Phone: 345-521-3739

Email: wbares@unca.edu

Web Site: baresmusic.com

Studio/Store Location, Serving: UNC-Asheville

Offering Piano Lessons for: College Students

Teaching Styles: Jazz

Performers’ Occasions: Recitals, Jazz Events

Address: Asheville

Bio: More of a teacher than performer, I have over a half century (1971 – present!!) of experience: piano lessons, classroom teaching (Pre k -  6th ), church organist/pianist.   References available upon request. 

Email: frank_argento@hotmail.com

Phone: 828-280-1307

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Serving South Asheville, Fletcher area

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginner to Advanced, all ages. 

Teaching Styles: Classical, Popular, Religious, Lead Sheet reading (chords, accompanying), classical improvisation, sight reading skills. 

Offering Other Music Lessons for: Theory

Other Music Related Services: Play piano for special occasions

Address: Asheville

Bio: Will Baunach is a past President of the Asheville Area Piano Forum. He has been a dedicated pianist since childhood. After a career in high-tech, in the 1990s he took further music studies at Portland State University where he subsequently taught piano. Today he teaches using an innovative lab-based approach combining computers, keyboards, and pianos.

Email: willbaunach@yahoo.com

Phone: 828-687-9075

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Asheville, Arden

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginner, Intermediate, Middle/High School, College, Adults

Teaching Styles: Classical

Address: Arden

Bio: Dr. Deborah Belcher holds degrees in piano from Winthrop University, Indiana University and Michigan State University, and has performed as recitalist and collaborative pianist throughout the Eastern U.S. and in Canada. She has appeared as soloist with the Blue Ridge Symphony, the Converse College Chamber Orchestra, the Elmhurst Symphony, the Sammartini Chamber Orchestra and the Windermere Chamber Orchestra. Her solo & chamber music performances have been heard in public radio broadcasts throughout the Midwest and the Southeast. She is a member of the music faculty of UNC Asheville and is in demand throughout the Southeastern states as facilitator of the “Instant (Pop) Piano for Hopelessly Busy People” seminar. Dr. Belcher developed an affinity for the music of Latin composers including Astor Piazzolla, became an aficionado of Argentine tango and sometimes performs tangos joined by dancers on stage.

Email: deborah.belcher@icloud.com

Phone: 828-230-7343

Website Address: deborahbelcher.com &/or https://www.facebook.com/AshevillePianoExperience/?ref=bookmarks

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Asheville, Hendersonville, Weaverville, Black Mountain, Canton, All of Western NC, WNC & upper SC

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Young Children, Elementary, Middle/High School, College, Adults

Teaching Styles: Classical, Popular

Offering Other Music Lessons for: Theory, Music History. Piano Pedagogy.

Address: Asheville

Bio: Matt Blanks originally hails from Olney, Maryland, and taught and performed in the Chicagoland area for the last 10 years. A graduate of Peabody Conservatory and Baldwin-Wallace University, he has appeared as a young artist with Opera Southwest, Tri-Cities Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Sarasota Opera, and Chicago Opera Theater. Most recently, he held positions as Director of Music/Organist at Calvary Episcopal Church in Batavia and Adjunct Professor of Music at both North Park and Dominican Universities.

Phone: 301-221-0068

Email: matt.blanks.tenor@gmail.com

Web Site: SoaringSounds.as.me

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Asheville, Weaverville, Marshall

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginner, Intermediate, Adults

Offering Other Lessons for: Voice

Teaching Styles: Classical, Jazz, Popular, Religious

Performers’ Occasions: Accompanist, arranger-for-hire

Address: Alexander

Bio: A graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory(B.M.), West Chester University (M.M.), with post- graduate performance studies at Rutgers University, Ms. Boyd has almost fifty years of teaching experience. Her students have won numerous competitions and many have continued music study at major universities. She is a founding member of AAPF, and is its president for 2020-21. Karen is also a member of NCMTA.

Email: karenpianoboyd@gmail.com

Phone: (828)669-4869 or (828)782-0502

Teaching Locations: at student homes, Black Mountain, Montreat, Swannanoa, East Asheville

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginners through Advanced, ages 5-90.

Teaching Styles: Classical

Address: Black Mountain

Bio: Kimberly is a mother of two toddlers; wife of a double bassist & self-taught master of many trades; Eastman-trained professional concert pianist; sister of concert pianist Michelle Cann; director of Piano Lab Studios; and President of the AAPF 2012-2014 and 2017-2018. She loves Asheville and plans to retire here...but that's a long time from now. :)

Email: kcann98@gmail.com

Website Address: PianoLabAsheville.com

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Asheville, Hendersonville, Weaverville, Black Mountain, Canton, All of Western NC, Fletcher

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Young Children, Elementary, Middle/High School, College, Adults

Teaching Styles: Classical, Jazz, Popular, Religious

Offering Other Music Lessons for: Theory, Composition, Voice, Strings, Percussion

Bio: Emeritus Professor Benjamin D Caton taught for 46 years in the Department or Music at East Tennessee State University. He earned these degrees: BSME, ETSU; MA and PhD, The Ohio State University. Caton served as President of Music Teachers National Association from 2011-2013. Awards include MTNA Foundation Fellow, MTNA Distinguished Service Award, MTNA Teacher of the Year Award, ETSU Distinguished Service Award, Phi Mu Alpha Signature Sinfonian Award. Currently teaches piano in the ETSU Pre-College Program and is adjunct professor of piano and piano pedagogy at ETSU.

