Wilfred and Joan Larson

A legacy that is music to our ears

Wilfred (Will) and Joan Larson were high school sweethearts who met in Brooklyn, New York, and married in 1949. The couple started a family and moved around as they advanced in their careers, landing in Buffalo in the early 1980s when Will got a job with Bristol-Myers, where he worked until he retired.

The Larsons were active members of the community, and Will served on many nonprofit boards, including the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Upon retirement, the couple moved to Naples, Florida, and spent their summers in Leland, Michigan, but Buffalo always remained near and dear to their hearts.

When it came time to plan their charitable legacy, Will and Joan wanted to be able to continue to support performing arts, conservation and education in the three communities they called home. To maximize their generosity, they worked with their attorney to transition their private foundation to the community foundations in all three regions that were important to them, including the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.

“From Will and Joan’s perspective, this made the most sense. They could make grants while they were alive and support the areas they cared about after their passing, forever,” explained the Larsons’ close family friend and attorney, who was asked by Will and Joan to make grant decisions in their names after their lifetimes. Their attorney appreciates that the Community Foundation handles the administrative burden so clients can focus on their giving.

Now that both Will and Joan have passed, their fund at the Community Foundation supports nonprofits and causes that were meaningful to them such as cultural organizations, access to educational opportunities and the environment. “Will and Joan always felt an obligation to help every community that they were a part of,” noted their attorney.

One of the ways the Community Foundation is carrying out the Larsons’ legacy passing is through a brand new Steinway Model D concert grand piano for Western New Yorkers to enjoy during BPO performances.

The new Steinway Model D Concert Grand is an exciting update for the BPO and Kleinhans Music Hall, whose previous Model D was played for many decades. Starting in the 2024-25 concert season and for decades to come, this piano will not only give BPO audiences opportunities to experience its pristine sound, but will also attract renowned international pianists to Buffalo to perform on the world-class instrument.

Every piano, even among identical models, has its own unique qualities. To select the Model D best suited for the BPO’s sound and the acoustics of Kleinhans Music Hall, a group of BPO affiliates led by Music Director JoAnn Falletta and President/Executive Director Daniel Hart visited the Steinway factory in Queens, NY. Eric Huebner, pianist of the New York Philharmonic and Chair of the University at Buffalo’s Department of Music, tested the various pianos presented by Steinway to help choose the right one.

Huebner shares, “I was thrilled when my friend, Dan Hart, asked me to assist in selecting a new Steinway at the factory in Queens. I’ve been to Steinway’s selection room on a few different occasions, and I can say without question that the new Model D we selected is among the best I’ve played. It has warmth and projection, and will have no trouble going toe to toe with the great Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. I can’t wait to hear it in concert.”

Falletta adds, “The sound, depth, and luster of our new Steinway will greatly enhance our musical offerings in Kleinhans. We chose this beautiful instrument for its strength, its evenness of registers, and its gorgeous tone, and I believe our audience will be very impressed with its debut in the Gershwin Concerto in F, performed by the amazing pianist Joyce Yang.”

Betsy Constantine, President/CEO of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, said, “The care with which this beautiful gift was selected is so fitting when you think about honoring the legacy of Will and Joan Larson, who kept Buffalo in their hearts even after they moved away. This gift will pay dividends to Western New York for generations to come, and through their fund at the Community Foundation, the Larsons will continue sharing their love of music with our region forever.”