With enrollment at an all-time high and a recent $1 million investment in instrument upgrades — including the addition of 12 new Steinway & Sons pianos — there’s never been a better time to study music at West Valley College.
WVC students have been learning and performing on the same pianos found in concert halls and recording studios worldwide since 1998. That’s when West Valley became the first community college in the western U.S. to achieve All-Steinway School status, equipping every music classroom and practice room with the industry standard instrument.
The initial purchase 27 years ago included five grand and 14 upright pianos. Times — and technology — have changed, however, spurring a commitment to a five-year instrument replacement program that aligns with our accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Music.
The new additions include a 9-foot Model D concert grand, two 7-foot Model B grands, one 7-foot Model B Spirio grand, and eight upright pianos. Considered the world’s finest high-resolution player piano, the Spirio will provide a unique educational and performance tool for our campus, said WVC Performing Arts Chair Lou De La Rosa.
“Through HDMI connection and live simulcast, we will be able to link with a live performance anywhere in the world and the pianist’s touch and nuance will be produced in real time on our Spirio piano,” De La Rosa said.
More music and technology upgrades lie ahead.
Opportunities abound in the ever-expanding music industry, De La Rosa said.
“To meet those opportunities, the college’s upgraded Digital Music Center (DMC) will open in January 2026 in the new Wang and Qu Family Learning Resource Commons, featuring 29 student workstations each with a digital audio workstation.”
Students in West Valley’s Commercial Music programs, he added, will alternate lessons between the DMC and a new state-of-the-art music recording studio featuring a 48-channel, 10-foot-wide professional digital mixing console.
WVC music programs serve 60 majors and an estimated 200 students each semester in our ensembles such as symphonic orchestra, jazz combo, and chamber singers.
“We have long admired West Valley College and their commitment to ensuring the very best instruments for their students,” said Matthew Felver of Steinway & Sons. “With their recent selection of multiple new Steinways – including a state-of-the-art Spirio | r piano – at our New York factory, they are continuing ≈their commitment to ensuring the best pianos and technology for their students.”