Kent State’s School of Music Enters Final Phase of Steinway Campaign

Kent State University’s Hugh A. Glauser School of Music embarks on in its final phase of a five-year Steinway Piano Campaign. Once completed, the school will receive an All-Steinway School designation – claimed by only 120 schools and organizations worldwide. Currently, the school has raised more than $1.7 million, allowing the purchase of 47 pianos. Thus far, the newly acquired pianos have been placed in the school’s teaching studios, classrooms and practice rooms, as well as the main performance space, Ludwig Recital Hall. The campaign balance is $330,000 for 13 pianos.

“Our goal is to complete this campaign this summer and have the 13 remaining pianos in place for fall 2011,” said Dr. Denise Seachrist, director of Kent State’s School of Music. “Owning and maintaining the highest quality pianos affects all areas within a school of music. With our students attaining impressive positions in major orchestras and performing in major venues around the world, the All-Steinway School designation is significant.”

Recently, the president of Steinway & Sons, Ronald Losby, paid a visit to Kent State. “Becoming an All-Steinway School shows a commitment to educational excellence,” Losby told Seachrist. “After my visit, it’s very evident that Kent State’s Hugh A. Glauser School of Music is serious about its students’ experience.”

While on the Kent State campus, Losby also met with piano performance majors who performed for him on one of two Steinway grand pianos in the studio of Steinway Artist-in-Residence, Dr. Donna Lee. Lee is one of two Steinway Artists-in-Residence. Lee and Dr. Jerry Wong, both associate professors of music at Kent, were awarded this highly regarded title in 2009 for their exemplary level of performance. Worldwide, there are only 1,600 Steinway Artists-in-Residence. Other notable Steinway artists include Billy Joel, Duke Ellington, Lang Lang, George Gershwin, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Cole Porter, just to name a few.

The Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State, under the direction of Dr. Denise Seachrist, is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. Degrees in music are offered at the undergraduate level, including music education, vocal and instrumental performance and composition. Graduate-level degrees are available in instrumental and vocal music performance, chamber music, music education, musicology, music theory, conducting and music composition. A completely online master of music degree with a major in music education is currently attracting more than 100 new graduate applications nationwide. Kent State’s School of Music is a national and international melting pot, comprised of students from the United States and around the world, including Africa, China, Costa Rica, Japan, Mexico, Ukraine, Taiwan and Venezuela.

For more information on Steinway & Sons, visit www.steinway.com. Information about All-Steinway Schools is available at www.steinwaypianos.com/Institutional/all-steinway-schools.

For more information on the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State, visit http://dept.kent.edu/music or call 330-672-2172.

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Photo Caption:
Piano students from Kent State University’s School of Music visit with Ron Losby, president of Steinway & Sons. The school is in the final phase of its Steinway Campaign to be become an All-Steinway School.

Media Contacts:
Effie Tsengas, etsengas@kent.edu, 330-672-8398
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595