Grand piano seen as incentive

Press, 13 May 1988, Page 6

Grand piano seen as incentive

Miss Derrell King at the keyboard of her Bechstein concert grand piano in the Herbert William King Music Room at her home.

Miss King, a music teacher and pianist, brought the piano to New Zealand to “offer the best to my students” and as an incentive for international musicians to play private concerts in the purpose-built music room when they were in Christchurch.

Miss King says the

piano, built three years ago by Bechstein in Germany, is the only one of its kind in New Zealand.

She bought it in London where it was stored after being used by the concert pianist, Jorge BoleL

Miss King hopes that Bolet will play the piano in Christchurch on his next visit here. In the meantime it will be used for her teaching. She is seeking pupils.

Central to her teaching, she says, is the coordination of body and mind. She has herself used the Alexander technique of body control to relax before playing. Miss King says the music room, named after her father, will be made available to other music teachers. She was reluctant to give the value of the piano in case of vandalism.