Music Center Instruments
The Music Center is home to many fine instruments, including 12 Steinway grand pianos, a custom-built Taylor and Boody organ and a Ruckers model harpsichord.
Other instruments unique to the music department are a diverse collection of early musical instruments and a modern, state-of the-art piano laboratory used for group keyboard instruction.
Opus 41 Pipe Organ
The Rieth Recital Hall organ, made by Taylor
and Boody,
is based upon 18th century
North German models. It features more than 1600 pipes, and a case of carved
solid white oak. The key and stop action are mechanical (tracker), with two
manuals and a straight and flat pedalboard. More information about Opus 41 can
be found here.
Harpsichord
Chicago-based craftsman and musician Knight
Vernon built the harpsichord located in the Music Center in 1982. This two manual
Franco-Flemish harpsichord is modeled on instruments made by the great 17th
C Flemish builder Johannes Ruckers.
Pianos
The Music Center features 40 pianos, including
12 Steinway grands, six of which were rebuilt during the construction phase
of the facility. Several new Yamaha uprights round out the collection of
practice room pianos.
Piano Lab
The Music Center's Yamaha Clavinova lab features
10 student stations and a teacher station, including a music laboratory system
that controls each student station. Each keyboard has 88 keys, hammer action,
numerous voicings and recording/playback capabilities. Capabilities for ensemble
groupings via headphones and orchestrations to accompany repertoire allow
creative interaction in college level keyboard classes and Community School
of the Art's piano groups. good!
Early Instruments
Interest in pre-modern orchestral instruments
emerged among music faculty and students during the late 1950’s. Throughout
the next several decades records, krumhorns, sackbuts, lutes, and viols were
acquired , and are now housed in the Music Center. Collegium Musicum, an
early music consort organized in the 60’s performed regularly using
this collection of instruments, which are replicas of ancient models.