В Вермонте состоится концерт на отреставрированном фортепиано первой леди Грейс Кूलидж

Vermont historic site to spotlight First Lady Grace Coolidge's newly-restored piano The instrument that sat in the White House in the 1920s will be the centerpiece of a concert at the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site in Vermont A special concert in September will spotlight a piece of White House history that now calls Vermont home. A 1923 Baldwin Model K grand piano that once belonged to First Lady Grace Coolidge will be the centerpiece of the event. "Bringing the piano back is important to us because we want to be able to provide those auditory experiences to our guests—not just something that you see and touch, but also that you can hear and enjoy," said Rejoice Scherry, the regional administrator for the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site in Plymouth. Scherry said Baldwin gave the piano as a gift to the first lady when she and President Calvin Coolidge were new to the White House. Then, the company launched an advertising campaign boasting that one of its instruments was in the White House, Scherry added. The piano is now at the Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site and just underwent a lengthy restoration process. Scherry said Patrick Branstetter of Old Timey Piano Craft in Brattleboro rebuilt the historic piano's soundboard and mechanical features but kept its historic body and character. "All the original ivory keys are still there," Scherry noted. "What Mrs. Coolidge would have touched is what our musicians today are going to touch." Scherry said Grace Coolidge was known as a music lover who regularly attended symphony performances and other concerts. The historian told NBC5 News that Coolidge befriended musicians who gave White House performances for the first lady and her friends. That list of musicians included composer and pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff. "They were quite close," Scherry said of Coolidge and Rachmaninoff. "She went to every single one of his performances that she could, and then ultimately, he played at the White House three times. They had a very deep respect for each other." A philanthropist paid for the restoration work with private funds. Now that the work is complete, a free concert will celebrate the results. It will happen Sept. 12 at 2 p.m. at the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site in Plymouth. In addition to music from pianist Abigail Charbeneau, the event will also feature a history presentation and a violin performance of a song composed by Calvin Coolidge's vice president, Charles Dawes. "It's another way of communicating American history for our audience," Scherry said of incorporating an auditory experience into a visit to the historic site. Visit this state website for more information on Vermont's State Historic Sites.