With the addition of three new Steinway & Sons grand pianos in December 2016, Gilmour has begun the process of becoming a Steinway Select K-12 School, which means that every piano on Gilmour’s campus will soon be replaced with a new Steinway & Sons grand. Gilmour is the first private K-12 school in the Midwest to make this level of commitment to the Steinway Select K-12 School program. Only eight schools in the country have earned the Steinway Select K-12 distinction to date. The school’s new status will be celebrated at a gala on December 6 at 1:30 p.m., when three new Steinway & Sons grands will replace the current pianos at Gilmour’s Lower School.

The Steinway Select K-12 designation is bestowed on qualifying institutions that consist of kindergarten through 12th grade and is an extension of the All Steinway School honors that Steinway & Sons grants to the world’s best colleges, universities, conservatories and schools of music.  This investment in best-in-class equipment was made possible through a scheduled donation from Gilmour alumnus and current parent Matthew P. Figgie ’84, The Figgie Foundation and Figgie Capital. “During this season of giving, I am truly honored and sincerely humbled to be able to give this heartfelt gift of the finest pianos in the world to my cherished alma mater, Gilmour Academy. These Steinway & Sons grands are yet another strategic step in the overall elevation and transformation of Gilmour Academy as one of the nation’s premier academic, artistic and athletic institutions of higher learning,” said Mr. Figgie.  “As we celebrate this wonderful partnership of distinction with Steinway & Sons, we not only shine a national and international spotlight on Gilmour Academy and its 70-year legacy of excellence, but also to its steadfast and focused commitment to the fine arts,” said Mr. Figgie.

“Our students will benefit greatly from Matthew’s dedication and generosity, which will create life-changing experiences for our students.”

When complete, Gilmour will have ten new Steinway & Sons grands. The instruments include a Steinway & Sons Spirio for the school’s historic Tudor House and a Steinway Model D Concert Grand for their future Center for the Performing Arts. This phenomenal gift allows Gilmour to provide all of its students with the very best grand pianos that exist.

Head of School Kathy Kenny said of the gift: “My earliest memories of Matthew P. Figgie date back to when he was a standout scholar and athlete at Gilmour. His leadership and support of Gilmour has grown throughout the decades and he is one of our most loyal and generous benefactors. He is a staunch supporter of Gilmour’s commitment to excellence in all areas — in our classrooms and on the athletic fields. This most recent gift is a testament to Gilmour’s and the Figgie Foundation’s commitment to the arts. Our students will benefit greatly from Matthew’s dedication and generosity, which will create life-changing experiences for our students. The wider community will also benefit from our expanded programming as a result of this transformative gift.” 

CEO and president of Steinway Piano Gallery Cleveland Ted Good said, “We are very grateful to Matthew Figgie for his generosity and amazing vision. It has been such an honor to work with Mr. Figgie and the faculty and administration at Gilmour for the selection of the Steinway pianos.” He added, “For over 163 years, Steinway & Sons has followed its founder’s advice to always aspire to excellence in our instruments.”

Over 175 prestigious American institutions of higher learning and international conservatories throughout Europe, Asia and Africa, share the All Steinway School distinction.