New Steinway offers inspiration for a piano-themed evening at Virginia Tech
Piano lovers have a real treat in store when they attend the "I Love a Piano" concert Oct. 12 in the Squires Recital Salon. A new Steinway grand piano will be dedicated in a musical evening celebrating all things piano.
The event is a part of the Music on Mondays series, and admission is free.
The concert will feature solos, duos, and even three performers at one piano for a six-handed work on the new Steinway. All piano majors at Virginia Tech will perform, along with a number of faculty members. The Virginia Tech Chamber Singers also will make an appearance, under the direction of faculty member Dwight Bigler, with a rendition of Irving Berlin's "I Love a Piano."
Earlier in the year, music faculty members Tracy Cowden and Richard Masters, along with School of Performing Arts Director Patricia Raun, traveled to the Steinway showroom and factory in Astoria, New York, and toured the production facility. Masters said one of the highlights of the tour was watching a rim being bent, which consisted of multiple layers of hard rock maple. A Steinway grand piano takes nearly a year to create.
Afterward they were invited to the showrooms, where pianists Cowden and Masters were able to try various pianos. They said they felt a nine-foot paino would be overpowering in the Squires Recital Salon, and decided on the 6-foot 11-inch Model B, also known by Steinway as the "Music Room Grand," a piano designed for smaller recital halls. Cowden and Masters tried nine pianos, evaluating the feel, sound, and action, before coming to agreement on the one, which was delivered to Virginia Tech in July. "It's a beautiful, beautiful piano," Masters said.
The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Squires Recital Salon. Admission is free.
Squires Theatre is located in the Squires Student Center at 290 College Ave. on the campus of Virginia Tech. Free parking is available on weekends and after 5 p.m. weekdays in the Squires Lot, located at the corner of College Avenue and Otey Street, in the Architecture Annex Lot on Otey Street, and the Perry Street/Prices Fork lots. Find more parking information online or call 540-231-3200. Alternative parking is available in the Kent Squire parking garage and the Farmers Market metered parking lot, both located on Draper Road. Additional downtown Blacksburg parking information can be found online.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please email Susan Sanders or call 540-231-5200 during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.
The Music on Mondays series showcases national and international guest artists and our talented faculty artists. There are 16 performances scheduled for the 2015-2016 season, with many free of charge. Main Street Inn is the hotel sponsor of the Music on Mondays series.
