Event Highlights Include Performances, Masterclasses, and the Need for Updated Instruments
MEMPHIS, TN - The Rhodes College Music Department hosted the inaugural Steinway Symposium in partnership with Amro Music and Steinway & Sons.
The two-day event, held on September 1011, featured two acclaimed Steinway Artists: Helen Sung and Thomas Pandolfi.
ALSO FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE
U OF M SCHEIDT SCHOOL OF MUSIC HAND-SELECTS STEINWAY MODEL D
NORTHEAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE RAISES FUNDS FOR NEW SPIRIO
MISSISSIPPI DELTA
COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADDS
8 BOSTON PIANOS
Thomas Pandolfi working with student Jonny Sundermeier at the Masterclass for Classical Pianists
Helen Sung, an acclaimed jazz pianist and composer, is a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow. She became part of the inaugural class of the Thelonious Monk Institute (now the Herbie Hancock Institute) at the New England Conservatory of Music. Her newest album, Quartet+ (Sunnyside Records), received a 4.5star review from DownBeat and was included in its “Best of 2021 Albums” list.
It also earned her a JazzTimes cover story (January 2022). Her previous releases, Sung With Words (Stricker Street), a collaborative project with renowned poet Dana Gioia, and Anthem for a New Day (Concord Jazz), both topped the jazz charts. In addition to leading her own band, Sung has performed with luminaries such as the late Clark Terry, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Regina Carter, Terri Lyne Carrington, Cécile McLorin Salvant, and the Mingus
Big Band. Sung has served on the jazz faculties of the Berklee College of Music and the Juilliard School. She is currently visiting faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and an Associate Professor at Columbia University, where she was the inaugural jazz artist-in-residence at its Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, exploring the intersection of jazz and neuroscience.
Dr. Courtenay L. Harter, Prof. of Music at Rhodes, remarked, “The performance and masterclass by Helen Sung were extraordinary experiences for both students and others. Her performance wowed everyone in the space. She worked well with students of various levels, encouraging them to think about their interaction with music in new ways.”
Amro Music provided their Concert and Artist piano for the event, a Steinway Model D concert grand.
“One of the benefits of being a Steinway Artist is that you are provided with a Steinway concert grand wherever in the world you perform,” said Gabe Statom, Institutional Specialist for Steinway & Sons and Amro Music.
Dr. Harter reflected on the instrument: “The piano itself was phenomenal. I sat down and played a few excerpts I usually use for my theory students and was amazed. I didn’t have to work hard to achieve a
“Events like this...it inspires them, offers new ideas for practice, and provides additional critique and advice beyond what they receive from us.” - Gerald Stevens, Professor of Jazz Piano Studies at Rhodes
variety of dynamics or to make the instrument respond effortlessly. This ease should be available to all students and faculty to prevent injuries that can become lifelong issues. New pianos would eliminate some of the challenges we currently face.”
Thomas Pandolfi provided a handson masterclass for Rhodes’ classical piano students. The American-born pianist, known for his passionate artistry and dazzling technique, is increasingly
Rhodes Music Department chair, Dr. Carole Blankenship with Steinway and Amro representative, Gabe Statom, at the Steinway and Sons Factory in New York.
sought after by audiences worldwide. His performances of works by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Liszt, and Gershwin have captivated listeners globally, making him a beloved concerto soloist. A Juilliard graduate, Pandolfi has performed internationally across Europe and China, where he recently completed a successful summer of masterclasses and concerts. His latest recording, released by Seafront Records, features Polo Piatti’s Bohemian Concerto with Maestro John Andrews and The National Symphony Orchestra of London.
Gerald Stevens, Professor of Jazz Piano Studies at Rhodes, emphasized the importance of
the symposium for students: “Events like this give students the opportunity to see, hear, and interact with accomplished musicians and teachers. It inspires them, offers new ideas for practice, and provides additional critique and advice beyond what they receive from us.”
The symposium highlighted the need for updated pianos at Rhodes. Dr. Carole Blankenship, Chair of the Music Department, explained, “Our current fleet of pianos has an average age of 52 years. Of our 36 pianos, 27 have been evaluated as poor or fair. Our legacy of having Steinway pianos includes more than half of our instruments, some of which have served students and faculty for nearly 100 years.”