Email: caton@etsu.edu

Phone: 423-928-2478

Studio/Store Location, Serving: ETSU at Johnson City, TN

Offering Piano Lessons for: College and Pre-College

Teaching Styles: Classical

Address: Johnson City, TN

Bio: Elizabeth Child holds a DMA in piano performance from The Juilliard School.  She teaches classical piano and theory to all levels at her studio in Tryon NC, and often performs in the Asheville area.  You can contact her through her website at www.elizabethchildpianist.com.

Email: mechild@windstream.net

Phone: 828-817-4627

Website Address: www.elizabethchildpianist.com

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Tryon, NC and Landrum, SC

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Elementary, Middle/High School, Adults

Teaching Styles: Classical

Address: Tryon

Bio: An international performer and recording artist, Dr. Cobb did post-doctoral study with legendary pianist Claudio Arrau. The New York Times praised his "solid technique, bronze tone and flexibility of interpretive style." While completing a Doctor of Music degree at Northwestern University, Dr. Cobb held a fellowship at the University of Chicago, where he pursued doctoral studies in musicology. He performs a broad repertoire of solo and chamber music, is a frequent performer on the Piano Forte series at the Asheville Art Museum and appeared as soloist with the Asheville Symphony, performing the Samuel Barber Piano Concerto. Dr. Cobb frequently serves as an adjudicator for competitions and music festivals.

Email: jcobbpiano@gmail.com

Phone: 828-551-3810

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Greater Asheville, Fairview, and Hendersonville

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginners through Advanced, ages 10 through Adult; coaching for professionals

Teaching Styles: Classical

Offering Other Music Lessons for: Theory, Composition, Voice, Mrs. Cobb (Gwenn) is a singer/voice teacher

Other Music Related Services: Arrau Technique training: using relaxation and body leverage in playing.

Address: Fairview

Bio: Dr. Jason DeCristofaro is the Director of Creative Arts & Events and Music Faculty at Warren Wilson. An active music educator, multi-instrumentalist and composer/arranger based in Asheville, NC. Jason has performed nationally and internationally at many jazz festivals, and is in demand as a clinician, having presented clincis, masterclasses and performances on jazz improvisation at many colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Email: jdecristofaro@warren-wilson.edu

Website: www.youtube.com/jasondecristofaro

Phone: 828-273-8254

Bio: 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. He has served as music director for regional musical theatre productions. 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. He holds degrees from Centenary College of Louisiana, Yale University, and University of Oklahoma.

Email: lgdowns721@gmail.com

Phone: (828) 775-3539

Website Address: LeslieDowns.com

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Asheville, Black Mountain

Offering Piano Lessons for: Intermediate, Advanced, Middle/High School, College, Adults, Lessons in your home

Teaching Styles: Classical, Popular, Religious

Other Music Related Services: Vocal Coaching

Address: Asheville

Bio:  Pianist Sharyn Edwards has concertized throughout the southeastern United States and in Russia. She has been soloist with the Charlotte, Charleston, Fayetteville, Wilmington and Charlotte Repertoire Symphonies and was an Artist with the N.C Touring Artists Roster. Dr. Edwards made her New York debut at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall and has recorded a Classic CD for the Musikus Label. Dr. Edwards is a native of Asheville and her formative training was with Dorothy Krauss.  Other teachers include Dr. John P. Adams, Canadian Pianist, Raymond Dudley, John Quincy Bass, James Bonn and coaching with Madame Lili Krauss among others.  Currently she is Director of the Dr. Sharyn Edwards 46th Piano Festival and Competition.

Email: sharynedwards14@gmail.com

Offering Piano Lessons for: All ages.

Teaching Styles: Classical

Address: Leicester

Phone: 828-777-0061

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Asheville

Offering Piano Lessons for: Intermediate, Advanced, Elementary

Teaching Styles: Classical, Religious

Offering Other Music Lessons for: Theory

Address: Asheville

Bio: Degrees from Oberlin Conservatory (Bach. of Music), Columbia University Teachers College (Master of Arts) with 2 years additional study at Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. Career includes lecture-recitals, articles on piano pedagogy in leading music journals and competition adjudication.

Performer Details: I like the challenge of learning new repertoire, particularly 4 hand literature with fellow Piano Forum members. I also sub as a church pianist and am available to perform as a cocktail pianist.

