Hitting the right key: Local fundraiser eyes purchase of grand piano

A TRIO of local music lovers are inviting the Barwon Heads and broader Bellarine community to attend a special fundraiser on Saturday evening.

The fundraiser hopes to garner support and donations to purchase the region’s first community grand piano.

The Barwon Heads Arts Council (BHAC) will host a special fundraising event at the Barwon Heads Arts Hub on Saturday from 6pm, featuring international talents and Ocean Grove residents Mark Kruger (pianist) and Sally Wilson (vocals).

Funds raised on the night from ticket sales and donations will go towards a grand piano, which would be based out the Hub, turning the space into a destination for world-class musicians.

Event organiser and BHAC committee member Sophia Legoe said the idea to purchase a grand piano for the region has been ongoing for several years but has lacked the space to host a fundraising event.

“The Hub has been open a couple years, and we’re really keen to make it a real community space for people to feel comfortable with and have ownership of, and that’s where a grand piano would help,” Ms Legoe said.

“The Hub also has really good acoustics and provides a lovely, intimate space, we have 70 people already confirmed to attend with a capacity of 95, so there’s a few tickets remaining.

“But it’s a great chance for the community to come together and make a real difference in assisting us to make the piano a reality.”

Mr Kruger, a well-versed musician having studied at the Moscow Conservatorium and London’s Royal Academy of Music, also holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of Melbourne.

He said he felt privileged to be a part of the Council’s push for a new grand piano on the Bellarine.

Ms Wilson is also no stranger to performing across foreign waters, performing in Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, Asia and here in Australia for more than twenty years, ranging across opera, concert, chamber music and recital disciplines.

She has also celebrated the publication of her first picture book, named ‘Have You Ever Stopped To Think?’.

The vocalist for Saturday’s event, said a grand piano for the region would be crucial to the local arts scene.

“The Barwon Heads Fine Music Society donated an upright piano to the space, but to get really good top musicians, we need to get a grand piano,” Ms Wilson said.

“Once we get one, we’ll find a lot will start happening as a result, particularly in activating the space for musical purposes.

“Fundraising began for this approximately eight years ago, but we didn’t have a venue in this area until the Hub was opened in 2022. We have since spoken with the BHAC and everyone is full steam ahead.”

The overall cost of a six-foot grand piano is expected to range anywhere from $20,000 to $25,000, with close to $3,000 already raised.

For more on how to donate and attending Saturday’s night’s event, head to bhac.org.au/event/fundraiser-for-a-grand-piano-fundraiser-for-the-bellarine