Annual Doctors in Recital concert benefits Camp PHEver
[Adapted from The Insider (external link), June 04, 2026]
The performers joined by Steinway event chair Amanda Watson (2nd from left), Hope Northrup, MD, (seated), and UTHealth Houston President Melina R. Kibbe, MD (6th from right). (Photo by UTHealth Houston)
Music and medicine came together May 30 as physician-musicians performed at Doctors in Recital, a benefit concert at The River Oaks Theatre supporting Camp PHEver, a program from the Division of Medical Genetics at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston serving children with phenylketonuria (PKU).
The annual event featured physicians from UTHealth Houston, an alumnus, and the greater Houston medical community, who performed a variety of classical and contemporary piano works. The evening raised $5,695 for Camp PHEver, which provides a barrier-free camp experience for children living with PKU, a rare inherited metabolic disorder that requires lifelong dietary management.
“The recital was more than a stage performance. It was a melody of kindness dedicated to supporting children and their journey towards healing,” said Khash Hematpour, MD, assistant professor and cardiac electrophysiologist at McGovern Medical School.
Amanda Watson, from Steinway Piano Gallery, served as chair of Doctors in Recital, with Michael Yafi, MD, MHA, professor and director of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology at McGovern Medical School, serving as co-chair.
UTHealth Houston performers
Michael Yafi, MD, pediatric endocrinology
Assisted by Chaden Yafi Woodson, DMA
Military March No. 1 — Franz Schubert
Libertango — Astor Piazzolla, arranged for four hands by B. Mladenovic
Neale Clark, MD, pediatric anesthesiology
Bethena, A Concert Waltz — Scott Joplin
Ain’t Misbehavin’ — Fats Waller, Harry Brooks
Khash Hematpour, MD, cardiac electrophysiology
Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53 (“Waldstein”) — Ludwig van Beethoven
III. Rondo: Allegretto moderato – Prestissimo
Maria Matuszczak, MD, pediatric anesthesiology
Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 (“Pathétique”) — Ludwig van Beethoven
II. Adagio cantabile
Stormy Stream — Samuel Maykapar
Akira Nishikawa, MD, interventional cardiology
The Piano Man — Billy Joel
My Life — excerpt
Selections from Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Gershwin
Timothy George, MD, emergency medicine (alumnus)
Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23 — Frédéric Chopin
L-R: Amanda Watson with Dr. Yafi; performers on stage with Steinway grand piano (Photos by UTHealth Houston)
Medicine, music, and community
For Yafi, the event represents a unique intersection of medicine, the arts, and community service.
“I personally think that the concept is more important than the concert,” Yafi said. “The physicians are taking a break from clinics, emergency, and operating rooms, to play the piano for a good community cause. Our annual concerts are good examples of medical humanity practices, connecting medicine with arts.”
About Camp PHEver
Camp PHEver offers children and families educational resources, social support, and the opportunity to participate in traditional camp activities in a safe and inclusive environment. One hundred percent of donations collected through Doctors in Recital support Camp PHEver and its mission to enrich the lives of children with PKU.
“Doctors in Recital was such a wonderful event showcasing the musical talents of eight gifted doctors. I was honored that Camp PHEver, a camp for children affected with phenylketonuria, was the designated charity for this year’s event,” said Hope Northrup, MD, chief and professor of medical genetics in the Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Hermann Chair, and director of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Rare Disease Center of Excellence at McGovern Medical School. “It was a great opportunity to share information about this rare disease and how it affects our patients. Thank you to Dr. Michael Yafi for making this event happen every year.”
The concert was presented in partnership with Steinway Piano Gallery in Houston.
About the UTHealth Houston performers
Michael Yafi, MD
Yafi is a professor of pediatrics at McGovern Medical School and a pediatric endocrinologist at UT Physicians, which involves the hormones and glandular systems in children.
For the performance, he was accompanied by his sister, Chaden Yafi Woodson, who holds a doctorate in music from Boston University and is the piano instructor of four of the doctors performing during the recital.
Read the full article to learn more about all performers >> (external link)
Doctors in Recital was also featured on UTHealth Houston social media (external link)