A Gift that is Music to Everyone’s Ears

The Great Room has become a more viable performance space thanks to Elaine and Joe Healey, who have donated a Steinway Grand Piano to Friends. This multipurpose space, which seats up to 70, has a wide range of uses from the performing arts to guest lectures. Head of School Bo Lauder comments, “Since the Great Room was created it has been our dream to have a Steinway Grand Piano. We are deeply grateful that Joe and Elaine continue to think of Friends.”

Joe has always been a great supporter of the School. During his 15-year tenure as a Friends parent, he co-chaired the Light the Future Campaign, which raised $55.2M, an amount unprecedented in the School’s history. This campaign created 83,000 square feet of new and improved program space, which includes the Great Room.

Over the last century the piano has crossed many miles. Manufactured in New York City in 1923, it was shipped to its first owner in San Francisco. In the 1960s Elaine’s parents purchased it for their home in Chicago, where Elaine played it throughout her childhood. In 2012, Elaine and Joe shipped it back to New York, where it was restored to mint condition. Joe explains, “We have downsized and are spending less time in New York and wanted to find a home where it would be enjoyed. Our first thought was Friends.”

When asked to reflect on Morgan '18 and Joey’s '20 education at Friends, Joe shared, “They had a wonderful education that prepared them well for Brown and beyond.”