By Deborah L. Bauer
The Steinway Society of Central Florida annual Divas Gala shall be hosted this 12 months on Sunday, August 9 at the Orlando Museum of Art from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. This is the society’s largest annual occasion and fundraiser. The theme for 2026 is “Diva and Dudes Shenanikeys Gala. The event is focused around the performance of three dueling pianists, “Shenanikeys” Carol J. Stein. Julian Bond, and Michael Mastroianni. The completed performers will current a variety of kinds in a vibrant night of music from Broadway, jazz, films, rock, and Disney showtunes.
Carol Stein, a global Steinway & Sons artist, was born in Miami, Florida the place she started her piano research at the age of 4. Her travels as a musician and composer have spanned the globe from the Montreux Palace in Switzerland, the Oasis in Hong Kong and Walt Disney World in Orlando. At Disney, she was the home musician with the improv troupe at the Comedy Warehouse at Pleasure Island, the resident musician at the Rose and Crown Pub at the United Kingdom Pavilion and was the resident pianist at EPCOT. She heads the Carol Stein & Friends Jazz Band. She enjoys volunteering for charitable organizations resembling the Steinway Society, Hadassah, The Jewish Pavilion, Jewish Family Services, Give Kids the World, and Kids Beating Cancer. Julian Bond, a local of England, has labored internationally as a composer, pianist, conductor and producer. He has gained quite a few awards for his taking part in and writing, together with EMI’s “Make Music” award, the Guildhall’s Alexander Grotsz Prize for composition, and in 2004 was named one of the USA’s high 10 younger movie rating composers by Turner Classic Movies. He has been pianist, director and clinician for varied corporations together with the Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios and as featured conductor for the Orlando Ballet and Opera Orlando. Last, Michael Mastroianni is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, with a Bachelor’s Degree of Music in Contemporary Writing & Production. He is an completed orchestrator and performed dozens of musical productions. He has been a pianist/keyboardist for the Walt Disney Company’s Broadway Concert Series, Candlelight Processional, Cool Kid Summer and Jollywood Nights, the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, the River Roost Lounge at Port Orleans Riverside resort, and at EPCOT venues.
The gala may also have fun the retirement of Steinway Society co-founder Gary Grimes. Grimes, proprietor of Steinway Piano Gallery in Altamonte Springs, introduced his retirement after about 70 years in the piano business. He will stay President of the Steinway Society. Kathy Grimes, co-owner of the Steinway Piano Gallery, and Cory Ponder will take over administration of the Gallery. Grimes started learning piano at the age of 5, and started instructing piano & accordion at Terre Haute Conservatory of Music at the age of 16. He fashioned the Gary Grimes Quartet, a Nineteen Fifties rock band and carried out via highschool and school. After school, he joined the Wurlitzer Company as Manager-Music & Education, created the “Hobby Organ Course” included with organs bought nationally and rose via the firm to be Vice President of Marketing. In 1976, he left that firm to grow to be Executive Vice President of Baldwin Piano. He started a decades-long friendship with Henry Steinway and served with him on the Executive Committee of the National Piano Manufacturing Association. In 1982, he bought Lowrey Organ Company (Story & Clark Pianos), changing into president. Five years later he bought Lowrey to Kawai, transferring to Florida and founding Piano Expo. Grimes moved to Florida in 1987, the place he based Piano Expo and later opened the Steinway Piano Gallery, at the encouragement of his pal, Henry Steinway. It grew to become a serious provider of Steinway pianos in the space, together with to faculties, schools, establishments and personal people.
The Steinway Society was based in 2006 as a 501(c)(3). Its mission is to stimulate and nourish the musical data and inventive skills of underserved kids and supply a possibility for them to work towards a better stage of excellence at school work and their private lives. The Society offers pianos and music classes to under-served kids. Lessons are supplied in 10 weekly semesters in a number of areas all through Central Florida. It has awarded over 350 pianos with a worth of some $650,000, and yearly affords 12,000 music classes. The actions assist to fulfill the society’s mission assertion to encourage efficiency expertise, audition preparation, and scholarship help to additional research in classical and jazz piano. Additionally, the society offers musically gifted college students with an acoustic piano via the institution of the Piano Bank 3 times annually. All monies generated via memberships, donations, and fundraisers like the Divas Gala are for the function of offering extra classes and pianos to younger pianists. To study extra, please go to: https://www.steinwaysocietyorlando.com/
