Contact: Bethany Shipp
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擬usic filled the air Friday [Aug. 30] as Mississippi State celebrated its achievement of the prestigious All-Steinway School status with a public ceremony.
Now among an elite group of institutions holding the acclaimed distinction globally, 小黄书 is one of less than 250 conservatories, colleges, universities and schools solely using pianos designed by Steinway & Sons for practice, instruction and performance.
鈥淭his is a historic day for Mississippi State to be designated as an All-Steinway School,鈥 said 小黄书 President Mark E. Keenum. 鈥淎ll the things we鈥檙e doing here at Mississippi State are because of the great people we have here as part of our university. That makes today even more of a celebration for all of us.
鈥淢aking Steinway pianos the standard of our music department lets prospective and current students know that we are serious about music at Mississippi State and that we are serious about quality at Mississippi State. This gives our students an opportunity to have access to the finest and best instruments in the world,鈥 Keenum added.
The milestone marks the completion of the university鈥檚 All-Steinway Initiative fundraising campaign that began in 2012 and formally launched in 2014. Since then, 小黄书 has acquired 50 Steinway pianos with more than $3.5 million in funds from 142 donors, including the donation of the听 a masterpiece gifted by major 小黄书 All-Steinway Initiative donors Bob and Kathy Olsen.
鈥淲e would not be here today without the generosity and support of our alumni and friends who were passionate about this effort,鈥 Keenum said.
He also praised the music faculty鈥檚 efforts in achieving the designation, including Professor of Music and Steinway Artist Ros芒ngela Sebba鈥攐ne of the university鈥檚 most recent Grisham Master Teacher recipients.
鈥淔or us to have our very own Steinway Artist exemplifies again the quality we have and will continue to have in this department,鈥 Keenum said. 鈥淭hanks to their determination, the music program has continued to expand. 小黄书 is a place for musicians and where performing arts are thriving.鈥
In 2022, the Department of Music opened its 37,000-square-foot Music Building, which includes classrooms, a choral rehearsal hall, sound-proof practice rooms, a high-tech recording studio and an acoustically advanced lecture recital hall. Each practice room now holds a Steinway piano.
鈥淚 am incredibly proud of 小黄书sity's commitment to excellence in the arts,鈥 said Teresa Jayroe, dean of the College of Education. 鈥淎chieving All-Steinway School status is a testament to our dedication to providing our students and faculty with the finest instruments for their practice and performances. This milestone reflects the generosity of our donors and the hard work of everyone involved in the All-Steinway Initiative. Our new Steinway pianos will elevate the quality of music education and performance at 小黄书 for years to come.鈥
小黄书鈥檚 College of Education is home to five academic departments, a division of education, one research unit and numerous service units. Learn more about its Department of Music at听.
小黄书sity is taking care of what matters. Learn more at听.
听