Dr. Blankenship attended the Keys to Finding Funds Symposium at the iconic Steinway Hall and Steinway Factory in New York in 2023. She continues to advocate for securing the best instruments for Rhodes students.
“Because so much of the physical lived-in world of the Department of Music would be classified as more than adequate and, in many cases, exceptional, it seems like an enormous incongruity that previous inattention to and deferred maintenance of the College’s 36 pianos has led to the current situation regarding these instruments that are central to the mission of any music unit,” said Dr. Blakenship. “The average age of these instruments is over fifty
years old, with several from the 1920s. Only one piano is in excellent condition, eight are considered good, and appropriately, these pianos are mostly in performance spaces. However, there are 17 pianos regularly used for teaching and rehearsal that are rated fair or poor. For a music unit, this is an untenable situation.”
“The support and programs Steinway & Sons offer to colleges and students are well-established and provide valuable connections with other distinguished music schools.”Dr. Carole Blankenship, Chair of the Music Dept. at Rhodes
Steinway Artist, Helen Sung, with Sylvester Sample, John Bass, Mike Assad Rhodes College Faculty Jazz
Steiwnay artist, Helen Sung, also did a masterclass for area piano teachers at Amro Music’s new piano gallery.
NORTHWEST BRINGS THE WORLD TO SENATOBIA
As the crisp winter winds blow across a campus littered with students returning from their winter break, something incredible is taking place inside Northwest Mississippi Community College’s new 67,000 square-foot performing arts center. Michael Cabe, director of customer experience with Steinway & Sons and a celebrated jazz pianist, takes to the stage to perform for a crowd of students, faculty, and local music enthusiasts on their new Steinway & Sons 7’ Model B.
As Michael introduces himself, a hush falls over the crowd as last-minute attendees rush to find their seats and concertgoers check their phones to ensure they’ve been silenced. Michael adjusts the bench,
readies himself, and plays his first notes –a crisp Bb Major 7 arpeggiation, with rich bass and shimmering treble ringing out across the hall.
But there’s a catch – the piano bench sits empty in front of the instrument. The keys move themselves, echoing every note and nuance of Michael’s playing. Michael Cabe is sitting in front of a piano not in Senatobia, but in Steinway Hall in New York City. And Northwest Mississippi Community College becomes the location of the first Spiriocast in all of Mississippi.
Spiriocast is a high resolution, live broadcast from one Spirio | R piano to another. Spirio measures 1,020 different dynamic levels over 800 times per second, as well as 256 pedal positions at over 100 times per second. Think “Zoom on steroids.” A Spirio | R piano is played by an artist in one location, and all of their data, down to the finest musical details, is recreated on your own Spirio| R in real time. Paired with a live video stream, the ability to have a private concert in your own living room is now a reality.
Any number of Spirio | R users can join in on the streaming that carries music from a single pianist’s Spirio. As a result, a concert performed in New York can be streamed to hundreds of colleges and students worldwide; a masterclass can be held in England for a school in Tennessee; and a friend, family member, or artist from anywhere in the world can play right in your living room.
In 2023, Northwest Mississippi Community College joined the exclusive roster of only around 230 All-Steinway Schools in the world, with Amro Music providing nineteen new Steinway and Steinwaydesigned Boston pianos, including two show-stopping Spirio grands.“We had this beautiful new 67,000-square-foot building underway,” Jeff Horton, Northwest’s VP for Operations/Finance said. “So the next question was, what do we put in it? We looked at the needs of our students, our instructors, and our visiting artists and we knew we were committed to exceptional quality, from top to bottom. We wanted to invest on the highest level in order to uphold our mission of excellence in everything we do. And Steinway was definitely part of this conversation from the beginning.”
Northwest Mississippi Community College’s new Steinway B Spirio | R enables them to have live concerts from the world’s finest artists performed right in their own performing arts center, with every fine detail replicated on their instrument.
New improvements continue to come to the Spirio pianos as well, including nearly 3 new hours of music and video performed by pianists and composers, added to the ever-expanding library every month. Soon, Spirio will introduce the ability to adjust the playback speed of any pre-recorded music, allowing collaborative pianists to pre-record their accompaniment and then edit the playback speed for their instrumental and vocal counterparts for
practice or studio classes.
