ISSUED: 1 December 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Shepherd University’s School of Music will celebrate the addition of three new Steinway pianos with a virtual concert on the pianos on Sunday, December 6, at 2 p.m. The event will include performances by Shepherd University School of Music faculty, including Dr. Yu-Hsuan Liao, director of keyboard studies, Dr. Scott Beard, provost, and Dr. Laura Renninger, dean, Center for Teaching and Learning, as well as students Korinne Myers, a music performance major from Martinsburg, and Sianna King, a music education and music performance major from New Market, Maryland. The concert can be viewed on the School of Music’s YouTube channel.
The three pianos were donated to the School of Music’s All-Steinway Campaign. Dr. Erdem I. and Joan Ergin and the President’s Club each made gifts to purchase Steinway-designed Boston UP-126 Performance Edition pianos. The Shepherd University Foundation made a gift to purchase a Steinway Model B Classic Grand Piano.
The three new pianos bring the School of Music closer to achieving its goal of All-Steinway School designation and its mission to inspire student growth creatively, artistically, and professionally by providing a climate conducive to the development of the comprehensive musician. In keeping with that mission, Shepherd aspires to provide its students with the finest piano in the industry made by Steinway and Sons, which will benefit aspiring student musicians, the reputation of the School of Music, and the community as a whole.
Each Steinway piano is expected to be used for 60 to 100 years. The donation of a Steinway piano is a long-lasting gift that benefits thousands of individuals for generations to come. A Steinway piano with a special engraved plague is one way to honor a loved one or the memory of a loved one. Gifts can be made as a multiyear pledge or by joining with a group of friends to purchase a piano.
To learn more about supporting the All-Steinway Campaign, contact Sherri Janelle, Shepherd University Foundation, at 304-876-5043 or sjanelle@shepherd.edu.
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