Stephen Simmons and Heather Hancock have concertized throughout the East Coast performing the works of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Debussy, Faure and Gershwin since 1992. In 1994, they performed the Mozart Double Piano Concerto in E-Flat Major with the Gardner-Webb Symphony Orchestra. Stephen and Heather met at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro while both were studying solo piano under the direction of John Salmon. The two began playing duo-piano literature as a supplement to their solowork, but their aspirations as pianists took on a new design when they decided to join forces permanently as duo pianists. Stephen and Heather are passionate about sharing their love and experience of duo-piano literature with the public.
Currently, Stephen Simmons lives in Columbia, South Carolina, where he recently earned a Doctoral degree in music from the University of South Carolina. In addition to his choral and piano-teaching responsibilities in Columbia, he is an Adjunct Professor at Limestone College and Troy State University. Heather Hancock resides in Massachusetts, where last May she completed a Master's degree at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. A faculty member of the Musical Suite in Newburyport, Massachusetts, she teaches piano and is coordinator of the Kindermusik program.
Both Stephen and Heather remain dedicated to the art of performance while maintaining strong interests and busy schedules as pedagogues and general music educators. They have, most recently, received coachings from Stephen Taylor and Mia Chung.
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