Benefactor donates Steinway piano to Festival Hall

Published 1:06 pm Thursday, May 25, 2023

GREENSBORO, Ga. — Festival Hall, Greensboro’s premier arts venue and cultural center welcomes its first ever piano from Isabel Jackson of Joseph, Mich.  

Festival Hall, Greensboro’s premiere performing arts and event space, has a new piano, and it’s a doozy. Isabel Jackson, the mother of the Rev. Meg Jackson Clark of Greensboro’s First Presbyterian Church, donated an 1895 Steinway and Sons Model A grand piano for Festival Hall’s use.

Considered one of the premier piano manufacturers in the world, Steinway and Sons has been hand-making pianos since 1853. Festival Hall’s new piano was built in 1895 in the Munich, Germany factory in a time that is considered by piano enthusiasts and historians as Steinway’s “golden era.” 

Early owners of this instrument are unknown, but in the late 1970’s, Isabel Jackson and her family of 7 sold their automobile to purchase this beautiful piano and it was later rebuilt by the Steinway factory in New York. Isabel Jackson, a professional pianist and organist, lovingly cared for this gem all these many years until it made the journey to Festival Hall from Michigan last month, arriving with fanfare on Friday, April 28.

“We are so over the moon,” states Festival Hall’s Executive Director Nicole Chillemi. “This piano is absolutely wonderful, and to have Mrs. Jackson trust Festival Hall to care for her beloved piano is even more precious. Special thanks to Reverend Meg Jackson Clark for facilitating this donation and to the community donating to our piano fund.”

Last November, Festival Hall kicked off an initiative to raise funds to purchase its first ever acoustic piano. Gifted high school senior Carter Cadwallader offered to share his talents, performing his Graduation Recital at Festival Hall, where Festival Hall raised nearly $4,000 from the community towards this initiative. It seemed that it would take some time for the wish for a piano to manifest. However, Rev. Meg Jackson Clark of The First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro happened to attend Carter’s performance, approached Chillemi, and expressed that her mother had a Steinway Grand she might donate to Festival Hall. This seemed too good to be true, but Chillemi was encouraged. A few months later, she reached back out to Rev. Jackson Clark who happened to be in Michigan moving her mother into assisted living. Isabel had in fact agreed to donate her beloved instrument and the ball was put into motion. After consulting piano experts in Michigan and Georgia, a plan was formed, and the thousand-plus mile journey commenced. The funds raised during Mr. Cadwallader’s concert were sufficient to cover the costs of moving the piano and purchasing pertinent accessories for the piano.

“I am so grateful to have played a part in the Spirit-guided journey of the Steinway grand piano to Festival Hall,” said Rev. Jackson Clark. 

Festival Hall will have a reception in the summer to thank all the contributors to the Piano Fund and to celebrate such a fantastic addition to the hall.