St. Augustine Cathedral has had a lot of pianos — but never a new one.
Until now.
Parishioners are celebrating the first piano bought for the church, founded in 1863. They will unveil the 6-foot, 1-inch ebony K. Kawai grand piano at a classical piano concert Wednesday — a fundraising event that is open to the public.
Next Sunday, the public also is invited to a dedication celebration of the cathedral's $1.3 million Monsignor Arsenio Carrillo Placita and Hall.
The two events are the start of many expected at the cathedral since Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas declared the church's placita a public facility that welcomes community celebrations, said Tony Carrillo, head of the committee that raised more than $1 million for the construction of the placita. He is the brother of the placita's namesake.
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The concert, featuring Jesús María Figueroa and two of his students, is a fundraiser for the $9,800 still needed to pay off the piano's expense. It retails for $40,000 but was bought at a bargain price of $22,000, said Kyle Frank, music director for the cathedral choir.
"We are very excited and thrilled to have someone of his magnitude come perform here. The style of music he will be playing will just show this piano off," said Frank, who earned a bachelor's in music education from Ithaca College and has developed church choirs here for 40 years.
"The sound from this grand piano is special because the low tones are extremely accurate and distinct. The upper tones are brilliant and bright. It is a warm, loving sound," he said.
"The piano enhances our singing and is inviting to the congregation, making our celebrations more spiritual," said choir member Jesús Hernández.
Guitars were the instruments of the period when the cathedral was founded, and, as music evolved within the church, a used organ was installed in the cathedral in the mid-1940s.
The pipe organ — primarily a Kilgen with other components added through the decades — was installed in the choir loft. The console now sits near the grand piano at the north end of the church, which seats 1,100. The pipe organ has an estimated value of $100,000, said Bill Kuczek, music director for the cathedral's Spanish choir.
In the late '70s, a used Cable upright piano was brought in from the old All Saints Catholic School on South Sixth Avenue and was played until its retirement in 1986. The parish bought a used Kimball grand piano for $2,000 that same year, and the choir used it until April, when it was moved to the parish hall to make way for the new piano, Kuczek said.
The parish has rented pianos for special occasions over the last two decades because the piano in the cathedral was not in great shape. Groups performing concerts at the cathedral also have had to bring in their own pianos, including the University of Arizona School of Music, said Julieta González, the choir flutist.
A few days after Wednesday's concert, Monsignor Carrillo, pastor emeritus at the cathedral, will be among those concelebrating the noon Mass with the bishop; the Rev. Patrick Crino, rector of the cathedral; and other diocesan priests.
"The Mass is in thanksgiving for the placita, and the dedication celebration is a very special honor to my brother, who devoted 40 of his 53 years as a priest to the cathedral community," said Tony Carrillo.
On Tuesday, the 79-year-old retired monsignor will celebrate 53 years of ordination to the priesthood.
Monsignor Carrillo is a native Tucsonan who was one of seven children born to Guadalupe Sotomayor Carrillo and Federico Carrillo. Federico, who suffered from leukemia, supported the family by selling fruits and vegetables throughout Tucson's barrios with the help of his children.
The placita project honoring Carrillo is still $150,000 short of its goal, said Tony Carrillo: "It has taken three years of fundraising for this placita, and it will provide a celebration setting for art groups, quinceañeras, weddings and mariachi performances."
Construction crews began work last year by tearing up the old patio, which now has a stage that is a piece of public art. The steel bandshell-style stage is decorated with handcrafted metal flowers, vines, birds and butterflies painted in vibrant colors.
"This stage has state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, and the patio can accommodate up to 700 people," Tony Carrillo said. "We hope this placita will help stimulate further development Downtown — the heart of the city."
Two celebrations ahead
St. Augustine Cathedral invites the public to a classical piano concert and to the dedication of the Monsignor Arsenio Carrillo Placita and Hall.
CONCERT
• What: Jesús María Figueroa, who was the official pianist for Spanish flamenco dancer Pilar Rioja, in concert along with two students from the National Autonomous University of México.
• When: Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., with a 6 p.m. pre-concert wine-and-cheese reception in the parish hall featuring the Callisto Quartet.
• Where: St. Augustine Cathedral, 192 S. Stone Ave.
• Cost: $20 per person at the door. This is a fundraiser sponsored by the Kino Heritage Committee to help pay off the expense of the cathedral's new piano.
• Information: 349-5810
DEDICATION
• What: A Mass in thanksgiving and a dedication celebration of the new Monsignor Arsenio Carrillo Placita and Hall
• When: Next Sunday at noon. Mass is followed by the dedication in the new placita.
• Where: St. Augustine Cathedral
• Donations: The placita project committee needs to raise the final $150,000 for the $1.3 million project. Donations can be mailed to the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, 2250 E. Broadway, Tucson, AZ 85719 with a notation specifying it is for the placita project.
• Information: 760-4181