Leonidas Lagrimas

Biography

Dr. Leonidas Lagrimas serves as Assistant Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy for the WCU School of Music. His main duties include Applied Piano and coordinating the Class Piano program. An emerging leader in piano pedagogy research, Dr. Lagrimas serves on the editorial board of <i>American Music Teacher,</i> the official journal of Music Teachers National Association, and is Editor of the North Carolina Music Teachers Association Journal. He has been a regular webinar contributor and clinician for the Frances Clark Center, and a featured workshop presenter for NafME and MTNA. He is a regular presenter at local, state, regional, and national music conferences for College Music Society, MTNA, NCKP, and NafME, and serves as Vice-President and board member of the Asheville Area Piano Forum.<br><br>Dr. Lagrimas is active throughout the region as a solo and collaborative performer. Recent and upcoming performances include guest artist recitals at the University of Florida, Appalachian State University, University of Alabama, Mars Hill University, 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. Active as musical theatre pianist, conductor, and music director, his recent regional credits include <i>The Sondheim Tribute Revue </i>at Waynesville's HART Theatre, <i>Rock of Ages</i> and <i>9 to 5: The Musical </i>for Theatre Tallahassee, <i>In the Heights </i>and <i>American Idiot </i>for New Stage Theatreworks, and <i>Little Shop of Horrors</i><i> </i>for <i>Starring Buffalo!</i> at Shea's 710 Theatre.<br><br>Dr. Lagrimas is the proud recipient of the 2024 Belcher College Faculty Teaching Award for outstanding teaching and the 2023 Faculty Scholarship Award for outstanding scholarly activity and research. He is a frequently invited guest lecturer, competition judge and masterclass clinician throughout the country and serves on the state Executive Board for NCMTA. He holds National Certification (NCTM) in piano from MTNA and a Ph.D. in Music Education and Piano Pedagogy from Florida State University. In addition to his teaching at WCU, Dr. Lagrimas maintains a private piano studio. 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.

Education

• Ph D, Florida State University, Music Education/Piano Pedagogy
• MA, New York University, Music Education

Teaching Interests

Applied piano<br>Class piano<br>Collaborative piano<br>Piano Pedagogy and Music Education

Research Interests

Class piano curriculum and pedagogy<br>Recreational music making and adult piano pedagogy<br>The music of Claude Debussy<br>The music of Amy Beach<br>The music of Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee