By Deborah L. Bauer
The Steinway Society of Central Florida annual Divas Gala will be hosted this year on Sunday, August 9 at the Orlando Museum of Art from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. This is the society’s biggest annual event and fundraiser. The theme for 2026 is “Diva and Dudes Shenanikeys Gala. The event is focused around the performance of three dueling pianists, “Shenanikeys” Carol J. Stein. Julian Bond, and Michael Mastroianni. The accomplished performers will present a diversity of styles in a vibrant evening of music from Broadway, jazz, movies, rock, and Disney showtunes.
Carol Stein, an international Steinway & Sons artist, was born in Miami, Florida where she began her piano studies at the age of four. Her travels as a musician and composer have spanned the globe from the Montreux Palace in Switzerland, the Oasis in Hong Kong and Walt Disney World in Orlando. At Disney, she was the house musician with the improv troupe at the Comedy Warehouse at Pleasure Island, the resident musician at the Rose and Crown Pub at the United Kingdom Pavilion and was the resident pianist at EPCOT. She heads the Carol Stein & Friends Jazz Band. She enjoys volunteering for charitable organizations such as the Steinway Society, Hadassah, The Jewish Pavilion, Jewish Family Services, Give Kids the World, and Kids Beating Cancer. Julian Bond, a native of England, has worked internationally as a composer, pianist, conductor and producer. He has won numerous awards for his playing and writing, including EMI’s “Make Music” award, the Guildhall’s Alexander Grotsz Prize for composition, and in 2004 was named one of the USA’s top 10 young film score composers by Turner Classic Movies. He has been pianist, director and clinician for various companies including the Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios and as featured conductor for the Orlando Ballet and Opera Orlando. Last, Michael Mastroianni is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, with a Bachelor’s Degree of Music in Contemporary Writing & Production. He is an accomplished orchestrator and conducted dozens of musical productions. He has been a pianist/keyboardist for the Walt Disney Company’s Broadway Concert Series, Candlelight Processional, Cool Kid Summer and Jollywood Nights, the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, the River Roost Lounge at Port Orleans Riverside hotel, and at EPCOT venues.
The gala will also celebrate the retirement of Steinway Society co-founder Gary Grimes. Grimes, owner of Steinway Piano Gallery in Altamonte Springs, announced his retirement after about 70 years in the piano industry. He will remain President of the Steinway Society. Kathy Grimes, co-owner of the Steinway Piano Gallery, and Cory Ponder will take over management of the Gallery. Grimes began studying piano at the age of five, and began teaching piano & accordion at Terre Haute Conservatory of Music at the age of 16. He formed the Gary Grimes Quartet, a 1950s rock band and performed through high school and college. After college, he joined the Wurlitzer Company as Manager-Music & Education, created the “Hobby Organ Course” included with organs sold nationally and rose through the company to be Vice President of Marketing. In 1976, he left that company to become Executive Vice President of Baldwin Piano. He began a decades-long friendship with Henry Steinway and served with him on the Executive Committee of the National Piano Manufacturing Association. In 1982, he purchased Lowrey Organ Company (Story & Clark Pianos), becoming president. Five years later he sold Lowrey to Kawai, moving to Florida and founding Piano Expo. Grimes moved to Florida in 1987, where he founded Piano Expo and later opened the Steinway Piano Gallery, at the encouragement of his friend, Henry Steinway. It became a major supplier of Steinway pianos in the area, including to schools, colleges, institutions and private individuals.
The Steinway Society was founded in 2006 as a 501(c)(3). Its mission is to stimulate and nourish the musical knowledge and artistic talents of underserved children and provide an opportunity for them to work toward a higher level of excellence in school work and their personal lives. The Society provides pianos and music lessons to under-served children. Lessons are provided in 10 weekly semesters in multiple locations throughout Central Florida. It has awarded over 350 pianos with a value of some $650,000, and annually offers 12,000 music lessons. The actions help to fulfill the society’s mission statement to encourage performance experience, audition preparation, and scholarship assistance to further study in classical and jazz piano. Additionally, the society provides musically talented students with an acoustic piano through the establishment of the Piano Bank three times each year. All monies generated through memberships, donations, and fundraisers like the Divas Gala are for the purpose of providing more lessons and pianos to young pianists. To learn more, please visit: https://www.steinwaysocietyorlando.com/
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