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Homestake Opera House Celebrates Goal of New Grand Piano with Showcase Concert LEAD, SD.  A very special Christmas gift was given to the Historic Homestake Opera House (HHOH) this year. Fundraising efforts spanning two years were achieved this December to purchase a new grand piano, and the long-awaited instrument was finally ordered on Christmas 2015. The installation of the new Yamaha CX Series 7-foot grand piano will occur the first week of January 2016 on the theater stage of the 101-year-old building, which was built in 1914 by the Homestake Mining Company. The theater was designated a National Landmark of American Music in 1974 by the National Music Council, South Dakota Federation of Music Clubs Bicentennial Committee, and ExxonMobil. A kickoff donation in 2014 in the amount of $2,500 was given in the form of a Quality of Life Initiative grant awarded by the Black Hills Area Community Foundation to help fund the new Yamaha grand piano. ?We are proud of our relationship with the Homestake Opera House and this project, says Liz Hamburg, executive director of the Black Hills Area Community Foundation. The Homestake Opera House adds greatly to the cultural landscape of our region. Working with donor Matt Batchelder of Batchelder's Plummer Piano of Rapid City, SD, the HHOH organization began planning for the instrument to become an addition to the theater. Soon, more donors began supporting the project, such as the family of the late Black Hills musician Ricky Jacobsen; the Lead High School Class of 1964, and John Senden, Wells Fargo of Spearfish, SD. It has been a pleasure for all of us at Batchelder's to work with the Homestake Opera House on this project," says Batchelder. "I?m very excited to have another one of our fine performance instruments out in the community, especially a place as iconic as the Homestake Opera House. I'm looking forward to seeing all the new opportunities an instrument of this caliber will create for them. Rapid City resident and entrepreneur Don Perdue attended the 2014 Black Hills Cowboy Christmas Concert held at the HHOH and was inspired to enhance the theater's offerings. Perdue and his son Richard Perdue pledged $24,000 in 2015 as a matching donor if the remainder of the match could be met. Meeting the challenge match this year was Deb Rawlins, Lead, SD; Jack and Vianne Kucera, Phoenix, AZ; and Bill and Marjorie Stork, Lead, SD. Dozens of other generous individuals from the Northern Hills helped to reach the goal to purchase the Yamaha conservatory grand piano, which was ordered last week as a Christmas gift to the historic theater. "Both the piano installation and this showcase concert are milestones," says HHOH executive director Sarah Carlson. "This landmark theater and its growing audiences deserve a proper instrument, and we're so thankful to have reached this point with the help of so many. It's truly a gift lasting well into the theater's next century." In celebration of the installation of the Yamaha grand piano, an afternoon showcase concert of accomplished and professional pianists will take place on Saturday, January 16, 2016 at 2:00 pm at the Historic Homestake Opera House at 313 W. Main Street, Lead, SD. Performers include Mila Belakova, Rapid City, SD; Pierce Emata, Las Vegas, NV; Matthew Mayer, Omaha, NE; Paul Vande Velde, Lead, SD; and Black Hills State University music professor Dr. Symeon Waseen, Spearfish, SD; among others. Admission for the afternoon concert is $20 for adults, $15 HHOH members, $10 students (high school or college ID) and $5 kids (13 and younger.) Tickets are available by calling the HHOH office at 605-584-2067, or in person at the office in the back of the building on Julius Street 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday-Friday; or at the door on event night. The ticket booth opens one hour prior to showtime. Seating is first come, first served, with the exception of honored guests for this special event. Free parking is available as off-street and lot parking within 2 blocks of the theater. The building is wheelchair accessible. For more information or how to get involved, contact the HHOH office at 605-584-2067 or visit www.HomestakeOperaHouse.org. The HHOH is a non-profit organization dedicated to returning the building to productive use for the enrichment of the community and to provide educational and cultural opportunities for generations to come. Support for the HHOH is provided in part by the Adams-Mastrovich Family Foundation, Mary Adams Mastrovich. The HHOH is an equal opportunity provider and employer.