Piano Professor Saundra Bishop expressed her enthusiasm for this groundbreaking technology. “The Spirio is an absolute game-changer, as are all the other new pianos,” she said. “For a pianist, having access to an excellent piano is like a chef having the finest ingredients and best equipment—it allows you to create your best work. Having unrestrained access to these instruments will have an enormous impact on our day-to-day. I believe that our students will be motivated to practice, their creativity will blossom, and the level of musicianship will be elevated throughout the department. It will certainly send a message to incoming students about the quality of our programs.”
“We wanted to invest on the highest level in order to uphold our mission of excellence in everything we do. And Steinway was definitely part of this conversation from the beginning.”
-Jeff
Horton
Dr. Heindl says: “We have a little phrase here at Northwest, it’s called: Only the best for Northwest.” With Spirio | R technology, Northwest Community College is able to bring the best of the whole world right to Senatobia. •
Steinway & Sons Spirio pianos grace the stage at the Heindl Center for Performing Arts at Northwest Community College in Senatobia, Mississippi.
NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI COMMUNITY COLLEGE RAISES FUNDS FOR NEW STEINWAY SPIRIO R
MDCC NEARS ALL-STEINWAY STATUS WITH 8 BOSTONS
and the Chair of Fine Arts at MDCC.
Dr. Ray Harris, Head of Fine Arts at Northeast Mississippi Community College, playing on the new Steinway Spirio R
Booneville, MS - Northeast Mississippi Community College is celebrating after a succesful campaign by their alumni association to bring a brand-new, Steinway & Sons Spirio R to their campus.
The campaign, called 88 Keys, began in August of 2022, with the goal of purchasing a state-of-the-art Steinway for the fine arts department. After 2 years and help from over 30 sponsors, the foundation was able to raise over $180,000.
“The partnership with the foundation and the music department has been a wonderful one,” said Gabe Statom with Amro Music. “Patrick Eaton, Tiffany Johnson, and Lexi Fields worked hard to establish donors and events to help make the Spirio a reality.”
The Spirio R is the world’s finest highresolution piano player, capable of live performance capture and playback.
“From the classroom, to the fine arts, we’re here to help students move forward to their full potential,” said Dr. Ricky Ford, President of NEMCC.
“With the Steinway Spirio R, we can move closer to this goal.”
Instrumental in these additions has been Dr. Ray Harris, head of Fine Arts at NEMCC. “Dr. Ray Harris has been the champion to keep the momentum going towards their goals with the pianos at Northeast,” said Statom.
“He has a kind and gentle demeanor and sets a wonderful tone in the music department at NEMCC.”
Moorhead, MS - After several years of hard work, Mississppi Delta Community College is nearing its goal of achieving the status of an “AllSteinway School,” by replacing all pianos on campus with the Steinway brand. This status is given to schools who demonstate a commitment to excellence by providing their students and faculties with the best equipment possible.
After purchasing their first upright Steinway, the faculty at MDCC was invited to the Steinway & Sons Factory in New York. “As an artist the factory was such an eye opener for me. To see the quality and craftmanship that is put into each instrument was inspiring,” said Jennifer Woodard, an Instructor
Seeing the work that goes into creating timeless instruments that carry the Steinway brand, the college made the decision to make additional upgrades to their campus. With tremendous support from the MDCC business office, the college was able to purchase eight new Boston pianos as upgrades for their practice studios and choir program.
“We chose Boston because of the affordability and quality of the pianos,” said Woodard. Boston is a sister brand of Steinway & Sons, made using Steinway’s expertise and patents, and are inteded to offer a similar high-quality playing experience at a more affordable price.
Currently, the college is one piano short of hitting their All-Steinway goal. “We’re trying to raise money for a Steinway Sons Grand Piano. It is a large goal, but we are committed to getting this piano for MDCC’s students, faculty, and community,” said Woodard. “Gabe Statom and Amro have been supportive since the beginning of this project.”
Working closely with the college through the whole process was Gabe Statom, Insitiuational Sales Director with Amro Music. “Mississippi Delta Community College is a growing college in the heart of the Delta. The folks there have been steadfast and amazing in their commitment to excellence for the students and music department at MDCC.”
Gabe Statom of Amro Music with Jennifer Woodard, and Ben Folk of Mississippi Delta Community College and 8 new Boston upright pianos
SCHEIDT SCHOOL OF MUSIC STRIKES A CHORD WITH
A HAND-SELECTED STEINWAY
Dr. Artina McCain, Amy Nguyen, and Dr. Kevin Sanders, University of Memphis; Gabe Statom, Institutional Keyboard Rep.
