VLADIMIR HOROWITZ’S PERSONAL 9-FOOT STEINWAY CONCERT PIANO ARRIVES IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY AS A MUSICAL “AMBASSADOR” FOR STEINWAY & SONS AND JACOBS MUSIC COMPANY IN WHITEHALL

Seven Student Pianists from Allentown To Make Beautiful Music During Special Events with the Great Pianist’s Personal Concert SteinwayMay 18 – 19 – 20 at Jacobs Music in Whitehall

Jon Paul Pepen, from Allentown Central Catholic High School and Sharon Rajaram, Olivia Snover, Nithin Rajaram, William McMahan, Paul Peng and Jacob Wilkinson --- all students at the Parkland School District  --- were selected to perform on the historic concert grand piano of Vladimir Horowitz,  widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.  Jacobs Music Company, the area’s exclusive representative for new and authentically restored Steinway & Sons pianos, is proud to announce that their Whitehall showroom will showcase Lehigh Valley pianists and music enthusiasts on Horowitz’s personal touring 9-foot long Steinway & Sons concert grand piano on May 18, 19 and 20, 2012.  The piano showroom is located at 2223 MacArthur Road in Whitehall, PA 18052.

Local musicians and piano students have been lining up to reserve a slot to play this extraordinary instrument -- the actual Steinway concert grand piano numbered CD314503 that accompanied Horowitz on his historic 1986 tour of Russia and that was also played on his final album.   While the instrument has been a traveling ambassador for Steinway & Sons for over a decade, these individuals will be among the very first to handle and play the piano on this exclusive Lehigh Valley tour:

• Lehigh Valley music teacher Susan Kuntz will present her students William McMahan, Paul Peng, Jon Paul Pepen, Nithin Rajaram, Sharon Rajaram, Olivia Snover and Jacob Wilkinson, who will join other regional students in mini recitals on Saturday, May 19 from 1pm – 3pm.
• Greek virtuosa Maria Asteriadou, a highly acclaimed soloist and chamber musician from the faculty of Kutztown University and the Manhattan School of Music, will present a recital on Sunday, May 20 at 4:30 pm. The hour was selected in honor of Horowitz because the great man himself preferred to schedule Sunday concerts at that time.

 “A great instrument is an inspiration to anybody playing it,” exclaimed Philadelphia-based concert pianist Alexander Fiorillo, one of only five or six pianists ever to study with the famous Vladimir Horowitz.   A longtime professor of piano at Temple University, Fiorillo is very excited to know that Lehigh Valley musicians will be able to experience the thrill of a direct connection with the infamous Horowitz by performing on his favored traveling concert grand piano.

 “This remarkable instrument --- a prized possession of one of the most legendary pianists of all time --- evokes inspiration, passion and the drive to excellence for all who have the opportunity to perform on CD-503 or to hear it live in performance,” said Mark Love, Senior Vice President of Development for Jacobs Music Company.  “We at Jacobs Music Company are delighted to facilitate and support its tour throughout our region, as part of our continuing commitment to music and arts.”

About Jacobs Music Company:  Jacobs Music Company is the area’s exclusive representative for new and authentically restored Steinway & Sons, Steinway’s Boston and Steinway’s Essex pianos.  Jacobs also represents many other quality piano manufacturers from around the world, including Yamaha, Disklavier and Clavinova.  The Whitehall piano showroom is located at 2223 MacArthur Road in Whitehall, PA 18052. Jacobs Music Company has six showrooms, including its flagship location at 1718 Chestnut Street in center city Philadelphia and a showroom in Willow Grove, PA.   Additional locations are in Lawrenceville and Cherry Hill, NJ and Wilmington, DE.  Further information is available on their website www.Jacobsmusic.com or by calling the Whitehall showroom at 610-770-3588.