LETTER: Shocked by abuse of the Steinway

We moved here not long ago and have enjoyed and are amazed by the excellent quality of the performing arts here in Whitefish. The theater and music presented at The O’Shaughnnessy Center, the Whitefish Performing Arts Center and other venues in the valley is truly outstanding.  

We are so lucky to be able to experience all this so close at hand and at such reasonable cost. The recent Alpine Theater Project productions of “Chicago,” “Ring of Fire” and “Big Fish” were exceptional and on a par with most Broadway productions. But...

Our neighbor friends are patrons, supporters and significant contributors to the local fine arts organizations, including the Steinway Fund. They took us as their guests to “Chicago,” an absolutely wonderful production and performance that was as good, maybe better, than the production we saw in New York years ago.  

At some point in the show, my wife elbowed me and whispered that they were dancing on the top of the Steinway piano. I assured her that the piano must be protected and no harm was being done. In my wife’s world as a pianist and lifelong music educator, now retired, it was stressful to think about much less witness. We have a smaller Steinway grand in our home and there has never been more than sheet music allowed on its lid. We have toured the factory in Queens.  It takes a year to build a Steinway D concert grand. With the same neighbor friends, we also attended three Amadeus Festival evenings, all piano events. What an instrument that piano is and it added so much to the caliber of the music we were hearing and enjoying.  

It was during the festival week that our neighbors, through other Alpine and Symphony supporters, learned of the damage to the lid of the Steinway. They are astonished and angry but neither are letter writers or the type to make waves. I am quite the opposite and have written letters to the editor before. They also filled me in on the Steinway Fund and Singer & Simpson. We have been to three or four of their concerts and these are another pleasant surprise we did not expect when we moved here. We have been to a Peter Nero concert during a visit to Philadelphia and look forward to seeing him again. We never expected that opportunity here. Singer and Simpson, as well as all Steinway Fund contributors, must be very disappointed to witness and/or hear of such disrespect for the piano and their efforts. We all assume the piano lid will be properly repaired and wiser heads will prevail in the future.

We have much to be thankful for here. Let’s hope for more responsibility and pride. —Phil Graff, Whitefish