The University of Southern Maine was officially recognized as the 250th All-Steinway Institution worldwide and the first in higher education in the state of Maine on October 3, at the first public concert in the newly opened Crewe Center for the Arts.
USM joins an elite group of more than 250 institutions across the globe, ranging from schools and universities to performing arts centers – where students have access to the best instruments available.
The Crewe Center for the Arts now houses 18 Steinway grand pianos and eight Steinway-designed Boston upright pianos, a total of 26 new pianos, to meet academic and performance needs within the Dr. Alfred and D. Suzi Osher School of Music.
“Our students are going to be able to come to the University of Southern Maine – rehearse and audition on the world’s greatest pianos,” said Dr. Kyle Nielsen, Director of the Osher School of Music.
This distinction is symbolic of the highest-ranked music programs and a rare status for a regional public university, such as USM.
USM’s status as an All-Steinway Institution was officially achieved during the Inaugural President’s Concert at the Crewe Center, a sold-out celebration of sight and sound, as Steinway & Sons presented a commemorative plaque to USM President Jacqueline Edmondson.
“That is a moment I will always remember,” said President Edmondson. “It marked the culmination of a year-long journey with M. Steinert & Sons as we worked through this process, and it also signals the beginning of a relationship with Steinway that will extend well into the future. I am grateful to Patrick Elisha-Sanmiguel (VP of M. Steinert & Sons) for his incredible expertise and guidance, and for the relationship he has built with us.
Most of all, I wish to sincerely thank the donors who understand the value the Steinways bring to our Osher School of Music and the lasting impact it will have for years to come for our students, faculty, and staff.”
The concert, which capped off the grand opening of the state-of-the-art Crewe Center, featured two of the new Steinway pianos, individually selected at the Steinway factory in New York City.
“Pianos are critical laboratory equipment for the study of music, their impact realized by all students on campus especially as they touch and connect us to the world of STEM through composition, artificial intelligence, and research,” said Patrick Elisha-Sanmiguel.
Inside the 200 seat performance hall, beneath intricately designed acoustic reflectors, the audience was also introduced to Steinway Spirio technology, a groundbreaking innovation in performance capture and playback. In this case, the piano replicated a performance by USM faculty Tina Davis, who is currently in Germany as a Fulbright fellow, demonstrating the cutting edge capabilities now available at the Crewe Center.
“Spirio does not solely record a pianist,” said Elisha-Sanmiguel. “It captures our essence at the driver’s seat, capturing each touch from the keyboard to the pedals in a high resolution format. We can then playback, the keys and pedals functioning mechanically without any microphones or speakers, optically captured and through solenoid playback.”
Students at the Osher School of Music will also have access to the Spirio Music Library, a vast and growing catalogue of over 5,000 pieces of recorded performances by the world’s finest pianists. According to Elisha-Sanmiguel, concerts, lessons and classes can be received or broadcast in real time and on demand, connecting USM to the global stage.
While pianists were prominently featured throughout the evening, the concert included performances by a wide array of musicians—students, faculty, alumni, and guest artists—highlighting the collaborative and interdisciplinary spirit of the arts at USM.
The event concluded with a choir made up of vocal artists from all over the region, symbolizing the Crewe Center’s role as a cultural hub and artistic resource for the broader community.
Click here for a list of upcoming events at the Crewe Center for the Arts.