Gene and Iva Saraceni, the parents of Elyse Saraceni, a Seton Hill College (SHC) student killed in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21, 1988, are donating five top-of-the line Steinway pianos to the new performing arts center. “She had won a semester scholarship–based on academic record, recommendations and audition tape–to the Royal Academy of Music in London through an exchange program with Regent’s College. She was en route home at the time of the bombing,” stated Gene.
By Stephanie Isacco
Staff Writer
Gene and Iva Saraceni, the parents of Elyse Saraceni, a Seton Hill College (SHC) student killed in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21, 1988, are donating five top-of-the line Steinway pianos to the new performing arts center. “She had won a semester scholarship–based on academic record, recommendations and audition tape–to the Royal Academy of Music in London through an exchange program with Regent’s College. She was en route home at the time of the bombing,” stated Gene.
Iva Saraceni was an assistant professor of theater at SHC from 1983 till 2002, and Dr. Gene ‘Doc’ Saraceni also served 26 years as an assistant professor of theater. Both are also retired, past recipients of the Greensburg Area Cultural Council’s “Artist of the Year” award and have contributed greatly to the music and theater programs at Seton Hill University (SHU).
Since the time of their daughter’s death, the Saraceni’s have wanted to pay tribute to Lisi, as Elyse was called. The Saraceni’s wanted to donate a piano because Lisi was passionate about music, especially piano. “We had called her in England and she told us about the wonderful practice rooms she used at the Royal Academy, rooms decorated with Oriental rugs and Steinway pianos,” said Gene.
“In September of this year, when we heard Dr. Curt Scheib discuss the all-Steinway goal for the SHU Music Department with Christine Mueseler, SHU Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Marketing, we decided to help them move closer to their target and achieve ours in the process,” said Gene. Instead of donating just one piano, the Saraceni family is generously donating five.
The all-Steinway goal is a lofty one that will put SHU on par with only about 100 other institutions. Because Steinways are the number one choice of musicians worldwide, it will potentially show prospective students that SHU is serious about providing the best for its students and will be a great addition to the new facility, Seton Hill University Performing Arts Center. The Saraceni’s are donating two concert pianos and three practice pianos, which brings Seton Hill to a total of 19 Steinways, and just short of the all-Steinway goal.
Recently, the Saraceni’s and Dr. Curt Scheib, the Chair of the Division of the Visual and Performing Arts traveled to New York to personally test the new pianos. The Saraceni’s believe this particular donation will be beneficial to the SHU community because, “We felt that a gift of music, of Steinways for instructional use, will inspire current and future students and be a perfect way to remember Lisi and her buoyant, creative spirit,” said Gene.
Dr. Curt Scheib also expressed that SHU’s music students will benefit from the Saraceni’s generous donation. “These wonderful instruments then will allow [Elyse’s] spirit and her voice to speak to Seton Hill students for many years to come. This generous gift also brings Seton Hill much closer to reaching our goal of becoming and All Steinway School…a designation that says to students and their parents that Seton Hill is committed to providing the finest instruments to allow students to reach their full potential,” said Scheib.
The present and future students of SHU’s music and theater programs will greatly benefit from the generosity of the Saraceni family. Their strength and benevolence should serve as an example for all.