Illinois Wesleyan University Tuesday had a lawn and sidewalk full of Steinway & Sons pianos.
Over 30 new Steinway & Sons pianos were delivered to Presser Hall at IWU on Tuesday, thanks to a $3.5 million gift from the C.B. Frevert Family Trust to its School of Music. IWU has become an All-Steinway school and is one of just 153 universities in the world to earn the distinction.
IWU Piano Technician and instrument store owner David Horine said the University needed to refresh its stock of pianos.
“Most of the pianos are over 50 years old and quite a few of them were 100 years old,” said Horine. “It was time that we really needed to replace a lot of dead and dying instruments.”
Horine said this is the first of several deliveries that will eventually replace all pianos at the school of music with new Steinways. Associate Professor of Music andKeyboard Department head Ilia Radoslavov is confident the additions will attract more students.
“I think this will be a great way to re-energize our recruiting efforts,” Radoslavov said. “We’re very excited about this, and we couldn't have done this without the generous donation of C.B. Frevert.”
Horine explained the significance of IWU having Steinway & Sons pianos in its music program.
“99% of concert stages only have Steinway on them,” Horine said. “Every musician that is serious about playing only wants to play on a Steinway & Sons piano.”
Radoslavov said there’s an impact on performance quality for pianists.
“The warmth of the sound, the quality, the feel of the instrument is quite different,” Radoslavov explain. “It puts me as a performer at ease. Of course, we have to instill those qualities into what students will be looking for.”
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