Newport Piano Initiative

Why a new piano at Newport High School?...

Our newly renovated public high school has a magnificent new theater, with a seating capacity of well over 600 seats! Full stage rigging, orchestral clouds, lights and sound — but no concert piano!

A space as great as this deserves an instrument equal to its beauty. This piano will be used by the Newport Music and Drama departments— well known throughout the region for high quality student performances:

The Newport Band Program, led by Matt Eisenhauer and Edd George, performs regularly at top venues and competitions across the region and country. The Newport Jazz Band I is a repeat Finalist at the prestigious Essentially Ellington Festival at Lincoln Center in New York City, in addition to numerous other contests. (See www.newportband.org.)

The Newport Orchestra program, directed by David Upham, has been a Finalist every year it has attended the Northwest Orchestra Festival in Gresham Oregon... claiming three 1st Place trophies in 2008 alone! (See www.newportorchestra.com.)

The Newport Choral program, led by Nancy Fisher, leads the department in number of students selected to All-State or All-Northwest honor groups, as well as State Finalists in the Washington State Music Educator's Solo and Ensemble Contest. (See the Newport Choir site; Newport password required.)

The Newport Drama department puts on numerous annual productions, including a Fall Play, Spring Musical, and Newport's premiere talent show… Follies!

Finally, the Newport community at large, who has generously provided this beautiful facility for the schools, is filled with talented individuals and organizations that can and will rent this Performing Arts Center.

All this talent and no piano?...
Simply put, a concert grand piano like a Steinway Model D (shown above) is needed to complete the outfitting of this magnificent facility. The community and students deserve an instrument as good as the venue they now perform in.