Parish music and organ major Jacob Ferns ('24) is able to practice on top of the line instruments because of CUAA's partnership with Solich Piano & Music Company. Have you ever considered purchasing a piano or upgrading your current instrument at home? Purchase with a purpose at CUAA's upcoming piano sale event, benefitting Concordia's music department and students!
Over 150 pianos are available for purchase at Concordia University Ann Arbor’s annual piano sale event, October 14-16, 2021. The sale will take place on CUAA’s campus in the Kreft Center for the Arts, 4090 Geddes Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Make my piano sale appointment
In 2020, Concordia University Ann Arbor partnered with Solich Piano & Music Company to establish a Yamaha piano loan program, annually retiring the lightly-used pianos at CUAA and refreshing the Music Department with brand new instruments. This piano sale will directly support CUAA’s piano loan program.
“I was a piano major in college, and I actually played on the pianos that were loaned to our school weekly,” shared Thomas Solich, President of Solich Piano & Music Company. “I have a personal perspective of how students can benefit from these fine pianos as they rehearse, study, and perform. Now, some years later, I get to be on the other end of the process.”
The three-day sale will be conducted by appointment only, keeping patron’s safety in mind. The event is expecting to make as many as 100 appointments within the three-day sale, so reserve your time slot today by clicking the button below or calling 734-821-3197.
Make my piano sale appointment
What to expect at the piano sale
In addition to the Concordia University pianos currently on loan, there will also be:
- grands
- verticals
- digitals
- hybrids
- players (including Yamaha Disklavier Enspire Reproducing Pianos)
- selection of used pianos
All will be sold at significant discounts from their regular prices. The loaned pianos have been carefully maintained and many are less than one year old.
Service Offerings
- All of the loaned pianos come with manufacturer warranties and technical services.
- Delivery and financing will be offered.
- Designing a new music space? We offer complimentary storage for up to 1 year.
Sample of Pianos Available
- Yamaha Grand Pianos including Yamaha GB, GC, CX, and SX series
- Yamaha Upright Pianos including U1, U3, P22, YUS series and B series
- Yamaha Clavinova Digitals including CSP, CLP and CVP series
- Yamaha AvantGrand Hybrids NU1X, N1, N2 and N3X
- Yamaha Silent and TransAcoustic pianos
- Yamaha Disklavier ENSPIRE Reproducing player pianos
- Selection of premium Boesendorfer, Schimmel, and vintage Steinway pianos
- And more!
More about the loan program and partnership
In summer 2020, the first piano delivery was made and eight Yamaha pianos were given new homes on CUAA’s campus. Concordia students, faculty, and community members have benefitted from these pianos in campus practice rooms, faculty offices, and recital spaces throughout the Kreft Center for the Arts.
On a timed schedule, loan program pianos “graduate” and are replaced with brand-new pianos, perpetually replenishing the program with new instruments.
This piano loan program is administered by Solich Piano & Music Company, with existing Ohio locations throughout Cleveland and Columbus. Solich provides all the product, warranty support, and hosts an on-campus piano fundraising event where pianos are available for public purchase.
In April 2021, Yamaha appointed Solich Piano its institutional Piano Channel partner for the state of Michigan. Solich plans to open additional showrooms, furthering their already stellar service commitment to southeastern Michigan in the near future.
“Solich Piano is only able to choose one recipient of our renewable piano loan program per major city across the Midwest,” shared Thomas Solich, President of Solich Piano & Music Company. “Our annual donation of fresh new Yamaha pianos will equip CUAA music students to study and practice with the latest piano technology.”
Two stand-out pianos include a Yamaha C3X, which is a 6’1” concert grand that was delivered to the piano studio. This piano joins another grand piano, a Kawai RX2 (5’10”) which was recently received as a gift from a private donor, not part of the loan program.
Related: Learn more about CUAA’s music program
The other standout piano is a Yamaha Disklavier small acoustic grand on the lower level of Kreft in the voice faculty office. This is a 21st century player piano which interfaces with music technology, including video, music library, recording, and the opportunity for remote lessons.
The following is a list of all the pianos delivered to CUAA last summer currently on loan with Solich Piano & Music Company:
- New U1 upright in Professor John Boonenberg’s office
- NU1x Hybrid piano in technology lab
- Clavinova in the technology lab
- C3X concert grand in the piano studio
- U3 acoustic in Kreft practice rooms
- Two Clavinova digitals in Kreft practice rooms
- DGC1 Disklavier small player grand in voice faculty office
Solich was connected to CUAA by Linda Sproul, Director of Donor and Alumni Relations. Sproul spent 12 years selling pianos at special event sales—including loan programs—all across the country.
Linda says that Thomas Solich plays piano better than anyone else she knows despite being born completely blind, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing a performance degree from the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music.
“Solich was only 22 years old when he opened his first store, and I worked for him for the first year for free because I knew he was going to breathe life into the piano industry, and I wanted to be a part of it,” said Sproul. Readers can learn more about Solich Piano & Music Company here.
Concordia also has a great local partnership with piano dealer Jim King of King’s Keyboard House. King has been involved with Concordia’s music program for the past three decades and will continue to provide support with tuning, appraising, moving, and technical work.
“This loan program is a no-cost, no-risk that has so many great built-in benefits like recruiting high-quality music students, inviting guest artists or clinicians to campus, and creating opportunities for community engagement through concerts and the annual piano fundraising event,” said Sproul.
Aretha Franklin’s Yamaha pianos will remain at CUAA and continue to be a legendary part of the music program.
Related: ‘Queen of Soul’s’ preferred piano celebrated in CUAA Aretha Franklin birthday tribute concert
Questions about CUAA’s piano sale?
Contact Linda Sproul, CUAA’s director of donor and alumni relations, at Linda.Sproul@cuaa.edu.
— Rachel Thoms served on Concordia University's Strategic Communications team from 2015-2022. Any inquiries about this story can be sent to news@cuaa.edu.
If this story has inspired you, why not explore how you can help further Concordia's mission through giving.