LATROBE, Pa. — The personal pianos of Fred and Joanne Rogers will be featured together publicly for the first time in a duo concert during “Sounds of the Neighborhood” at Saint Vincent College.
The event, performed by pianists Gloria Cook and Cynthia Lawing, is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3, from 7:30-8:30 p.m., inside the Fred M. Rogers Center in Latrobe.
Admission is free but requires preregistration.
The pianos, Fred Rogers’ Steinway and Joanne Rogers’ Bechstein, were gifted to the Rogers Institute after Fred Rogers’ passing in 2003 and his wife’s passing in 2021. This concert marks the first time these instruments have been moved from the Institute’s office, providing a rare opportunity for the community to experience them.
The program will open with “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” an arrangement by Daniel Crozier, Fred Rogers’ nephew, which features classics from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Following this, Cook and Lawing will perform a selection of classical piano works.
Emma Swift Lee, executive director of the Rogers Institute, expressed enthusiasm for the event.
“We are thrilled to share these beautiful pianos with our community,” Lee said. “Fred and Joanne were both gifted and passionate musicians and to see their personal instruments brought to life by Cook and Lawing is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Steinway, the larger of the two pianos, was purchased for Fred Rogers in 1936 by his grandmother, Nancy McFeely, from the Steinway & Sons store in downtown Pittsburgh. Both pianos were initially in the Rogers’ home in Pittsburgh, where the couple would perform duets.
A Bechstein piano was acquired by the couple during a trip to Berlin, Germany, in 1972. In a letter to a friend, Fred Rogers described the experience of choosing the piano at the Bechstein factory.
“I don’t know when I’ve had such a good time,” Fred Rogers wrote. “It was like helping to fashion one’s own piano. We worked on each of the 88 notes. The whole thing is a beauty. It’s even beautiful to look at. Joanne says it’s best for impressionistic music and the Steinway across the room is better for more bombastic things. We’re very lucky to have them.”
Free parking for the concert is available in Lot A, adjacent to the Rogers Center. While the event is not specifically designed for children, families are welcome. Semi-formal attire is appreciated.
The McFeely-Rogers Foundation provided the support that makes this event free to attend.
If you’re interested in registering for the free event, click here.
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