What do Billy Joel, Carnegie Hall, Grace Music School and Steinway & Sons all have in common?
Grace Music School is often referred to as Long Island’s premier music school. With two convenient locations in Western Suffolk County, the school was recently chosen from over 400 schools to be the first ever to be incorporated into a Steinway & Sons Showroom.
In even bigger news for Grace Music School, it is set to launch a first-of-its-kind piano competition. Pianists between the ages of 13 and 18 will perform classical works from the Billy Joel album Fantasies and Delusions as part of the competition. A perfect fit when considering that Billy Joel is likely the musician who first comes to mind when considering Long Island’s musical heritage, yet also an artist that helps bridge the gap between pop and classical.
The Grand Opening Celebration of the Grace-related Steinway & Sons Showroom will take place in Melville on November 12 and 13 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM on both days. The event will feature student performances, door prizes, refreshments, and an opportunity to win six months’ free piano lessons. It will is open to the public and all are welcome. Individuals specifically interested in registering for the piano competition can do so at the Grand Opening Celebration.
The winner of the competition will earn a $1,000 prize and perform at the school’s Carnegie Hall concert on June 2, 2017.
Furthermore, the piano competition was inspired in part by a YouTube video in which Mr. Joel explained that “Fantasies and Delusions” is his all-time favorite album. He added that if a piano student was to ask their teacher if they could play a “Billy Joel” piece, he would want the student to learn the music from Opus 1, 2 or 3 from “Fantasies and Delusions.”
The school’s director Grace Heaphy said, “I could not imagine a more fitting way to celebrate our Grand Opening Celebration then having this Piano Competition. It not only helps expose Long Island’s aspiring pianist to this great music, but also gives them a chance to perform at one of the greatest music venues in the world. I hope this competition will spotlight these lesser-known, but incredible compositions so they become part of the repertoire young pianists are taught.”
