By: Elise Sandlin
MTN Reporter
Considered the gold-standard of musical instruments, Middle Tennessee State University now owns 60 Steinway world-class pianos. MTSU will celebrate this accomplishment with a free piano concert April 4th at 7:30 p.m.
The event will be held in Hinton Hall inside the Wright Music Building on campus, with performances featuring students, faculty, and alumni.
MTSU is among 200-plus “All-Steinway Schools” worldwide. This distinction sets MTSU alongside esteemed musical institutions including The Juilliard School, Oberlin College Conservatory, Beijing’s China Conservatory of Music, the Yale School of Music, and the University of Melbourne (Australia) Faculty of Music. MTSU is the first designated “All-Steinway School” in Tennessee.
The Keyboard Artist Series, in its sixth series, is a popular tradition of MTSU’s School of Music. The series has established special concerts within the last 20 years showcasing their “All-Steinway” status, drawing renown artists, and creating opportunities for students. For more information on MTSU’s Keyboard series, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/music/keyboardseries.php .
The university also offers a piano-studies program which serves 25 to 30 students. Piano Professor Adam Clark says most of these are music majors, with “a number of very active music minors and non-majors in piano” as well. Clark remarked on the students’ pleasant surprise every time they played the instrument. “Most have never had the chance to even touch a 9-foot Steinway grand piano, but every week in studio class, these students have the opportunity to perform for their peers on a 9-foot concert grand Steinway piano,” Clark said. “We’re a very student-centered faculty, and we go to great lengths to make their education a rewarding and positive experience,” Clark said.
Musical opportunities are no shortage for MTSU students interested in the field. Events are regularly hosted to give students the opportunities to display their talents and showcase the world-class Steinway sound. The free concert April 4th is only one chance to see everything the School of Music has been working on. To find out more information on their program and future events, visit https://www.mtsumusic.com/.