The Gift of a Grand Piano

The piano builds on Stein’s longstanding commitment to the arts at USF. In 2024, Michael Stein established the Michael J. Stein Presentation Theater Fund. It supports a multidisciplinary programmatic fund enriching student learning experiences, faculty and student arts productions, and related equipment for Presentation Theater. 

Music is central to Stein’s life. He remembers growing up as an only child in the 1960’s with a music room in the house, where music served as a connection to his spirituality and community. 

“Presentation Theater needed a spotlight on it to raise awareness of the space,” said Stein. “Music is such a harmonizer. It brings people together, and some of my best memories are around a piano. The Steinway grand piano illustrates the importance of theatre.” 

The renovated Presentation Theater has new seating, carpeting, rigging, technical gear, and wheelchair lifts. The Steinway grand piano adds dimension to the venue, which serves students across disciplines as a place to rehearse, perform, study, and gather.

“This gift is transformative for our arts spaces and the opportunities we can offer our students, said Joshua McDermott, director of Symposium. “A great piano wants to be played. It draws students to it and challenges them to grow beyond even their own expectations.”

For Stein, the gift is about more than the world-class instrument. He sees it as an investment in students — giving them the opportunity to develop their voice and express themselves through the arts. 

“The piano has been a gift to USF, but it’s also been a gift to me,” said Stein. “We’re just getting started. We’re going to bring in students, virtuosos, and people who can really play. It’s going to be a joy for the campus.” 

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