Music News & Concert Events
News
George Washington University becomes All-Steinway School
From the Budokan in Tokyo, to the Bokamoso Youth Centre in South Africa, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York, GW musicians have performed around the world—but it starts in Foggy Bottom. Practicing countless hours a week in addition to classes and coursework, student-musicians put music at the center of their GW education.
Now, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the dedication of GW's student-pianists will be matched by the quality of GW's instruments. As part of the largest gift in department history, GW's Music Department will soon boast 28...Click to read article!
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Library of Congress purchases new Steinway concert grand piano
This year being Franz Liszt’s bicentenary, his music is resounding from many venues across the world. On Wednesday evening, the Library of Congress launched a 10-part minifestival with a sterling recital by Canadian virtuoso Louis Lortie.
The event was noteworthy for another reason as well: With it, the Library inaugurated a new Steinway. Never was such an acquisition so needed for so long. The venue had a virtual moratorium on solo piano recitals for years because of the condition of the previous instrument, and from the...Click to read article!
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Shenandoah University commits to become an All-Steinway School - $3 million dollar campaign begins
To be a great musician, you need a great instrument.
That's the message Shenandoah Conservatory Dean Michael Stepniak had for the audience in Ruebush Hall Friday.
"If we expect the best of our students, we've got to give them the best," said Stepniak, who with Shenandoah University President Tracy Fitzsimmons stood among six pianos...Click to read article!
The All-Steinway Initiative at Shenandoah Conservatory
Informative Video's
Shenandoah Conservatory: All-Steinway Announcement
Excellence in Performance: Steinways arrive at Shenandoah
New Stories about Shenandoah
Shenandoah University Now Seeking to Become an 'All-Steinway School'
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National Jukebox Website Launched By Library of Congress with Harry Connick, Jr
Harry Connick, Jr. playing a Steinway Grand Piano provided for the evening by Steinway Piano Gallery of Washington, D.C.. Mr. Connick performed at a ceremony to introduce a new website called the National Jukebox, which offers over 10,000 historic sound recordings for free.
Click here for more information
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Steinway Artist Harry Connick, Jr. and Big Easy Musicians Perform at 2010 Governor's Ball at The White House (February 22nd, 2010)
Steinway Artist Harry Connick, Jr. and his band performed at the concert event 2010 Governor's Ball hosted by President and Mrs. Obama on Sunday evening, February 21. Due to a packed East Room of the White House, the usual piano that occupies the room (a 1938 Steinway Art Case piano) was replaced with a smaller Steinway Model O Grand piano that was provided by Steinway Piano Gallery, Washington, D.C. for the music events.
During the day, Connick, Jr. and his band performed for (and with) a group of Washington-area music students at a preview of the night's concert events led by Mrs. Obama. Prior to the performance, Mrs. Obama paid tribute to Connick, Jr. for his humanitarian efforts in co-founding the Musicians' Village, part of the New Orleans Habitat for Humanity rebuilding effort following Katrina.
Connick, Jr. signed the plate of the Steinway Model O piano on which he performed, and it can be seen at the Steinway Piano Gallery showroom in Tysons Corner Center. The piano will be on display at the gallery through the end of March, and when sold, a donation will be made by Steinway Piano Gallery - Washington, DC to the Musicians' Village charity in honor of Mr. Connick.
Steinway Concert Grand Piano Played at 86th Annual National Tree Lighting Ceremony (December 9th, 2009)
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On December 3, 2009, President Obama and a group of world-renowned performers were on hand for the National Tree Lighting Ceremony. In a tradition dating back to 1923, the President was on hand at the Ellipse near the White House to light the tree while bringing a message of peace and hope to the world.
For this year’s music event, a group of talented performers were selected to perform, including Steinway Artist Brad Mehldau, Grammy award winner Sheryl Crow, hip-hop artist Common, country artist Ray LaMontagne, American Idol Jordin Sparks, jazz artist Joshua Redman, and the all-female music ensemble Celtic Woman.
All of the Concert events performers who played piano or had piano accompaniment used a Steinway Model D concert grand piano (identification number CD-381) that is part of Steinway’s famed bank of Concert & Artist pianos stationed around the world at Steinway dealers. The piano was delivered from Steinway Piano Gallery in Washington, DC for the music events and the technicians spent over 9 hours preparing the piano so it would be in perfect playing condition for the performances.
Steinway and the White House have a long and storied history. In 1903, the 100,000th Steinway grand piano was presented to the White House as a gift. It was featured in the East Room of the White House until 1938, when it was replaced by the 300,000th Steinway grand — an Art Case piano with gilt American Eagle supports that is undoubtedly the most famous piano in the White House. The 1938 grand piano is still featured in the East Room (and sometimes in the Entrance Hall) of the White House. The original 1903 grand piano now resides in the Smithsonian Museum.
The next stop for the Steinway concert grand piano used at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. It is one of three Steinway grand pianos that are being provided for the Kennedy Center Honors Program, which will be televised on CBS, Tuesday, December 29 at 9 p.m. EST.
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