Grand piano donated to Desert Vista Elementary School in Apache Junction
By Ray Cunningham, Gold Canyon Arts Council member
Posted 6/22/23
Desert Vista Elementary School now has a grand piano gracing its stage thanks to a donation by Gold Canyon resident Nanci Wilson through the Gold Canyon Arts Council. The piano is in very good …
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Grand piano donated to Desert Vista Elementary School in Apache Junction
From left are Gold Canyon Arts Council member Ray Cunningham, piano donor Nanci Wilson and Desert Vista Elementary School Principal Heather Preston.
Gold Canyon Arts Council
Posted
The grand piano donated to Desert Vista Elementary School, 3701 E. Broadway Ave. in Apache Junction.
Gold Canyon Arts Council
By Ray Cunningham, Gold Canyon Arts Council member
Desert Vista Elementary School now has a grand piano gracing its stage thanks to a donation by Gold Canyon resident Nanci Wilson through the Gold Canyon Arts Council.
The piano is in very good condition and was manufactured in 1939 by Wm. Knabe & Co., one of the top five piano companies in America both then and now.
The Knabe brand has an illustrious history as it was the piano of the Metropolitan Opera during the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s. And before then, on May 5, 1891, the Knabe family brought Peter Tchaikovsky (1840-93) to America in celebration of the opening of Carnegie Hall for which Tchaikovsky conducted. Thereafter, he conducted concerts in other major cities for Knabe.
Wilson acquired the piano when she recently purchased a furnished home within the Superstition Mountain gated community. She decided to donate the piano to a school, church or other nonprofit as she is unable to play the instrument.
Her Realtor, Karen Jordan, contacted Gold Canyon Arts Council member Ray Cunningham to request his assistance in identifying a deserving nonprofit entity to receive the donation. Cunningham has facilitated the donation of several guitars and other instruments to local schools. He also serves as Lead Guitar Liaison and Grants Committee Chair for the Gold Canyon Arts Council.
Several potential candidates were contacted, including the Arizona Piano Institute, local churches and the Apache Junction Unified School District. AJUSD Executive Director Chad Cantrell immediately expressed interest on behalf of the district and ultimately recommended that Desert Vista Elementary School be the recipient of the piano.
The Knabe grand piano was delivered to Desert Vista Elementary School, 3701 E. Broadway Ave. in Apache Junction, on April 19 and was formally acknowledged and accepted by the AJUSD governing board and DVES Principal Heather Preston at its regular meeting on April 25.
All parties are pleased that the piano has found a good home and will be enjoyed by members of our community for the long term.