MEMPHIS, TN - This fall, the U of M’s Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center welcomed a new Steinway Model D, a major enhancement to the School of Music.
After years of planning, this prestigious concert grand now graces the Plough Foundation Performance Hall, elevating the school’s piano offerings.
The addition of the Steinway Model D was a careful undertaking by the University of Memphis. Dr. Artina McCain, associate professor of piano, was instrumental in the selection process. “We are thrilled to introduce this Steinway Model
D to our performance hall,” said McCain. “This piano will greatly enhance the musical experiences of our students, faculty, and the wider Memphis concert community.”
Dr. McCain, along with Amy Nguyen, the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music’s collaborative pianist, and Gabriel Statom, the instituional sales director at Amro Music Stores, traveled to the Steinway & Sons Factory in Queens, N.Y., to hand-select the perfect piano. “We evaluated various Steinway Model D pianos to find the one that best meets the needs of our students and the broader community,” McCain explained. “The Model D
provides an unparalleled level of artistry and sound quality, allowing our students to explore new dimensions in their performances.”
The Steinway selected by the university is one of only three thousand pianos hand-built each year by the factory in New York.
This new, hand-selected Steinway Model D will play a central role in a series of upcoming concerts and events at the Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center.
These upcoming shows will offer the U of M’s students, alumni, and the public a chance to experience the sound of a Steinway, and also support the university’s commitment to musical excellence, in a city that’s steeped in musical history.
Additionally, the university is working on further improvements to its facilities, such as the creation of a new recording studio and additional practice rooms for students. The university ‘s music therapy program was even recently accredited by the American Music Therapy Assocation.
Dr. McCain is enthusiastic about all of the current developments happening around campus, noting, “We’re in a truly exciting time at the University of Memphis. There’s a lot of energy and anticipation surrounding these changes.” Gabriel Statom, Institutional Sales Director with Amro Music also added, “The University of Memphis is a key university for piano pedagogy in the state and is the only college in Tennessee that offers a doctorate in piano performance. The quality of students and teachers at the U of M is equal to the Steinway reputation and level of performance.”
As the university continues to advance its music program at the Scheidt School of Music and engage with the local arts community in Memphis, the new Steinway Model D stands as a testament to its commitment to fostering a rich, dynamic environment for musical growth and performance.
Amy Nguyen, Dr. Artina McCain, and Dr. Kevin Sanders, University of Memphis; in the conditioning room at the Steinway & Sons Factory
RESOURCES FOR MUSIC
educators
GABE STATOM
Institutional Sales Director 901.834.8300 gabestatom@amromusic.com
K-12
Schools demonstrate a commitment to excellence and an unparalleled educational experience by providing their students with the rich, unrivaled sound, incomparable tone,and pristine touch of STEINWAY & SONS pianos. These pianos inspire students to realize their artistic talents, and best prepare them to compete at the highest level in the professional world.
Whether you are interested in one piano or a hundred, Amro Music has a program to assist you. As an Institutional Sales Specialist, Gabe serves the needs of all institutions,ensuring that they are able to provide their students, faculty,visiting artists, congregations, and customers with pianos designed by STEINWAY & SONS, enabling us to meet all requirements within all budgets. Amro Music is devoted to partnering with you and your institution to help you acquire and maintain the best instruments the world has to offer.
Amro Music and STEINWAY & SONS are devoted to partnering with you and your educational institution to help you acquire and maintain the best instruments. Our institutional sales specialist, Gabe Statom, can offer customized resources that have a proven success record for managing piano inventories in colleges, universities and conservatories of all sizes. These include:
• Inventory Analysis and Planning Tools
• Fundraising Programs for Donor Cultivation
• The All-Steinway School program
• Leasing-to-Own Options
• Technical Service Guidelines
• Factory Seminars for Technicians
• Selection Room Access at the Steinway Factory
HIGHER EDUCATION
Whether your school is a private day school or boarding institution or part of a public school district, we have a program to assist you. Amro Music and STEINWAY &SONS are devoted to partnering with you and your school to help you acquire, manage, and maintain the best instruments the world has to offer. Our Educational Services Specialist has developed unique and customized resources for managing your piano inventory:
