Miss Berry has a lifelong passion for music that was sparked by her parents. Her mother was a well-known BBC radio pianist, known as Auntie Ida, while her father was a composer and piano teacher who taught performers who went on to appear at the Proms.
To commemorate the profound influence music has had on her life, earlier this year Miss Berry donated to the Department of Music at Nottingham to help inspire the next generation of musicians. The generous donation was used to buy a state-of-the-art Steinway Spirio piano; the only one of its kind at a UK university.
“To have the piano here is wonderful,” said Miss Berry. “It means so much to me that this has happened, and I’ve been able to commemorate my parents, who were very special people.”
Catherine Hocking, Head of Music at Lakeside Arts added: “It’s such a generous gift, but one that is so meaningful. As a musician, Gillian understood the need of our students to have access to musical equipment of the highest calibre. It makes such a difference to students, in terms of them reaching their potential.”
To celebrate the gift to the university, renowned Nottingham pianist Martin Roscoe played the piano for Miss Berry. He was even able to play some of the her parent's compositions.