Whitefish Steinway paid off, maintenance fund in place

In 2012 a group of community members — led by John Simpson and Miriam Singer — came up with a plan to make “world-class performances on a world-class instrument” available to the Flathead Valley.

Four years later, the musical gift — a concert grand piano — is paid off.

With the completion of the Whitefish Performing Arts Center in 2007 came an opportunity that Simpson called a “labor of love.” The hall quickly became one of the premier venues in the valley for all shades of performing arts, but Simpson, Singer and other community members decided the center needed a high-quality in-house piano.

“The Flathead Valley is an amazing place, and we wanted to contribute,” Simpson said.

So Singer and Simpson, who had been bringing international musical artists to the valley as Singer and Simpson Productions since 2006, initiated a fundraising venture and went in search of a worthy instrument.

They found it at the Steinway Piano Gallery in Spokane. The nine-foot Steinway D grand piano is a concert and artist series piano built in 2003 — the 150th anniversary of Steinway & Sons.

The piano spent several years at a performance hall in Scottsdale, Arizona, before it made its way to Spokane and then to Whitefish on Feb. 28, 2012. It was still concert-ready on the inside and had been redone on the outside.

In addition to the grand piano, the group also bought a Yamaha acoustic console piano for everyday use, to save wear-and-tear on the larger instrument.

The cost for both was about $85,000, Simpson said. The Steinway Fund, established by Singer and Simpson Productions, made the down payment and local music supporters and a loan from Whitefish Credit Union covered the balance. All Singer and Simpson Productions’ shows since have been in an effort to pay off the loan and establish a long-term maintenance fund.

On March 10, 2012, jazz pianist Alan Broadbent performed the first concert on the instrument in Whitefish.

On June 4 this year, pianist Doug Montgomery performed a show on the Steinway. That concert officially marked the completion of the fundraising efforts, thanks to both tickets sales over the past four years as well as individual donations large and small.

“It’s mission accomplished,” Simpson said. “Our initial goal was to pay it off in five years and we made it in four, so that’s good. And a big thank you to the community for making it happen.”

Since both instruments reside at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center, operated by the Whitefish School District, both also become property of the district now that the pay-off is complete.

Simpson and Singer also reached the goal of establishing a maintenance fund for any future repair and upkeep needs. The $10,000 account is being held by the Whitefish Community Foundation for future use.

“Right now it needs nothing,” Simpson said. “It’s in beautiful condition.”

As for Simpson and Singer, the couple is headed for some hard-earned time off. Simpson retired from Don “K” Subaru in April, and the duo have some undefined travel plans in the near future. Simpson said they may find their way back to the Flathead, but for the moment they are looking forward to taking a break.

“We enjoyed sharing this experience with the community,” Simpson said. “It was a true labor of love, and we’re happy to have met our goals.”

For more information on Singer and Simpson Productions and the history of the organization and the Steinway Fund, visit www.singerandsimpson.com.

Entertainment editor Stefanie Thompson can be reached at 758-4439 or ThisWeek@dailyinterlake.com.