The Daily Alaska empire., 1950-01-26
Concert Grand Piano for Juneau; Sehapiro Is Going
 To Play If. Coming North

Juneau's dream of having a fine concert grand piano is about to be realized.
 Moreover, the first person to play it will be the famed pianist who has been largely responsible for making the dream come true.
 The Juneau Concert Association soon will have a Model D concert grand (the largest size) which is virtually new as pianos go, and has had only concert use in the two years since it left the factory.
 Maxim Schapiro gave the real impetus to the Community Plano Fund when he gave a piano bene- fit concert october 28, adding more than s1,50o to the fund that one evening
 TALKS TO OFFICIALS
 Schapiro promised to talk to Baldwin Piano Company officials he knows, atout Juneau's need and the earnestness with which its music-loving public desires fine concert instrument.
 Carrying out his promise, Scha- piro told the Juneau story to the Baldwin Company President ana the Manager of the New York office. Of a number of pianos ht tried out, Schapiro decided that a tig one priced at $3,000 was ideal for Juneau's needs.
 Through Schapiros further gooo offices, the Baldwin people made unheard-of allowances so that a worthy instrument might be avail able at a price within reach. They reduced it to $2,500, and offered to gay half the transportation costs from New York to Seattle-an additional saving of $125. Schapiro wrote, They showed me the cata- logue price for such a piano when out of the factory-$6, TOOL"
 A bank draft is on the way for this real bargain in upper-bracket concert instruments. With it will come a new piano. guarantee.
 This was such an unbelievably good offer that we could not let it slip away" said Ernest Ehler, President of the Juneau Concert Association.
 "The piano fund had $500 For the rest, thanks to several publlc- spirited citizens co-signing the note, we have obtained a loan from the First National Bank, and the piano soon will te on the way
 Our own finest musical talent has offered to give benefit con- cert, and there is no question but that the piano itself will help earn the balance needed to repay the note Everyone-musicians bankers, private citizens-everyone is bend ing every effort toward having fine music in Juneau"
 As though the obtaining of the piano were not enough of a triumph, letter from Schapiro served to cap the climax"
 By a lucky circumstance" he wrote from New York, T am able to arrange my spring tour so l can return to Fairbanks for a concert in March :"
 SCHAPIRO HERE IN MARCH
 Quick negotiations followed, and the Concert Association has ob- tained assurance from Schapiro that he can come here in March to 'inaugurate" the new Juneau piano.
 In this regard, Schapiro wrote, How appropriatel rememoer that many people told me I should be the one to inaugurate and dedl- cate the new instrument, but would not then have thought I could return so soon. I hope all those who took part in our ex- citing evening will come again to hear the music I can get from this nohle piano. What joy it will be, after the miserable instruments.
 T do not doubt" Schapiro con- tinued, that we can make an- other gala event out of it-and possibly hit the jackpot again"
 In a personal note to Ehler, Schapiro recounted his conversa- tsons with Baldwin officials and