New Steinway nine-foot concert grand piano chosen for improved Ward Hall
Janel Shoun |
- Steinway pianos built the same way they were in the 1800s
- Steinway to add prestige to Lipscomb's strong music program
In the next few weeks, Lipscomb University will welcome a prestigious new member of the music department: a new nine-foot Steinway concert grand piano.
Cost to attend the dedication concert with concert pianist Frederic Chui on Oct. 15 will be $15 for adults, $7 for non-Lipscomb students and free for Lipscomb students, faculty and staff. Updates on ticket sales and other Lipscomb concerts can be found at music.lipscomb.edu. |
The new Steinway will be dedicated at the first Artist Series concert of the 2007-08 season on Oct. 15 with a performance by Frederic Chiu, a concert pianist with more than 20 CDs on the market who has performed with the likes of violinist Joshua Bell and with numerous symphonies around the world.
On the selection trip this July, Reed was provided six pianos to choose from, and Lipscomb’s new addition “has a deep, rich and warm sound, particularly in the middle register,” he said.
“All of the others were brighter, and some even bordered on being strident for the room they were in,” Reed explained. “The brighter pianos would work great in a larger space (like the future renovated Collins Alumni Auditorium), but for a smaller space like Ward I was looking for a piano with more color to the sound.
“I also had to consider that this piano will often be used for chamber music and accompanying undergraduate recitals. A strong, powerful instrument would be much more difficult to control in a small hall, but an instrument that offers the color possibilities, like the one we chose, will be a joy to play not only alone, but will blend well with other instruments and voices.”
The new Steinway will be just the latest in a string of major enhancements of the music program. In addition to the Ward Hall renovation last summer, a new music wing is under construction with new rehearsal rooms and faculty offices and Willard Collins Alumni Auditorium is being renovated.
Lipscomb’s new Steinway was a full year in the making
The sixteen leadership donors and university officials who went on the selection trip to New York City were treated to a tour of the entire Steinway factory and a glimpse into the selection process by Reed.
It takes a year to build each Steinway piano, said Leo Spellman, director of communications for the Steinway company, and the instruments are built largely the same way they were crafted in the 1880s. “Most people who visit this factory come away with an inspiring experience,” said Spellman.
The selection room can hold up to 20 pianos, and each one sounds slightly different, Spellman said. “They are like children, they each have their own personality,” he said. Schools, churches and performing arts organizations often come to New York to select their piano. About 100 selections a year occur at the factory. The selection room is even designed with special technology to replicate the acoustics of a performance space of any size, Spellman said.
“The Steinway selection trip could not have been more enjoyable,” said Bill Ezell, senior vice president at Purity and a contributor for the Steinway who attended the trip. “It was extremely interesting to get to see all the steps involved in the building of the nine-foot grand piano.
“We listened as Dr. Reed played each piano and pointed out some notes that weren’t to his liking. He explained to us the whole process as he went through eliminating pianos and choosing the one he thought was best for Lipscomb.”
Reed narrowed down the choice of pianos rather quickly from six to two, he said. Then the rest of the group listened to a little Beethoven and Brahms played by Reed and a rendition of “Spirit of the Living God” played by First Lady of Lipscomb Rhonda Lowry. The whole group agreed on the ultimate selection, Reed said.
“I was the very first person outside of the factory to play the piano that we chose. It had just been moved into the selection room the afternoon before we arrived,” he said.
Steinway will bring prestige to Lipscomb’s strong music program
Lipscomb officials spent several months raising funds to purchase the concert grand piano for Ward Hall, said David England, associate vice president of advancement. A piano of this quality can cost close to $100,000.
“By having a concert grand of this magnitude, Lipscomb will be able to attract performers it wouldn’t attract otherwise,” said Metcalfe, noting that there are 1,400 “Steinway artists” around the world (musicians with musical credibility on the stage, who own a Steinway and have declared they will only play a Steinway).
“Lipscomb will be able to attract students it wouldn’t attract otherwise attract, and the concert grand will satisfy the needs of the professors for teaching,” Metcalfe continued. “Students need the experience of playing on a nine-foot grand. The music program will be enhanced dramatically.”
According to Ezell, Steinway officials told him that the company’s pianos are so well respected that the Nashville Symphony turned down several offers to receive free pianos from other manufacturers to instead purchase seven $100,000 Steinways for the new Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
Reed has performed extensively in the