LI's Piano Man Donates High End Piano to Stony Brook Univeristy

Long Island’s piano man has generously donated a premiere concert piano that will be housed in Stony Brook University’s Staller Center recital hall.

The Grammy-Award-winning artist, through his Joel Foundation, has donated a Bosnedorfer Imperial Grand Piano, considered the “Rolls Royce” of pianos. The endowment fund was established to provide seed money, musical scholarship and endowments to a variety of east coast colleges, universities and music schools. 

 “I ran into Billy Joel last August in Sag Harbor and thanked him for the Baldwin Grand Piano he donated several years ago,” said Perry Goldstein, the Professor and Chair of Stony Brook University’s Music Department. “He told me he’s heard very good things about the music program at Stony Brook and said that he might have another piano for us. Some months later, we received the Bosendorfer.”

The Bosendorfer has nine more keys than a conventional piano, which enables a completely new octave and elicits a huge, rich, luxurious tone. Worth $250,000, the high-end concert grand piano is housed in the recital hall where it has been played by members of the piano faculty and piano students in the graduate program, according to a statement released by the university.

We are so gratified that our music program was singled out by such a giant in the music business,” said Dexter Bailey, Vice President for Advancement at Stony Brook.