Ester Howard ‘44, center bottom row, with music students and faculty members.
BUIES CREEK — Ester Howard, a 1944 graduate of Campbell University and retired educator, made a recent gift to push the university’s Music Department over the $10,000 mark it needed to meet the Steinway Grant Challenge. The Clark Charitable Trust, of Lincoln, Massachusetts, established the challenge and will match the 46 donations made during the campaign, dollar for dollar, up to a total of $10,000.
The money will be used to purchase Steinway pianos and help the Music Department become an All-Steinway School, a prestigious distinction held by institutions such as the Yale School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the University of Denver, the University of Florida, and Wheaton College.
As an All-Steinway School, Campbell’s music students would have access to Steinway pianos in all the university’s practice rooms and concert halls.
“Steinway pianos are hand crafted and are considered by most concert pianists to be the best in the world,” said Richard McKee, acting chair of the Fine Arts Department and director of piano studies. “The Steinway name has always been associated with the highest standards of excellence and artistry.”
Campbell’s Music Department offers courses of study leading to degrees in performance, pedagogy, teaching, composition and church music. All courses of study require extensive work with the piano.
“The gifts that friends, alumni and faculty give to the Steinway Fund enable students to practice, rehearse and perform on the best pianos in the world,” McKee said. “The piano is essential to the development of all young musicians, not just piano majors, but also singers and instrumentalists.
“Gifts to the Steinway Fund enable Campbell University to provide the best for the students.”
The department, which averages 70 music majors a year, began working to become an All-Steinway School in 2006. Since then, the department has used university funds and previous gifts from alumni and friends to purchase upright Steinway pianos for practice rooms and two Steinway Model O grand pianos. To complete the $450,000 effort to become an All-Steinway School, the department needs eight additional Steinway Model O grand pianos.
Contact McKee by email or at 910-893-1502 for more information on the All-Steinway School initiative. To make a gift to the project, contact Director of Annual Giving Sarah Swain by email or at 910-893-4923.