The University of West Florida has entered a renaissance. It took 1,584 keys to get there.
Thanks to one of the largest cash donations ever to the UWF Foundation, the university
bought 18 new Steinway pianos (88 keys each) and claimed coveted title of "All-Steinway
School."
About 50 schools in the country and one other in the state -- the University of Central
Florida -- share the title. UWF joins the ranks of The Juilliard School, Yale University
School of Music and Oberlin Conservatory of Music, UWF President John Cavanaugh said.
The donor: Helen Wentworth, wife of pianist and entrepreneur Warren Wentworth, who died in
2003. |
In one of her last conversations with her husband, Wentworth discussed such a donation to
the UWF Department of Music.
"He loved his Steinway," Wentworth said Monday to an audience of UWF students, faculty and
administration. "It was his pride and joy. And it's a real joy for me to be able to do
this." |
Helen Wentworth |
Her gift helped purchase 10 grand pianos and eight uprights, said Kyle Marrero, chairman
of the music department. The university wouldn't release the dollar amount of the gift,
but Steinway officials said grand pianos range in cost from $40,600 to $103,000. Uprights
cost $18,600 to $24,400.
Freshman Jonathan Ziegler, 24, said he wore his fingers out playing the Steinways since
they arrived two weeks ago.
Every instrument has a personality, he said.
"This piano is very responsive," he said. "It almost knows what you want it to do."
The Steinway, Ziegler said, is the Mercedes-Benz of the piano world.
"It has such a full sound," he said. "It's bright, but it's not overbearing."
Steinway is the mark of excellence, said Bill Dollarhide, owner of Dollarhide's Music &
Sound on Palafox Place.
"It is the standard in the world for fine pianos," he said. "When a college is able to say
to prospective students, 'You'll be practicing and learning on Steinways,' it makes an
impression."
It made an impression on freshman J.P. Rogers, 18. He's dreamed of Steinways since age 8.
"It's like I've died and gone to heaven," he said. "When I saw the keys, I fell in love." |
