The Steinway grand is the gold standard of musical instruments, representing over 160 years of craftsmanship which is why 19 out of 20 concert pianists choose the Steinway grand piano.
At George Mason University, Practice is a Steinway Grand Experience
When the last three Steinways were delivered back in 2007, George Mason joined the ranks of "all-Steinway" schools, a list that includes the Juilliard School, Yale University and the University of Maryland.
As an All-Steinway School, the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music is committed to excellence by providing its students and faculty with the best equipment possible for the study of music. Music students at George Mason have access to a collection of 68 meticulously maintained Steinway pianos for both practice and performance.
It’s important to provide Steinway grand pianos in the places where most of the work occurs for our students,” observed Dr. Linda Apple Monson, Director of Keyboard Studies. “We wanted to offer the finest instruments possible in the practice rooms…”
George Mason Becomes An All-Steinway School in 2007
In 2007, George Mason University made the commitment to become an “All-Steinway School.” Through the generosity of special Friends of Music at Mason, the University purchased sixteen new Steinway grand pianos for its teaching studios and practice rooms in the deLaski Performing Arts Building. The All-Steinway School campaign and commitment, spearheaded by the late Mr. Sidney O. Dewberry, played a large role in making it possible to attract outstanding students and faculty from across the country and throughout the world.
In August 2014, the Dewberry School of Music celebrated the opening of the new Music/Theater Building designed to meet the growing needs of our Dewberry School of Music. Featuring new classrooms, music technology facilities, and numerous teaching studios and practice rooms, George Mason’s commitment to excellence and quality for our students and faculty included the addition of twenty-three new Steinway grand pianos for our teaching and practice rooms in this new facility.
All-Steinway Schools provide a commitment to excellence by providing their students and faculties with the best equipment possible for the study of music. Pianos are critical to every aspect of the instrumental and vocal programs at George Mason University. Becoming an All-Steinway School speaks volumes about a School of Music because it symbolizes the highest levels of excellence and commitment to quality.
"If you really want to hear what makes a Steinway a Steinway," George Mason University keyboard studies professor Linda Apple Monson said on a recent morning as her fingers danced across the keys of one of the new pianos, summoning the delicate notes of a Chopin piece. "Oh! That singing quality."
