Former ABAC President Mike Vollmer thanks the Stafford family for their

Steinway contribution for Howard Auditorium. Pictured are (left

to right) Mary Jane Theden, DeNean Stafford, III, Vollmer, Mrs.

DeNean Stafford, Jr., and Sally Perez.

IMMEDIATE SEPTEMBER 15, 2004

STEINWAY DEDICATION CONCERT ON SEPTEMBER 21

Tifton—A dedication concert will be held on Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. in Howard Auditorium for the Steinway piano given to Abraham Baldwin College from the Stafford Foundation. The Stafford Family, through the Foundation, donated the Steinway piano in March of 2004 as an addition to Howard Auditorium’s renovation.

The Steinway given to the college is a 150^th Anniversary Edition nine-foot D, which is the preferred brand of concert pianists. Wayne Jones, Director of the Arts Connection said, “We are so grateful to the Stafford Foundation and family for their continuing support of the arts.”

The dedication concert will feature performers Stan Whitmire and Slavik Gabinsky, with a reception following. Speakers include Mary Jane Theden from the Stafford Family and Melvin Merrill, Director of Development at ABAC. There is no charge for this event.

The pieces to be played will be Scherzo #3 in C sharp minor and Ballade #1 in G minor by Chopin, Sonata K. 311 in D major; Movements 2 and 3 by Mozart, Prelude in C minor by Rachmaninoff, and Sonata #2 in D minor; Movement 2 by Prokofieff.

Gabinsky is 19 years old and has been playing the piano since age five. Over the past 10 years, he has won numerous state and national competitions. This year, he was one of six finalists for the National Music Teachers Association Steinway Young Artist Competition. He earned that opportunity by winning both the Georgia State and the Southern Regional competitions.

Gabinsky is currently a junior at Emory University, double-majoring in Political Science and Economics. A native of Russia, he immigrated to the United States in 1994 and is currently residing in Atlanta.

Whitmire is a Dove Award-nominated artist who has a variety of musical styles. He studied piano privately in the Atlanta area for 15 years, beginning at the age of four.

In 1986, Whitmire decided to devote all this energies to music. He served for five years as the keyboardist for the Dove Award-winning group, The Nelons. In 1997 he started working with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association as an accompanist and vocalist for the group Ekklesia.

Whitmire has recorded 13 solo piano projects, 12 of which have been releases and distributed internationally on the Nashville-based Spring Hill Music Group/Green Hill Productions and Howard Music Group/Village Square Music recording labels. These projects vary in genre from Broadway and the silver screen to hymns and old-time gospel.

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