Benefit Concert Honors Late Chandler Pianist
The Chandler School of Fine Arts (CFA) invites the public to a benefit concert on September 17 in honor of late Chandler pianist Tiffany Davis Brock, who succumbed to Cystic Fibrosis last December, days before her 35th birthday.
As Tiffany spent her final hours at Banner Good Samaritan, Pastor Mike Sproul promised her that CFA's home, the music wing of Tri-City Baptist Church (TBC) where she was the pianist, would be named after her. Tiffany joked that she wished the church would get a new piano to replace their aging grand.
Tiffany had touched many in the community with her music, cheerful attitude, and ready smile. Donations poured into her memorial fund and though the amount raised was nowhere near the $100,000 that would be needed to buy the memorial piano, her wish was still granted when a piano sent to ASU for the Bösendorfer and Schimmel USASU International Piano Competitions was sold to the church at cost for the exact amount in the fund.
Tiffany's wish of the piano fulfilled, TBC and the CFA now turn their attention to keeping Pastor Mike's promise. "Often things are named after people who donate money, but in this case we want to honor her memory," said David Stertzbach, CFA director and TBC music pastor. Stertzbach envisions walls emblazoned with Tiffany's favorite sayings, a permanent display area for pieces from local artists, as well as paintings and other decorative touches she would have liked. "We don't have the funds to turn the wing into a proper tribute to Tiffany, so we decided to do a benefit concert with the musicians that were closest to Tiffany."
As a collaborative pianist, Tiffany accompanied several local musicians who jumped at the opportunity to perform in a benefit concert in her honor, including Julie Malamut, a soprano from the VocalEase music studio. The Chandler Children's Choir (CCC) will sing a selection from The Secret Garden which was the centerpiece of Tiffany's Arizona State University (ASU) graduate recital. CCC Director Aimee Stewart will also be a featured soloist.
Also performing will be Dr. Andrew Campbell, Director of the Collaborative Piano Program at ASU, and Walter Cosand, Tiffany's piano teachers. Dr. Campbell recently returned from Europe where he performed several concerts.
Michael Bryson, Music Chairman at International Baptist College (IBC), remarked, "Though Tiffany knew her days were limited, she still wanted to live them to the fullest, and worked hard to finish her Master's degree a year and a half before she passed away." Tiffany taught piano and helped found the church music program at IBC.
The benefit concert will be held at CFA, located on TBC's campus in Chandler (2211 W Germann Rd on the SW side of Dobson and Germann) on Saturday, September 17 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door. Additional donations will also be accepted at that time. For more information, call 480-245-7900.