The Yamaha C5 grand piano was bought with assistance from the Ballarat South Rotary Club and its purchase celebrated with a performance by Ballarat pianist Jack Stacey.

“There was a piano in the gallery until heritage week and it was unfortunately too heavy for the fragile old floors and it got banished downstairs,” Ballarat Fine Art Gallery Women’s Association president Janet Low-McCulloch said.

“This left us without a piano for this beautiful gallery where there’s dozens of dozens of performances needing a piano.”

Before the purchase the gallery had been loaning a piano from piano tuner technician Phil Cockerill for its performances. 

“We fossicked around in our monies and decided we might be able to afford one so we rattled the boxes and Phil found us this very beautiful piano,” Mrs Low-McCulloch said.

“We (now) have a suitable piano to meet the ambiance of the beautiful gallery and this is a major contribution to the musical life of Ballarat.”

A piano of the calibre of the Yamaha C5 was key to attracting pianists to perform at the gallery, Mr Cockerill said. 

“It’s conservatorium quality, it’s very high class.

“We never know who’s going to play, it’s a simple as that, from year to year, they have different artists come in.

“If you don’t have a good piano they won’t play it, it’s their reputation on the line.”

Ballarat Fine Art Gallery Women’s Association presents 10 free concerts a year from February to November on the last Sunday of each month at 2.30pm.  

Free Sunday concerts have been performed at the gallery since 2001 and rely on the time donated by performers. 

Sunday’s artist, Stacey, is currently undertaking VET Music Performance. 

For more information about events and performances at the Art Gallery of Ballarat visit www.artgalleryofballarat.com.au.