Students and Music Aficionados
John Allen
Bio: John Allen, Market President for Argent Trust Helping families flourish from one generation to the next
Email: jallen@argenttrust.com
Phone: Cell: (704) 906-6627, Greenville Direct: (864) 977-8805
Address: US Main & Fedex/Charlotte Office: 11020 David Taylor Drive #430 Charlotte NC 28262
Greenville Office: 15 South Main Street, Suite 901Greenville, SC 29601 - BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
Sam Austin
Bio: Sam Austin grew up in Asheville and started playing the piano at the age of 10 and picked up the clarinet through highschool. They have played at Carnegie Hall (clarinet) and have loved exploring new instruments. The piano has always been the foundation for their love of music. Many years of travel and starting a family took them on a break from music to explore high adventure travel, yoga and dance while always embracing the arts. Now, with a family which includes 3 young children and a career as a hairstylist, they are re-honing their skills and bringing their love of piano back into their life and home. Sam wants to give a shout-out to Shane Owenby of Piano Emporium who helped them fulfill the dream of owning a grand piano – they now have a lovely Yamaha grand in their West Asheville home.
Email: yogaaustin@gmail.com
Phone: 828-458-4821
Steven Bennett
Email: steven_b@bellsouth.net
Address: Asheville
Adlai Boyd
Bio: Retired Presbyterian Minister and University Psychologist
Email: ladlai@charter.net
Phone: 828-669-4869
Other Music Related Services: Will video performances and competitions as needed
Bruce Broulik
Bio: I am a member of a similar but smaller group in Orlando Florida. We meet each month at a different member's home, like the performance groups in AAPF. We play mostly classical pieces from composers such as Debussy, Chopin, Bach, Scriabin, Schumann, etc. I consider myself an intermediate level pianist but like to challenge myself with more difficult songs. I live in Asheville during summer and fall and return to Florida at the end of November.
Email: bbroulik@aol.com
William Clark
Email: ddawac@msn.com
Phone: 828-273-8503
Address: 116 Sondley Pkwy, Asheville, NC 28805
Phil Dettra
Email: jpkontaksu@gmail.com
Address: Asheville
Mike Emerson
Bio: Have been taking piano lessons for 3 years
Email: emerson10036@gmail.com
Phone: 828-702-8515
Address: Asheville
Julie Gordon
Bio: I studied piano through high school and am now studying under Dr. John Cobb. Hosted an Amateur Performance Group in July 2022.
Email: jmg29860@hotmail.com
Phone: 828-699-6528
Address: Hendersonville, NC
Sue Guerry
Bio: I would like to join the piano forum to meet with other people who are interested in the piano.
Email: rg324@aol.com
Phone: 828-337-1582
Address: Black Mountain
James Hilderbrandt
Bio: I am an enthusiastic piano listener.
Email: JamesFLNC@aol.com
Phone: 828-772-0638
Address: Asheville
Benny Kirby
Bio: I have been playing for three years, and like to play boogie-woogie and classical.
Email: bearkirb3.14@gmail.com
Phone: 828-301-7736
Address: Arden
Jake Kirby
Bio: Hello! I am Jake, have been playing piano for 5 years, and especially love classical music. I enjoy hearing and playing pieces those such as Debussy, Beethoven, and Bach, but my most favorite composer would have to be Chopin.
Email: maestrospock314@gmail.com
Phone: 828-301-7736
Address: Arden
Erik Kohl
Email: takenotemusicstudio@yahoo.com
Stephen Lapointe
Bio: Dr. Lapointe received a Ph.D. in Entomology, Plant Pathology and Botany from Cornell University in 1986 where he worked on insect-plant interactions in the context of potato glandular trichomes and insect-vectored viruses. From 1986 through 1993, he was Senior Scientist, Entomologist, at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) stationed in Cali, Colombia working on host resistance and ecology of Cercopidae and leaf-cutting ants. He was stationed in Bahia, Brazil from 1993 to 1997 where he conducted research and coördinated a multi-national effort in cassava IPM in northeastern Brazil and west Africa. From 1997 through 2018, he was employed as a Research Entomologist for USDA-ARS in Florida working on pests of citrus with emphasis on the chemical ecology of citrus pests. Of particular interest is the use of multivariate and geometric designs with response surface modeling to optimize pheromone blends for mating disruption. He is now working as an independent consultant from his home in North Carolina.
Email: SLL13@cornell.edu
Nicole Lopez
Bio: I'm an amateur and student (studying with Deborah Belcher) largely focused on repertoire by women and BIPOC composers. I was born and raised in Asheville, where I first learned to love the piano (shout out to JoAnn Keener). After high school, I stopped playing piano, but moving back to Asheville during the pandemic brought back my love of playing. I’ve been organizing and performing at virtual benefit concerts for Midwest Access Coalition and recently performed at All Good Coffee in Weaverville to fundraise for the Asheville Community Bail Fund..
Email: hello.nicole.lopez@gmail.com
Phone: 828-712-1466
Auralia Manis
Bio: Student (25 and under) of music with a deep love for piano, voice, and orchestra (cellist).
