Shorter College Receives Gift to Purchase Pianos

A $110,000 gift from Robert and Kathy Engeman of Locust Grove, Ga., has funded the purchase of two grand pianos for the Shorter College music department, Shorter College President Harold E. Newman announced today. The gift also allows the establishment of a 12-unit Kawai digital piano lab at Shorter.

Mrs. Engeman is a 1964 graduate of the college.

“Throughout the years, Bob and Kathy Engeman have been generous supporters of Shorter College and its students,” Dr. Newman said. “This major gift to fund the Shigeru Kawai pianos will have a lasting impact on Shorter College’s music programs, and we are grateful for their generosity and ongoing commitment to Shorter.”

With the gift, Shorter has purchased one SK-EX Shigeru Kawai nine-foot full concert grand piano and one SK-5 Shigeru Kawai six-foot, six-inch artist grand piano. While the artist grand piano is expected to be delivered this month, the full concert grand piano is being handcrafted in Japan and should be delivered to Shorter by the end of 2007, according to Dr. Alan Wingard, dean of Shorter’s School of the Arts.

After both pianos are received, a recital will be held to showcase the nine-foot Shigeru Kawai concert grand piano and to honor the Engemans, Dr. Wingard said.

He explained that these pianos are a great addition to Shorter’s existing fleet of pianos. “Shigeru Kawai pianos are remarkable pieces of craftsmanship,” Dr. Wingard said. “Each Shigeru piano is a limited edition treasure created with detailed handwork. The nine-foot full concert grand piano will be on stage in Shorter’s Brookes Chapel along with the college’s existing Steinway concert grand piano.”

As a result of this purchase, Shorter College has EPIC (Elite Performing Instrument Collection) status with Kawai. “The EPIC Program is more than just a piano purchase plan,” Dr. Wingard said. “It is a strategic partnership that will bring added benefits to the School of the Arts’ faculty and students. In addition to acquiring world-class instruments at sponsored cost levels, Shorter College will receive national recognition in Kawai’s promotional campaign, enhanced stature among schools of music, and on-site technical support from Kawai’s world-renowned master piano artisans.”

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