[Gallagher's] biography lists not only numerous performances and prizes but also two organizations he has founded to promote salon concerts and educate young pianists. He is evidently something of a dynamo, and the fact that his program was intelligent, innovative, and ambitious should come as no surprise.

 

In 2005, pianist Kimball Gallagher, having just graduated from The Juilliard School, made history with his entrepreneurial savvy. He purchased his first grand piano for $25,000 by dividing the cost of the piano by 88 and asking for donations on a key-by-key basis. He produced a large poster of a piano keyboard, which donors could sign for the keys they wanted to buy. Those who bought two keys purchased a "trill," 5 keys a Major Third, and 8 keys - a perfect fifth. 12 keys earned membership into the Glissando club, 24 keys and donors were inducted into the Crescendo Club. With two fundraising concerts, including one at Faust Harrison Pianos in New York City, where he purchased the piano, Gallagher raised $20,000.  An additional $5000 was received shortly thereafter. On two separate occasions, Gallagher was gifted with $1000 from donors within 30 minutes of meeting them.  There were a total of 54 donors who contributed to this project.  Together, they comprise the 88 Key Society.

Gallagher's unique fundraising strategy, coupled with his sharp sense of salesmanship,  has since earned him accolades and recognition from colleagues, patrons, and peers.  Following this success, Gallagher founded PIANOKEY, a grass-roots organization which seeks to inspire interaction between artists and audiences through the revival of the romantic salon culture.  Piano Key now develops and produces performances in intimate concerts in private homes throughout the country. The organization is poised to continually add new homes to its list of venues and new artists to its roster. Within a few short years, the Piano Key organization has built a network of over two dozen homes throughout NY, TX, MA, CA, WI, OH and RI. Approximately half of those homes are newly-founded venues, where concerts did not previously take place.

In 2009, Gallagher embarked upon the 88-Home Concert Tour, a subsequent spin-off of his first fundraising initiative, where he is setting up an 88 home concert Tour throughout North America over the course of the next two years.

Read more about Kimball Gallagher.