Email: AuraliMani@gmail.com
Website: http://youtube.com@AuraliaManis
Phone: 828-707-4606
Address: Weaverville, NC
Carol McCollum
Bio: Board member Asheville Symphony and Asheville Area Center for the Performing Arts; Pianist
Email: camcc27@gmail.com
Phone: 828-252-8506
Address: Asheville
David Miller
Bio: Piano student
Email: dmiller2718@gmail.com
Phone: 312-446-6986
Address: Asheville
Philip Morrison
Bio: Took piano lessons 2nd-9th grade. As an adult, got interested in songwriting and then singing to my own piano accompaniment. Singing opened up a new world in piano literature, including that of the “Tin Pan Alley” songwriters: Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg (music composer and lyricist for the songs in “The Wizard of Oz”), Rodgers & Hart, Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichal, Johnny Mercer, Leslie Bricusse, and Kurt Weill.
Email: offtherack007@gmail.com
Phone: 865-203-8243, 828-424-1167
Address: 17 Webster Court, Loudon, TN 37774
Mary Norton
Bio: Organist, pianist retired. Not playing professionally.
Email: Nortonmary13@gmail.com
Address: Arden NC
Meredith Norwood
Bio: I had about 3 years of piano lessons in early elementary school. The bulk of my musical experience has been as a choral singer which I began at age 10 and continue to this day. Since retiring to Asheville, I’ve sung with Womansong, the Asheville Choral Society, and am currently a member of the Cathedral Choir at All Souls in Biltmore Village. Recently, I began group piano classes through OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) and I love it. My skills are weak, but my enthusiasm is strong
Email: meredith.lee.norwood@gmail.com
Phone: 828-301-0033
Address: Asheville
Dominic Rajagopal
Email: domraj099@gmail.com.
Phone Number: 828-273-8147
Barbara (Kitti) Reynolds
Bio: Studying with Les Downs, after many years of not playing piano.
Email: reynolds.barbara@gmail.com
Phone: 828-768-0537
Address: Asheville
Judy Rodwell
Email: heyjude731@icloud.com, heyjude731@gmail.com
Michael Ruiz
Email: mjtruiz@gmail.com
Sue Russell
Bio: Intermediate adult player.
Email: ashevillesuerussell@gmail.com
Phone: 828-778-7747
Address: Asheville
Mark Smith
Bio: I'm a retired amateur who studied piano for many years in school. I haven't kept up my skills as much as I would have liked over the years, but recently started playing more seriously again. I enjoy many types of music -- classical, jazz, old standards, show tunes, and more.
Phone: 202-256-0225
Email: masmithcae@gmail.com
Address: Asheville, NC
Hal Southern
Bio: I am a jazz aficionado.
Email: halsouthster@gmail.com
Ted Stewart
Bio: Primarily an organist and secondarily a pianist: Church musician, School accompanist, Organ recitalist, Teacher of organ/piano, including college for 50 years. Now retired.
Email: stewart.smith@att.net
Phone: 816-305-1038
Address: Swannanoa
Christopher Tavernier
Bio: Christopher Tavernier made his orchestral debut with the Tar River Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of thirteen in Rocky Mount, NC, performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in the opening concert of the orchestra’s Fall 2013 season. Christopher has been featured on ABC affiliate television station WLOS, CBS affiliate WSPA in Spartanburg (Scene on 7), Carolinas CW62 (Studio 62), and Carolina Live NPR radio, and WCQS in Asheville, NC. Christopher in currently studying at the College of Music at FSU majoring in Piano Performance under Dr. Read Gainsford, professor and coordinator of keyboard studies. Additionally, he has published recordings in DVD and CD formats
Email: bobtav@gate.net
Phone: 828-707-2604
Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3atoGLS1O2acfz50_HqUcg
Address: Hendersonville
Joshua Tjung
Email: ietjhiang@gmail.com
Phone: 828-335-9898
Address: Asheville
Sarah Trent
Bio: I would like to attend master classes as a student to give and receive feedback from other pianists. I am 18 years old, and I am turning 19 soon. I am a freshman in college, and have decided to study music instead of veterinary medicine. I have played the piano since I was small, picking out tunes that sounded good to my ear. Since then, I took lessons with several different teachers over the years. I played piano in my middle school, and high school jazz band, as well as my high school marching band. When I got to high school, I took lessons with Dr. Hwa-Jin Kim for 3 years. Under her teaching, I competed in the 2020 Virtual Piano Competition in the “Advanced” category performing Clair De Lune and won 4th place. I had to quit lessons my senior year because of personal reasons. I have now returned back to my practice with Karen Boyd (who encouraged me to join the Piano Forum) and want to pursue music as a career.
Email: sarahtrent223@gmail.com
Phone: 828-767-9057
Address: Fairview
Nan Watkins
Email: nanwatkins757@gmail.com
Phone: 828-293-9237
Address: Tuckasegee
Forrest Weaver
Bio: My daughter, 14, has played piano off and on for about 8 years. She is taking lessons from Ivan Seng and loves piano!
Phone: 704-661-6976
Email: evolutionbanjo@yahoo.com
Address: Asheville, NC
Ann Weinstein
Bio: Adult learner after many years of absence from playing the piano.
Phone: 646-717-2432
Email: awwnyc77@gmail.com
Address: Asheville, NC
Rich Winslow
Bio: Intermediate Adult learner.
Email: rich@rwinsphoto.com
Phone: 828-243-5932
Janet Wright
Bio: I studied piano as a child and am currently working with John Cobb and Brian Turner. I am enjoying my piano playing in retirement more than I ever dreamed possible and enjoy playing with the Amateur group of AAPF in an attempt to become more comfortable playing in front of an audience.
Email: janetiwrightemail@gmail.com
Phone: 618-558-0705
Address: Asheville