Aaron Campbell feat. Xiao Liang & Peter Ryan

Sunday, April 19th, 2026

2 p.m.

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Cantrell Hall 

The University of Virginia's College at Wise

1 College Avenue, Wise, VA 24293

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Free and open to all

W. Campbell Edmonds & Clinch Valley Concert Series

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Euphonium Around the World is a solo recital celebrating the global voice of the euphonium through music inspired by diverse cultural traditions. Featuring works rooted in Africa, Japan, Europe, and the United States, the program blends traditional influences, newly composed works, and jazz-inspired styles. Together, these selections highlight the euphonium’s remarkable versatility—showcasing its lyrical warmth, technical virtuosity, and expressive range across genres and cultures from around the world.

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Dr. Aaron K. Campbell is an award-winning brass performer and conductor currently serving as Director of Bands and Instructor of Music at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. His responsibilities include conducting the Wind Ensemble, Athletic Bands, and Brass Ensembles, as well as teaching applied low brass and music education.

 

An accomplished low-brass artist, Dr. Campbell has performed extensively as a euphonium, trombone, and tuba musician with professional ensembles throughout the southeastern United States, including the Florida Wind Band, Florida Orchestra, Florida Wind Symphony, and the Brass Band of Central Florida. He is the founder and president of Tampa Brass Works, Inc., and serves as solo euphonium of the Tampa Brass Band, as well as principal euphonium and low-brass section leader of the Florida Wind Band. His performance activity spans solo, chamber, wind band, brass band, and musical theater settings.

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As a soloist, Dr. Campbell has presented recitals and appeared with collegiate and professional ensembles across the region and internationally. He has been a featured performer and clinician at numerous conferences, including regional Tuba-Euphonium conferences, state music education conferences, and international brass festivals. His international engagements include performance and adjudication at the International Women’s Brass Conference in Mito City, Japan, as well as international adjudication at the Great Canadian Brass Band Festival.

 

Dr. Campbell is also a dedicated educator and advocate for musical entrepreneurship. He maintains an active private studio, presents masterclasses and clinics, and regularly speaks on career development and non-traditional pathways in music. His educational outreach includes the YouTube channel AKCEuph and the podcast Young Musician’s Guide.

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Dr. Campbell is the first person to earn a Doctor of Musical Arts in Euphonium Performance degree from the University of Florida, he also holds a Master of Music from James Madison University, and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of South Florida. He is a Besson, Denis Wick, and Lefreque performing artist.

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Xiao Liang is a pianist whose performance, teaching, and research span the United States, Italy, Finland, Malaysia, and China. She has been recognized with numerous awards, including First Prize at the 2024 FSU Annual Competition, Italy’s Maccagno Young Artist Piano Festival, and the AACE New York International Music Competition, as well as the Best Etude Award at the USCI Young Artist Festival and the Excellent Award at China’s CCTV Piano and Violin Competition. 

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A versatile artist, she performs as a soloist, collaborative pianist, and chamber musician, and in 2021 contributed MIDI piano accompaniments of Chinese art songs to the 4D Music Pocket Player app, where her recordings remain part of its permanent international library.

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Liang’s research interests include cross-cultural repertoire, performance anxiety, and inclusive pedagogy, which she has presented at NCKP, MTNA, ISME, FSMTA, the MTNA Symposium, and CMS. 

 

Liang holds a B.A. in Musicology from Beijing Normal University under Lanlan Guo, an M.M. in Piano Performance from the University of Florida under Jasmin Arakawa, and a Performance Diploma from Indiana University, where she studied with Emile Naoumoff, the last protégé of Nadia Boulanger. She earned her D.M. in Piano Performance with a specialized certification in Piano Pedagogy from Florida State University under Read Gainsford and Diana Dumlavwalla. She is currently a member of the teaching faculty at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, where she also serves as a collaborative pianist.

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Peter Ryan, D.M.A. is an Associate Professor of Music at The University of Virginia’s College at Wise, where he teaches and coordinates the Piano and Music Theory programs and serves as the Division of Music Coordinator.  As a performer, Peter has given concerts in the Czech Republic, Austria, Ecuador, Quebec, and around the United States. His performing and research interests lie in underperformed repertoire and underrepresented composers. Peter holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Florida, and both a Master of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has studied with Jennifer Hayghe, Doris Pridonoff Lehnert, Elizabeth Pridonoff, and Kevin Sharpe. In addition to his duties at UVA Wise, Peter also enjoys performing with the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra as their Principal Pianist. Prior to earning his degrees, Peter served as an Infantry Mortarman in the United States Marines Corps from 2004-2008. He now lives in Wise, VA with his wife, the UVA Wise Director of Choral and Vocal Activities, Hannah Wunsch Ryan. The Ryans also co-direct the Appalachian Music Project at UVA Wise.​

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Pro-Art partners with a variety of venues, for accessibility inquiries or general questions, call (276) 376-4520 or email contact@proartva.org. For weather related updates, patrons are encouraged to check proartva.org for real-time information.

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Pro-Art is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the C. Bascom Slemp Foundation, The University of Virginia’s College at Wise, and Mountain Empire Community College.

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