UE Receives $300,000 to Purchase Steinway Pianos

Thanks to the generosity of a University of Evansville graduate in music education, UE has six new Steinway & Sons grand pianos in place for student and faculty use. The anonymous donor gave more than $300,000 to the UE Department of Music for the sole purpose of purchasing Steinway pianos. It is the donor’s wish that every UE piano major have the finest instrument on which to develop his or her talent.

“We are thrilled that our students will be practicing, taking lessons and performing on Steinways,” said Roberta Veazey, chair of the Department of Music at UE. “They will have their hands on excellence every day. When you play a beautiful instrument, it inspires and challenges you to do your best. This will be a living legacy for years to come and is a significant step toward our goal of someday becoming a Steinway school.”

Delivered, uncrated, moved, assembled, polished and tuned on July 29, 2003 were three 6 foot grand pianos. These instruments were placed in practice rooms designated for piano majors. A 9 foot concert grand as well as two 7 foot semi-concert grands were delivered. The 7 foot semi-grands are in place in piano faculty studios. The 9 foot concert grand will be used in Wheeler Concert Hall. The Steinway concert grand replaces the 9 1/2 foot Imperial Grand Bosendoerfer piano that has been in use at UE since 1975. About 150 guests bid bon voyage to the Bosendoerfer piano which is being shipped to Harlaxton College, UE's British campus, for use by music students from UE and the 10 other universities and colleges that send students to Harlaxton for study abroad opportunities.

UE music alumni who heard about the gifts are ecstatic. Caryn Fraim, a 2002 music graduate from Virginia said, “Wow! That’s great for the University. Makes me sad now that I’ve graduated and won’t be playing them in the fall!” Lorna Unterbrink, also a recent grad of Bourbon, Ind., agreed. “That is such great news. How exciting! I’ll have to come visit, just so I can play.” The pianos were purchased through Schuttler Music, the exclusive dealer for Steinway and Steinway-designed Boston and Essex pianos in southern Indiana, Illinois and western Kentucky.

The University of Evansville currently has about 120 music majors.