Seton Hill University’s Division of Visual and Performing Arts will host “An Evening of Music and Memories,” in celebration of the life of Elyse Jeanne Saraceni, on Thursday, March 25, 2010, at the Performing Arts Center, which is located at 100 Harrison Avenue, Greensburg, Pa. A reception will be held at 6 p.m. and the performance will begin at 7 p.m. The cost is $40 per person and reservations are due by March 15. Seating is limited. Proceeds from the event will benefit Seton Hill’s Steinway Piano Fund. For more information, call 724-830-1027.

Seton Hill University President JoAnne Boyle and Gene and Iva Saraceni, of Greensburg, Pa., invite the community to this performance which will feature faculty pianists and talented Seton Hill University students. Scheduled faculty performers include Kathleen Campbell, associate professor of music, Marvin Huls, associate professor of music, Edward Kuhn, music instructor, and Curt Scheib, chair of the Division of Visual and Performing Arts.

Elyse “Lisi” Saraceni, from an early age, had a great passion for art and music and was a serious student of both.

“By her senior year in high school, Lisi was an accomplished pianist and had grown proficient on several instruments and in music composition. When it came time to apply to college, she had trouble deciding whether to major in art or music. Lisi chose Seton Hill because she enjoyed the flexibility of taking coursework in both areas of study,” said Gene Saraceni.

Elyse’s composition skills were honed when she studied at the Royal Academy of Music through an exchange program with Regent’s College. She won a scholarship based on academic merit, recommendations and an audition. In fact, her experience and the encouragement she received at the Royal Academy of Music led Elyse to shift her focus from piano performance to composition.

“Lisi told us about the wonderful practice rooms she used at the Royal Academy, rooms with Oriental rugs and Steinways. The sound of the Steinway thrilled and inspired her,” said Gene Saraceni.

A financial commitment made in memory of Elyse by the Saracenis, who are retired Seton Hill University theatre professors, enabled Seton Hill to announce formally the University’s intent to become an All-Steinway School in December 2009. With this commitment, Seton Hill University purchased two concert pianos and three practice pianos.

“The Saraceni gift has inspired others to support Seton Hill’s efforts to achieve All-Steinway status,” said Christine Mueseler, vice president for Institutional Advancement and Marketing. “To date, the total number of Steinways on the University’s campus is 29. Seton Hill has reached 94 percent of its goal toward achieving the prestigious All-Steinway designation.”

“We felt that a gift of music, of Steinways for instructional use, will inspire other students and be a perfect way to remember Lisi and her buoyant spirit,” said Gene Saraceni.

The All-Steinway School designation is awarded to institutions that use Steinway & Sons concert and practice pianos. Seton Hill University is one of only 100 conservatories, universities, colleges and schools across the world considered All-Steinway Schools. Steinway & Sons instruments are the pianos of choice for professional musicians worldwide.

Elyse Jeanne Saraceni was killed in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, on December 21, 1988. Elyse was in the middle of her junior year at Seton Hill at the time of her death.

Venue Information: Most of Seton Hill’s Music Program performances are held in the Carol Ann Reichgut Concert Hall in Seton Hill’s new Performing Arts Center, 100 Harrison Avenue, Greensburg, Pa. The Performing Arts Center is a disabled accessible and climate-controlled facility. Parking is free in four nearby Greensburg parking areas: the Bell Parking Garage on North Otterman Street (across the street from the Performing Arts Center), the Hellman-Ghrist lot on North Main Street, the Albert Grillo lot on Seton Hill Drive, and the Wib Albright lot off West Otterman Street.

Since its founding, the study of music has been an integral part of the Seton Hill experience. The Music Program at Seton Hill University seeks to educate musicians who will think and act critically, creatively and ethically, and who are prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities for careers in music in the twenty-first century. For more information on the Music Program at Seton Hill please visit www.setonhill.edu, or call 724-552-2900.