These are 13 poems written by pianist and composer David Paul Lyons in 1996, when he studied at the University of Oregon in Eugene for his D.M.A. They were edited, annotated, and posthumously published by his wife, Christina Lyons.
About the Author: A native of Lexington, MA, David Lyons (10/17/1960 - 01/28/2017) started playing the piano at age seven. He studied under Andre-Michel Schub and Yoriko Takahashi in his teenage years, when after graduating from high school he was accepted at the New England Conservatory in Boston, being called "very musical." David Lyons received a B. Mus. (Piano) from the University of Michigan, the M.M. from SUNY Stony Brook, an Artist Diploma from Indiana University, and the D.M.A. from the University of Oregon. Teachers have included Ralph Votapek, Charles Rosen, James Tocco, Menahem Pressler (to whom he was assistant in 1992), and Victor Steinhardt. David Lyons performed on many of the country's most prestigious stages. As prize winner of the Washington International Competition for Pianists, he performed at the Main Hall of the Kennedy Center. His tours with Daniel Gaede, former concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, included performances at Carnegie's Weill Hall, the Phillips Collection of Washington D.C., as well as broadcasts on National Public Radio. As winner of university competitions, he appeared as soloist with orchestra in Brahms's Concerto No. 2 and Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2. From 2003 on, David Lyons was the principal pianist collaborating with violinist Nathan Giem, now concertmaster of the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Budapest, in dozens of performances across the United States. Since 2005, David Lyons had turned his talents to composition. His piece for solo piano, "Two Sides of Night," was awarded first prize in the 2005 Composers Guild competition. His piece for violin and piano, "Fantaisie Mystique," won first prize in the category Instrumental in the 2013 Composers Guild composition contest. From fall 2007 through fall 2016, he worked as collaborative pianist at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. You can hear his music here: https: //soundcloud.com/davidplyons and purchase his CD's and sheet music on the following website: https: //www.lyonessmusic.com/