News Release

DEPARTMENT NEWS/May 6, 2008

Boise State University's Department of Music Set to Become an All-Steinway School

The Department of Music at Boise State University is raising $1.9 million to become an All-Steinway School, placing it in the company of some of the finest institutions in the world.

Steinway has been making pianos since 1853 and is known as the premier manufacturer of the instrument. The $1.9 million will pay for 56 pianos at Boise State; once Boise State becomes an All-Steinway School, it will join the ranks of such schools as Juilliard, the Eastman School of Music, Oberlin College and the Curtis Institute of Music.

“We believe becoming an All-Steinway School is the most significant step Boise State University will make to elevate the Department of Music to national stature,” said Jim Ogle, special assistant to the president for the arts. “It will greatly enhance the educational experience we can offer our students, create significant opportunities to further engage the community, generate increased interest and support for our programs and provide a powerful recruiting tool for attracting and retaining outstanding students and faculty.”

In addition, professor Del Parkinson was named an official Steinway Artist. Parkinson will now perform exclusively on Steinway pianos. This distinctive honor puts him in the company of pianists such as Vladimir Horowitz, Van Cliburn and André Watts. Parkinson has been a professor of piano at Boise State since 1985 and is the recipient of a Boise State Foundation Scholar award for creative activity, the Boise mayor’s award for artistic excellence, the Morrison Center honor medallion, the Idaho Commission on the Arts career fellowship award, and the Idaho governor’s award for excellence in the arts.

For more information on Boise State’s effort to become an All-Steinway School, call Ogle at 426-3230.

-30-

Media Contact: Julie Hahn, University Communications, (208) 426-5540, juliehahn@boisestate.edu

AfterWork is a new Boise State University program that allows adults to complete their entire bachelor’s degree through a combination of evening, weekend and online classes without exiting from their career track. More information is available at www.boisestate.edu/afterwork.
 

The Office of Communications and Marketing - Boise State University
1910 University Drive - Boise Idaho 83725-1030
Located in Capitol Village, 2225 W. University Drive
email communications@boisestate.edu

Last reviewed on Friday, May 09, 2008