Dr. Leonidas Lagrimas - In-Person Judge

Dr. Leonidas Lagrimas serves as Assistant Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy at Western Carolina University. His duties include coordinating the Class Piano program and teaching Applied Piano. His performance experience includes multiple collaborative piano appearances at Carnegie Hall, recent solo and collaborative guest artist recitals at UNC-Charlotte, University of North Florida, SUNY-Fredonia, Valdosta State University (GA), Florida College, Livingston College (NC), Wesleyan College (GA), University of Tennessee-Southern (TN), and numerous appearances as a choral and church accompanist throughout the East Coast. Active as a musical theatre accompanist/keyboardist, music director, vocal coach and conductor, his recent regional credits include Little Shop of Horrors for Starring Buffalo! at Shea's 710 Theatre (Buffalo, NY), Rock of Ages and 9 to 5: The Musical for Theatre Tallahassee, In the Heights and American Idiot for New Stage Theatreworks, and numerous community, collegiate, and high school mainstage productions.

Dr. Lagrimas holds National Certification (NCTM) in piano from MTNA, and a Ph.D. in Music Education and Piano Pedagogy from Florida State University. His previous full-time faculty appointments include SUNY-Fredonia and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, and prior to his doctoral studies he served as a music teacher in the New York City public schools for ten years.