Dave Eggar, Peter Ryan
& Sean Claire with Maya Days
Traditional Fusion:
Appalachian/Classical Fusion Works for Piano Trio
Dave Eggar, Peter Ryan, & Sean Claire
Sunday, February 1st, 2026
2 p.m.
Cantrell Hall
The University of Virginia's College at Wise
1 College Avenue, Wise, VA 24293
Free and open to all
W. Campbell Edmonds Concert Series
Cellist and five-time Grammy nominated composer Dave Eggar joins UVA Wise’s own pianist Peter Ryan and Symphony of the Mountains Concertmaster Sean Claire for Traditional Fusion: Appalachian/Classical
Fusion Works for Piano Trio. The program will premiere new works from Appalachian-area composers Martha Redbone, Donald Sorah, and Benjamin Dawson that fuse traditional elements of Appalachian music with those of classical compositions. Broadway star Maya Days (Aida, Rent, Jesus Christ Superstar) joins the program with works from Sondheim, Bernstein, and Billie Holliday to warm up your winter blues.
Dave Eggar has appeared as a featured solo performer at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Barbican Center London, the Sydney Opera House, Aspen Music Festival, Lincoln Center and more. His mission to “not just cross over, but to cross through” multiple genres of music is apparent with all of his releases. Whether it’s classical, reggae, bluegrass, jazz, pop, or world music, he finds a common voice within his musical vocabulary and introduces it with his own unique and imaginative vision.
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.
Since 1990, Sean Claire has been a core member of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and Knoxville Chamber Orchestra. During his tenure he has served as Acting Associate Concertmaster, which included an extended period as Concertmaster, and has twice held the position of Acting Principal Second Violin and member of the KSO Principal Quartet. He also holds the distinction of being the only solo performer in the KSO’s Music and Wellness program, a groundbreaking initiative that brings music into health care facilities in highly personal settings. In addition to his performing duties in Knoxville, Mr. Claire has recently accepted the position of Concertmaster of the Symphony of the Mountains in Kingsport,Tennessee. Other orchestral credits include the Nashville Chamber Orchestra in Tennessee, the Bryan Symphony Orchestra in Cookeville, Tennessee, the Syracuse Symphony in New York and the Asheville Symphony in North Carolina, among others.Maya Days is fresh off a summer season at New York Stage and Film, where she just completed a workshop of the new musical Shelter, with music and lyrics by Crystal Monee Hall and direction by Lorin Latarro.
Maya Days made her Broadway debut as Mimi in Rent after appearing in the same role in the West End in London. On Broadway, she played Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar and the tour-de-force role of Aida in Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida. Also in New York City, Maya starred as The Shaman in Avalona: A Musical Legend and has performed on major stages including City Center Encores, Lincoln Center, and the renowned Carnegie Hall. On television, she appeared on The Blacklist, Law and Order, Barbershop, Blue Bloods and in a recurring role on Damages opposite Glenn Close. As a Jive recording artist, she toured the world with three Top 10 hits including the #1 single "Feel It" (which was the promotional song for the World Cup and featured on Showtime's Queer as Folk). With Gabry Ponte, she recorded "Sexy DJ," which became an international dance/pop hit. Maya celebrates her husband Keith and her son, Boston Quinn Flannery, who is easily her GREATEST accomplishment.
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.
This performance is made possible in part by The University of Virginia’s College at Wise’s Grand Challenges Pilot Grants Program. 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.