A Steinway concert grand piano, donated to Indian Hill Music by gallery owner Paul Matisse, was moved on March 30 from Groton’s famed Kalliroscope Gallery on Main Street to crown the Meadow Hall stage at the new home of Indian Hill Music: Groton Hill Music Center on Old Ayer Road. The move marks the conclusion of Indian Hill’s longstanding and prestigious chamber music series hosted by Matisse at the Main Street gallery since 1986, and heralds a new home for all genres of live music in the region when Indian Hill Music officially becomes Groton Hill Music Center and opens in September, 2022.
In 1991, several years after Matisse and Indian Hill Music partnered to host Indian Hill Music chamber concerts in his gallery, he and then-Indian Hill Executive Director Harry Chalmiers consulted with renowned pianists David Deveau, Randall Hodgkinson, and Victor Rosenbaum to select the perfect Steinway – a 9-foot Model D concert grand – for Matisse’s 100-seat, acoustically perfect performance space in the sanctuary of the former Old Baptist Church at 264 Main Street.
“For 36 years, our organization has been gifted with the opportunity to present outstanding chamber music at Paul’s gallery, and essentially, his home,” said Lisa Fiorentino, CEO of Indian Hill Music. “What a treat it has been to be able to bring some of the region’s most exceptional classical musicians to that special space and to welcome audiences from Groton and beyond to enjoy such a unique experience. We are grateful to Paul for his steadfast generosity, and for allowing us to showcase the beautiful Steinway in our new home as we bring many more extraordinary music experiences to Groton.”
“Hosting these concerts and hearing so many wonderful musicians play this piano has been a great joy,” said Matisse. “I look forward to hearing the instrument in its new home in Meadow Hall at Groton Hill Music.”
The Kalliroscope Gallery Chamber Music Series presented award-winning chamber ensembles and soloists in this unique space, beloved by audiences for decades. Prominent guest artists who have graced the Kalliroscope stage include former BSO concertmaster Malcolm Lowe, Borromeo String Quartet, Boston Chamber Music Society, The Boston Trio, Brentano Quartet, Music from Marlboro, and Triple Helix; pianists David Deveau, Anton Nell, Victor Rosenbaum, and Sergey Schepkin; violinists Robyn Bollinger and Irina Muresanu; and flutist Jacques Zoon, among countless others.
Upon the September 2022 opening of Groton Hill Music Center, the 300-seat Meadow Hall will be home to a diverse range of intimate concerts featuring high-caliber artists from jazz and chamber music to global roots and folk styles.