Bravo!

To the editor: Incredible! Extraordinary! How else can one describe the mission and accomplishments of the newly formed Hudson Valley Performing Arts Foundation? It is still hard to believe that every school in the Warwick Valley School District will be getting brand new state-of-the-art Steinway pianos - at absolutely no cost to the district. Some of the best music conservatories in the country would find this incredulous. But through the efforts of resident Dan Chester, who is an enthusiastic patron of the arts and tireless community volunteer, Warwick might very well be the first district in the nation to enjoy these remarkable gifts. The idea of inviting first-class pianists like Richard Kimball to concertize and work with Warwick’s students will no longer create that proverbial lump in one’s chest when an artist plays his or her first chord - not knowing what quality sound will emerge from a classless instrument. Kudos to Dan Chester and the Hudson Valley Performing Arts Foundation (www.hvpaf.org). I look forward to many quality productions at Warwick Valley High School - enhanced by its new Steinway piano. Russ Layne Warwick