor chords a 3rd apart. Shirley Gruenhut is an avid chamber music player and a New York native. A graduate of Brooklyn College, she also studied graduate level piano accompaniment at the Manhattan School of Music. She assisted at the Metropolitan Opera House studios and has performed in New York, Europe and Israel. Shirley was founder of several chamber music ensembles and hosted solo volunteer performances throughout New York City and Western North Carolina. She has been a featured pianist and member of Grand Piano Passion, founded by Nancy Williams, and performs with Parlor Players. Shirley is a member of ACMP (the Association of chamber music players) and Sing for Hope and currently the church Pianist for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville. Several of her performances can be found on YouTube and on Grand Piano Passion’s webpage.

Liebesträume is one of his most beloved works, originally composed in 1850 as part of a set of three piano pieces inspired by poems about different types of love. No. 3 captures the theme of unconditional, enduring love. The piece opens with a gentle, flowing melody in the right hand supported by arpeggiated accompaniment, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. Liszt gradually builds intensity through lush harmonies and sweeping passages, showcasing both his gift for lyricism and his trademark virtuosity. At its core, Liebesträume No. 3 is both tender and passionate, embodying the Romantic ideal of music as an expression of deep emotion. Its song-like character, combined with moments of dramatic climax and serene repose, makes it as moving for audiences today as it was in the 19th century. Often performed as a concert encore or a symbol of Romantic piano repertoire, the piece remains a timeless testament to Liszt’s ability to balance technical brilliance with profound expressiveness. Dr. Hwa-Jin Kim is a concert pianist and music educator with over 35 years of experience teaching music history, theory, class piano, and chamber ensemble. She has taught at the Manhattan School of Music, Brown University, and UNC Asheville, where she served for 22 years. A full-scholarship graduate of Seoul National University, she earned her Master’s and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, later joining its faculty as the youngest member. Widely recognized for her creative teaching, Dr. Kim is a two-time recipient of the Steinway & Sons Top Teacher Award (2023, 2024). She has directed acclaimed summer piano camps, adjudicated competitions, and performs as a soloist, lecturer, and chamber musician. Her debut book You Are Slightly Very Late (2025) captures her classroom of humanity and joy. In 2025, she founded Sonare Music Academy, offering classical music and musical foundations both in person and online through weekly classes with masterclasses, scholarships, and concerts.

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (Savior of the Nations, Come), BWV 659, is probably most familiar to listeners as the popular Lutheran Advent hymn.  However, the origins of this work date back as far as the 12th century, to a melody by Ambrose of Milan.  J. S. Bach adapted Luther's setting as an organ prelude, which was then transcribed for solo piano by Italian composer Ferruccio Busoni in 1898.  Busoni's treatment of Bach's prelude brings Nun komm closer to its vocal/choral origins, as evidenced by the use of the term "Canto" in the piano score.  Busoni's transcription stands as one of the evergreen mainstays of the piano repertoire, with pianists from Vladimir Horowitz to Vikingur Olafsson including it in their concert programs and recordings. Leonidas Lagrimas serves as Vice-President of AAPF and Associate Professor of Piano and Pedagogy at Western Carolina University.  Recent and upcoming performances include Guest Artist recitals at the University of Florida, University of Alabama, Appalachian State University, University of Kentucky, and numerous faculty recitals at WCU. Past collaborative piano highlights include performances with Grammy-winning soprano Hila Plitmann, country superstar Lorrie Morgan, and multiple Carnegie Hall appearances.  Leonidas is a frequently invited competition judge and masterclass clinician throughout the country and his writings have been published in Piano Magazine, the MTNA E-Journal, and American Music Teacher.  He been a regular webinar contributor and clinician for MTNA and the Francis Clark Center.  Leonidas holds National Certification (NCTM) in piano from MTNA and a Ph.D. in Music Education and Piano Pedagogy from Florida State University.

The Godfather Theme is one of the most recognizable and popular movie themes of all time. It is also known as the Love Theme from The Godfather, and Speak Softly, Love. Composed by Nino Rota, the score was nominated for an Oscar only to be disqualified when it was found Rota had already used a version of the main theme in a previous film. My plan in this arrangement was to begin the tune quietly and, through a series of variations, gradually build it up into a large and frenzied ending. I took some ideas from classical works, primarily Liszt's La Campanella and the cadenza from the first movement of Grieg's Piano Concerto. Dominic Rajagopal was a successful piano student, winning a number of awards through the years including winning first place in the Asheville Piano Competition's advanced category twice. While in high school he also was the pianist with the Asheville Youth Symphony Orchestra. More recently he is learning to arrange songs, primarily movie themes and popular songs. He is a Musicnotes Signature Artist, publishing sheet music for his arrangements online. On his YouTube channel, named DOMRAJ, you can watch videos of his arrangements. He has taught both private and group piano lessons and is currently a teacher in Nathan Shirley's "Crescendo! Piano in the Classroom" program in Marion, NC. Besides piano, Dominic is an award-winning videographer and, along with his brothers, runs a video production business, Raj Bros. Productions.

The Prelude in C-sharp minor was composed in 1892. In this Prelude, Rachmaninoff expresses the sounds of church bells, for which the composer had a lifelong affinity. Prelude in G-sharp minor was composed in 1910, after Rachmaninoff’s concert tour of the USA. It opens with a melancholic melody and continues with brief, passionate episodes. The sound of Troika’s little bells concludes this music. Leonid Treer graduated from Gnessins State Institute of Music in Moscow, where he studied with Boris Berlin, a distinguished pedagogue with lineage to K. Igumnoff and A. Siloti. Siloti was the teacher and cousin of S. Rachmaninoff. Mr. Treer is a former Professor of Music at Florida Atlantic University. He was a piano duet/duo partner of Judith Burganger. Leonid Treer has performed in France, Russia, Israel, the USA, and People’s Republic of China.