Email: pollyfeitzinger@gmail.com

Phone: 828-676-0766

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Hendersonville

Offering Piano Lessons for: Teenagers, Adults

Teaching Styles: Classical

Offering Other Music Lessons for: Piano, Theory

Address: Hendersonville

Bio: VICTORIA FISCHER FAW, NCTM, D.M.A., Professor Emerita at Elon University, is a pianist, teacher, and scholar whose musical passions include the full range of piano solo and collaborative repertoire, teaching young teachers to teach piano, and mentoring undergraduate musical research. Recent honors include being named 2021 North Carolina Music Teachers Association Teacher of the Year, MTNA 2022 National Teacher of the Year, and MTNA Foundation Fellow for 2022. Her scholarship and performance activity includes a specialty in the music of Béla Bartók. She won first prize at the 1990 Bartók-Kabalevsky International Piano Competition and has published and presented many articles and programs to local, state and national music teachers on Bartók and other musical topics. Dr. Fischer studied at Centenary College of Louisiana, UNC-Chapel Hill, UT Austin, and the Vienna Conservatory. Her teachers include Constance Knox Carroll, Danielle Martin, David Renner, Amanda Vick Lethco, Martha Hilley and Elliott Antokoletz. She is active in NCMTA and MTNA, and lives on a Christmas tree farm in Sparta, NC with her husband, Steve.

Phone: 336-263-7013

Email: fischer@elon.edu

Studio/Store Location, Serving: All of Western NC, Alleghany County

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Elementary, Middle/High School, College, Adults

Teaching Styles: Classical

Offering Other Lessons for: group, virtual

Other Musical Related Services: Performances, presentations, masterclasses, consulting

Address: Sparta

Bio: Eric Fricke is a concert organist and pianist, improviser, composer, and collaborative musician. He has appeared on the national stage as an organist since 2007, with notable appearances at Entertainment Gathering 2008 (later broadcast on TEDTalks), on NPR’s From The Top, and Carnegie Hall. From 2017 to 2019, Eric was the Principal Organist of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, NM and organist for the Santa Fe Symphony. As a pianist, Eric performed with the Santa Fe Opera for their 2017 production of Stephen Paulus’ Shoes for the Santo Niño. Eric began his musical studies at the age of 5. He studied organ with Cameron Carpenter and Lew Williams, piano with celebrated ballet pianist Miles Fusco, and voice with Joan Jacobowsky, Professor Emerita of Salem College. He holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from St. John’s College of Santa Fe, NM, and a Graduate Certificate in Injury-Preventive Keyboard Technique from Salem College. He has taught piano and voice for over a decade in his private studio and at numerous schools and musical organizations.

Email: ericfricative@gmail.com  

Phone: 480-734-3714

Web Site: https://ericfricke.com/

Bio: Avid chamber music player, New York native recently relocated to Hendersonville, NC, graduate of Brooklyn College (CUNY), 1st-time recipient of prestigious Charles Ives Award for Excellence in Musical Performance, studied graduate level piano accompaniment (vocal & instrumental) at Manhattan School of Music, holds M.M. (A.B.D), has assisted at the Metropolitan Opera House studios, has performed regularly in New York, Europe, Israel and currently in Western North Carolina. Was founder and co-founder of several chamber music ensembles, including The Soiree Sisters, The Urban Stress Trio, and co-founder & Musical Director of Handel With Care. Currently seeking piano students, teach out of my music studio/home.

Email: smgruenhut@yahoo.com

Phone: 646-413-1294

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Asheville, Hendersonville

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Young Children, Elementary, Middle/High School, College, Adults, Lessons in your home

Teaching Styles: Classical

Offering Other Music Lessons for: vocal coaching/accompanist

Address: Hendersonville

Bio: Hayward, Anna Haun was Associate Professor and Director of the Graduate Piano Pedagogy Program at Georgia State University. Dr. Hayward has also served on summer music festival faculties for the U. of Illinois, the Breckenridge Colorado Music Festival, and the Musique Session Internationale in Grenoble, France. Sponsored by Alfred Music, she has given piano pedagogy workshops in the US, England, Malaysia, and Australia, and has also performed throughout the US, Micronesia, England, Germany, France, and Austria. She was awarded the "Master Teacher Certificate" in Piano by MTNA (1995). She enjoys preparing students for a career in piano performance and/or piano pedagogy as well as teaching students wanting to pursue their passion for learning.

Email: annahayward1011@gmail.com

Phone: 828-225-3801

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Asheville

Offering Piano Lessons for: Advanced, College, Adults, Lessons in your home

Teaching Styles: Classical

Offering Other Music Lessons for: Theory

Address: Asheville

Bio: Mary Holmes is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University (B. Music - Piano Performance) and The University of Michigan (M. Music). She attended Oakland University in Michigan (M. Music – Piano Performance) while raising her children.

She has taught piano at all levels for over 45 years. In addition, she taught in Detroit at Wayne State University for several years, and has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician. In addition to membership in AAPF, she is on the board of the Asheville Chamber Music Series.

Email: 312mesh@gmail.com

Phone: Home – (828) 505.7008 or Cellphone – (828) 707-6353

Studio/Store Location, Serving: Asheville, Lessons in your home (teacher will travel)

Offering Piano Lessons for: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Elementary, Middle/High School, College, Adults

Teaching Styles: Classical

Offering Other Music Lessons for: Theory

Address: Asheville