EOU Invites Community to Play Rare Fazioli Concert Grand Piano April 11

Eastern Oregon University will open the stage of McKenzie Theatre to pianists of every level on April 11, giving La Grande residents a hands-on opportunity to play a Fazioli concert grand, one of the rarest and most valuable instruments owned by any small-city university in the region.

The annual Community Fazioli Piano Day runs on the EOU campus and draws a broad mix of participants: seasoned community pianists, students, teacher-student pairs, and listeners who simply want to hear the instrument in a concert setting. Fazioli pianos carry values in the six-figure range, placing them among the most coveted concert grands in the world, instruments typically found in major performance halls far from Eastern Oregon.

EOU music faculty member Mio Aoike is extending the invitation broadly. "We warmly invite community members of all ages and experience levels to come play and enjoy this beautiful instrument," Aoike said.

The structure of the day accommodates short individual performance slots, teacher-student demonstrations, and open listening sessions for those who prefer to experience the Fazioli from the audience. Community members planning to perform should prepare short pieces and expect a sign-up process on the day of the event, along with standard stage and rehearsal protocols at McKenzie Theatre.

The event has become a reliable fixture in EOU's community arts calendar, which also includes Nightingale Gallery exhibitions and regional high school performances and public concerts on campus. In past years, Fazioli Piano Day has served as the anchor for master classes, community recitals, and collaborative performances, building an ongoing tradition that gives Union County audiences regular access to a world-class instrument without leaving La Grande.

The April 11 event takes place at McKenzie Theatre on the EOU campus.