Generosity hits a beautiful note at LHU with a ‘Transfer in Harmony’

LOCK HAVEN, PA – The Durrwachter Alumni Conference Center Ballroom was filled with the beautiful sounds of music as Lock Haven University music professor and Steinway Artist, Dr. David Curtin, performed on a Steinway Model B Grand Piano during the “Transfer in Harmony” event on the evening of Wednesday, March 23.

The event was the culmination of a series of previous dedication events at which Curtin performed on other Steinway pianos that had recently been gifted to area locations by Lock Haven University and the pianos’ original donor, Margery Dosey.

In 2008, LHU received the designation of being an “All-Steinway School,” following the generous donation of 22 Steinway pianos to the university by Dosey, a 1966 alumna and current vice chair of the LHU Council of Trustees, and her late husband, Dr. Seymour Krevsky.

In recent years, Dosey worked closely with LHU leadership to develop a plan that would ensure all of the pianos were being utilized for the enjoyment, education and benefit of area students and music lovers. LHU, with Dosey’s blessing, gifted 11 of the Steinway pianos to locations where they will be played and enjoyed for years to come. Bloomsburg and Mansfield universities received four pianos on each on their campuses and one each went to Renovo Elementary School within the Keystone Central School District, Williamsport Area High School and Faith United Methodist Church in Bellefonte.

Following each of the transfers, a small concert and dedication event was held at which Curtin performed on the pianos.

Curtin has served on the LHU faculty since 2004, where he has taught piano, music theory, music history, sight singing/ear-training and introduction to music. He holds a Doctor of Music Arts degree in Piano Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He has performed and taught throughout the U.S. and the UK, as well as in Mexico, Ireland, Korea and China. In 2015 he was awarded LHU’s highest award for Outstanding Scholarship and in 2021 he was appointed Director of the Global Honors Program at LHU. Curtin was given the Steinway Artist designation in May 2009 by Ron Losby, then CEO of Steinway Inc., during LHU’s spring commencement ceremony at which Losby was the speaker.

During the event at the DACC, Curtin performed pieces from Franz Liszt, Robert Schumann, Domenico Scarlatti, Franz Schubert, Frederic Chopin and a final piece by Johannes Brahms as a duet, side-by-side with his wife, Hyun Ju Curtin, who also is a Steinway Artist.

Curtin said he agreed to perform at each donation location as a way to honor Dosey. “She is a longtime champion of the arts and culture – not just music – at Lock Haven,” he said. “Her generosity and public-spiritedness continue to enrich our community and I feel that this is well worth commemorating and celebrating.”

The first of the five dedication events was held at Williamsport Area High School on Thursday, Feb. 17.

Performances were done by WAHS Big Band, accompanied by student Ben Manetta; Millionaire Strolling Strings, accompanied by Matthew Radspinner; student Lydia Hall, Millionaire Soloist, accompanied by Samuel Robinson; and Curtin.

Faith United Methodist Church was the second to host their dedication event on Sunday, Feb. 20. Performances were done by Curtin, Linda Hoffman, Carol Hunt, Sherry McGraw, Barb Davidson, Nikki Story and Tom Davidson.

The third event was held on Tuesday, Feb. 22 at Renovo Elementary School. Performances were done by McKenna Bissman, Mya Embick, Charlize Kepler, Bucktail Chorus (Alexis Ahearn, Mya Embick, Angel Garcia, Charlize Kepler and Christiana Smith) and Curtin.

Bloomsburg held their dedication event on Wednesday, Feb. 23. Performances were done by students Kallie Koch and Jack Heroux-Skirbst and Curtin.

The last of the dedication events was held at Mansfield University on Thursday, Feb. 24. Performances were done by Curtin, Dr. Eun-Joo Kwak, Madeline Hoover, Linda Seipler and students Katherine Johnson, Megan Deitrich, Lauren Freeman, Dawson Morey, Marita Gattone, Rachael Karwowski, Carson Witherite and Lilac Burke.

“David is now considered a ‘rock star’ among the recipients,” Dosey said. “The transfers created good will, positive exposure for LHU and a sense of harmony. This was a good thing to do, as the pianos are now being used, played and enjoyed.”

Bashar Hanna, LHU interim president, introduced Dosey during the event at the DACC, thanking her for her dedication to LHU’s mission and its students.

“We, along with all of the recipients of these prestigious musical instruments are sincerely grateful,” Hanna said. “Margery’s vision and generosity have made the gift of music and music education available to countless individuals and students in our region. The impact of this gift will be felt long into the future.”

Dosey described the final event at the DACC as “magical,” symbolizing good relationships between the universities and an opportunity for LHU to be a generous spirit leader among all state universities, local school districts and beyond.

“It fills me with joy to know that these magnificent instruments have found their way to new homes and will be played and enjoyed for years to come,” Dosey said. “I am so pleased to have been a part of this process that will provide musicians and music lovers an opportunity to fuel their passion for the arts.”

Dosey also has an endowed fine arts scholarship, The Margery Brown Dosey Scholarship for the Arts, which is awarded each year to an art major at LHU and following the full integration of Lock Haven, Bloomsburg and Mansfield, she plans to open the scholarship up to a student at any one of the three campuses.