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As a Russian pianist Monday christened a Steinway piano in the Clayton Center for the Arts recital hall, and the music rang out with flawless clarity, a group of Blount County music lovers celebrated their successful project to outfit the center with instruments worthy of the world's finest performers.

Alexander Ghindin performed Sunday as a part of Knoxville's Evelyn Miller Young Pianist Series and agreed to attend the Steinway celebration at Maryville College, said series Executive Director Sandra Murphy.

In 1994, Ghindin became the youngest winner ever of the prestigious International Tchaikovsky Competition. He was 17 years old.

“We're excited the first person to perform was a world-renowned pianist,” said Jane Tolhurst, who helped organize the Grand Players Society that raised money to purchase two Steinway pianos. Tolhurst said she hopes it's a taste of the caliber of performances to follow.

After Jane and Fred Tolhurst learned there wasn't enough money in the Clayton Center for the Arts construction budget to purchase Steinway concert grand pianos, they launched an effort to acquire adequate funding for the instruments.

The Tolhursts later organized a group, the Grand Players Society, whose members were able to meet their $210,000 fundraising goal in about two months. The Grand Players Society has also raised enough money to establish a Steinway maintenance fund.

The Tolhursts wanted to especially thank U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander and Hickory Construction for their generous contributions. Alexander donated enough money to purchase one Steinway piano, and Hickory Construction donated $50,000 to the project, they said.