By Mike Greife,
October 27, 2016
WARRENSBURG, MO – The University of Central Missouri Department of Music recently
celebrated the arrival of 13 Steinway pianos, continuing its commitment to making
the finest instruments available to its students and reinforcing UCM’s designation
as an All-Steinway School.
The most recent purchase of the new pianos completes the strategic acquisition of
Steinway and Boston pianos, bringing the total number of Steinway and Boston pianos
in use by the Department of Music to 64. This includes a second Steinway concert
grand for use in Hart Recital hall and three small Steinway grand pianos for instructional
use. The remainder of the pianos are designed and marketed by Steinway under the Boston
brand, and will be used for instruction. The acquisition includes the trade of 12
pianos that have been used for instruction and performance.
“We initially purchased 26 Boston rehearsal pianos in January 2006, followed by a
second purchase of 22 pianos in December 2006 that included a Steinway concert grand
and three smaller Steinway grand pianos, earning UCM the designation as an All-Steinway
School,” said Mia Hynes, professor of piano pedagogy. “With this acquisition, we have
now reached a longtime goal of the Department of Music and the College of Arts, Humanities,
and Social Sciences of making 100 percent of our pianos either Steinway or Boston.
We have fulfilled a commitment we made to our students to provide them with the best
quality pianos possible.”
The new nine-foot Steinway concert grand piano joins the first Steinway concert grand
purchased in December 2006 onstage in Hart Recital Hall. Each purchase included the
trade-in of currently owned pianos.
According to Harry Reed of Schmitt Music Company, Kansas City, who arranged the purchase
for the university, UCM is one of only 176 schools worldwide to earn the All-Steinway
School designation.
“All-Steinway schools are renowned for their commitment to providing the best for
their students,” he said. “There are only three schools in Missouri in addition to
UCM with the All-Steinway School designation.”
“This is magnificent,” Hynes said. “I’m the envy of my colleagues when I tell them
UCM is an All-Steinway School. They want to know how we made it possible, and I tell
them with the help of a very supportive administration that believes in the providing
the best for students.”
“The quality of instruction in the UCM Department of Music is well known among our
peers in higher education,” said Scott Lubaroff, department chair. “It is rewarding
to know that our students will benefit from this kind of commitment to excellence
as they pursue their degrees.”
“UCM has long established a tradition of excellence in Music and the Arts, so our
All-Steinway School designation merely underscores our determination to be among the
very best,” said Gersham Nelson, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social
Sciences. “It is important that music students recognize, even before arriving on
campus, that they are expected to compete and excel at the highest levels.”
For more information about the UCM Department of Music degree programs and public
performances, visit ucmo.edu/music or call 660-543-4530.
