World-Class Piano Concert Reflects Gift's Impact

Often, the term "world class" is embraced by universities intent on using compelling terminology to describe key initiatives or programs that hopefully will be considered competitive and successful.

Our Schwob School of Music's Pianomania concert last week set a new definition for "best of class" and is reflective of the power of faculty recruiting and its impact on student performance. It is a pleasure to share with you a letter written by Ike Van Meter, director of institutional sales for Steinway, following his attendance at Pianomania:

Please accept my most sincere thanks for inviting me to attend the 2014 "Pianomania" fundraising concert at CSU this past Sunday. You may recall that I have attended this event every year since its inception and I am writing today to say that it is now very obvious that each year at this event the bar of excellence has been not only placed but literally shoved higher and higher. After last year's performance (which was excellent by the way) I didn't think a performance of mostly college students could get much better. I was dead wrong. Sunday's Pianomania performance exhibited a level of artistry, musicianship and technical prowess...no, wizardry that was far beyond impressive. Alex Kobrin and his current piano studio at CSU are nothing short of amazing. I've never heard a student performance that comes close to touching what I witnessed that afternoon. 

I was so impressed with the experience that first thing yesterday morning I wrote to Sally Coveleskie, national director of institutional sales at Steinway & Sons in New York, to tell her of what a fabulous concert that you had presented. In no uncertain terms I mentioned to her, because of the huge and easily demonstrable difference that the All-Steinway program has made at CSU, that if any school deserves to be the "poster child" for the All-Steinway School program, it is CSU and its Schwob School of Music. I believe that the story of how Maxine Schiffman's gift, enabling CSU to become All-Steinway, has allowed your institution to attract and retain superbly talented, highly qualified faculty and students (not to mention the story of the progress that you have made since then) needs to be shouted from the roof tops of every Steinway dealer in America. What I heard and saw on Sunday was a fabulous testament to what "can be" when the right people, with the right equipment come together to make a difference in our world. This is a tale that should to be told... and told often.  

Also... it did not escape my attention that Alex's student, Tatiana Muzanova, was the first prize winner in the Artist Division at the 2013 Liszt-Garrison Piano competition in Baltimore this past October. I imagine this is the start of a trend which, if Sunday's performance is any indication, will certainly continue and increase in frequency all the while bringing greater welcome attention and recruiting power to the Schwob School and CSU.

Congratulations on a creating and nurturing such a fabulous program and its absolutely stunning results.

Sincerely;
Ike
Ike M. Van Meter
Director, Institutional Sales
Steinway Piano Galleries