Piano Renewal Initiative

Investing in the Foundation of Luther’s Music Program

Goal: $600,000
Progress: $456,290 committed (as of 03/31/2024)

At the heart of Luther’s exceptional music program lies an extraordinary instrument: the piano. In fact, pianos are fundamental to virtually everything the Luther College Music Department does in Jenson-Noble Hall of Music. It’s rare to find a space of any size in the music building that doesn’t contain a piano. These instruments are heavily used–and not just for piano lessons and piano recitals.

For decades, Luther’s Music Department has done a masterful job of maintaining a collection of more than 100 pianos that spans nearly a century. The availability of quality keyboard instruments makes possible everything the Music Department does: music theory, music history, compositions, voice lessons, instrumental lessons, conducting class, music education seminars, ear training, and more. Students and faculty rely on those pianos. They are essential to day-to-day operations and must be maintained and replaced on a regular basis to ensure the best performance.

Over the past several years, the Luther Music Department has focused on improving the student practice facilities. Students taking private piano lessons have access to 16 new and rebuilt quality grand pianos. Recitalists also have the opportunity to perform on three outstanding Steinway concert grands in the Noble Recital Hall and the Center for Faith and Life. The remainder of the practice rooms have newer Yamaha uprights.

In the next step of the piano renewal initiative, the college will focus on the increasing need for new instruments in the music faculty studios. Most of the pianos in the teaching studios range from 40 to 100 years old, making it difficult to tune and maintain these aging instruments. The Music Department seeks to provide new Yamaha grands for the main vocal and instrument faculty offices, as well as large performance pianos from the Yamaha CX Series for the Orchestra Rehearsal Room and the Sperati Band Rehearsal Room. Yamaha grand pianos provide the perfect balance of affordability and craftsmanship in an institutional setting.

To jump-start the piano renewal, the college invested nearly $50,000 in the replacement of 13 digital pianos in the keyboard lab, which is used daily by music students in their piano skills class. These 20-year old Yamaha Clavinovas were upgraded in Summer 2020 and were ready for use in academic year 2020-2021.