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Arts & Entertainment

Giving the Gift of Music, Steinway Unveiling Concert

A tale of two local donations restores a 1973 Limited Edition Steinway Concert Grand Piano for USF Music Program

International Steinway artist and donor Rebecca Penneys assists Music Gallery technicians in getting the piano ready for fine tuning
International Steinway artist and donor Rebecca Penneys assists Music Gallery technicians in getting the piano ready for fine tuning (Photo courtesy of Christy Sallee/Rebecca Penneys )

One donation leads to another. An anonymous donation to the University of South Florida (USF) of a limited edition Steinway & Sons 1973 Indiana Black Walnut Concert Grand Piano in need of refurbishing received the gift of new life thanks to a $35,000 donation from St. Pete-based and International Steinway Artist Rebecca Penneys, founder/director of the acclaimed Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival (RPPF) at USF.

On Sunday, Jan. 19th, a newly refurbished, rare 1872 Steinway & Sons Indiana Black Walnut Concert Grand piano by Clearwater based Steinway dealer The Music Gallery and with a replacement value of $247,000, will be unveiled at a special concert hosted by the USF School of Music and featuring Penneys at the USF Concert Hall at 2 p.m. Tickets range are $5 for students, $10 for seniors and active military and $15 general admission. A post-concert reception follows.

The newly-acquired unique Steinway instrument matches USF’s commitment to the Steinway brand. In 2011, the USF School of Music became a prestigious All-Steinway School, giving USF faculty and students the opportunity to create music from practice room to stage on exclusively Steinway pianos. The total number, 92 with the new addition of the 1973 Indiana Black Walnut Concert Grand, were all acquired through the exclusive Steinway & Sons dealer of Tampa Bay, The Music Gallery.

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As Rebecca Penneys puts it, "Steinway is the Rolls Royce of pianos.” An International Steinway Artist for approximately 50 years, Penneys and the USF Music School celebrate Steinway every day. In a combined mission to help promote music and music education in the Tampa Bay area, Penneys and USF also partnered to launch RPPF at USF in 2013, which through the generosity of donors, is a tuition-free gift to aspiring young collegiate pianists worldwide.

WHEN:

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Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020

2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

WHERE:

USF Concert Hall

3755 Holly Drive

Tampa, FL 33620

COST:

$5/student

$10/senior and active military

$15/general admission

Includes post-concert stage preview of the restored Steinway and reception in the USF Concert Hall lobby and meet and greet with USF President Currall, Dr. Cheyenne Currall, School of Music Director Dr. Karen Bryan, and International Steinway Artist and Pianist Rebecca Penneys

TICKETS:

www.ticketmaster.com or call 813.974.2323. Tickets may also be purchased at the USF Box Office in the School of Music Concert Hall starting Jan. 14th through Jan. 19th.

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