“Imagine waking up tomorrow and there’s no music — none on the radio, in movies or television, nowhere. What kind of life would that be?”
This is the question Faina Lushtak, the Downman Chair in the Performing Arts and Head of Piano in the Newcomb Department of Music, has returned to time and again throughout her career at Tulane. Most notably, she asked it in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when floodwaters stagnated in Dixon Hall and weeks of heat, humidity, mold, and no electricity followed. The building suffered significant damage and most of the department’s pianos were destroyed beyond repair.
Determined to restore music to Tulane’s campus, Lushtak, a noted Steinway Artist, traveled to Steinway & Sons in New York to purchase 21 new pianos. Her efforts led Tulane to become an official All-Steinway School.
Now, after two decades of concerts, competitions, recitals, and rehearsals, it was time to replace one of the cherished post-Katrina instruments: a concert grand piano. This May, Lushtak returned to the Steinway & Sons factory, where pianos have been handcrafted since 1870. There, she was presented with six different Model Ds — nine-foot-long pianos designed to fill concert halls with rich, resonant sound.
“It was one of the most stressful things I’ve done,” Lushtak admits. “Pianos are like people; they have different voices and personalities, and they age differently.”
In August, the result of her careful selection arrived at Dixon Hall. The new concert grand was assembled on stage, and a technician spent three days meticulously adjusting the instrument to ensure it sounded its best in the thousand-seat theater.
Lushtak will debut the new Steinway Model D at the opening performance of the Concert Piano Series on October 8, 2025, in Dixon Hall. The series is another testament to Lushtak’s lasting impact at Tulane and within the New Orleans classical music community. Since the series inception more than 30 years ago, she has worked tirelessly to bring top pianists from around the world to the university. Over the decades, the Concert Piano Series has hosted internationally acclaimed artists such as Sergei Babayan, Vladimir Viardo, Ian Hobson, Alexander Korsantia, Angela Cheng, and Seho Young.
After being named the Downman Chair in 1997, Lushtak expanded her efforts, making the Concert Piano Series completely free for both students and the community. She also established the Keyboard Festival, which features two days of recitals and master classes led by prominent pianists each spring.
She is profoundly grateful for the generosity of the Downman family, whose support not only sustains the series but also made the purchase of the new piano possible — providing a world-class instrument for world-class performers and the world-class education Tulane strives to offer.
“It’s culture, enrichment… it’s a voice,” Lushtak reflects. “With this new piano, I hope I’ve given the department a wonderful new voice for decades to come.”
