Uncovering stunning piece of Cleveland Institute of Music and Piano Cleveland history

You never quite know what might be found hidden among storage bins. Maybe it’s a stack of recycled papers that could’ve been recycled years ago, or maybe — just maybe — it’s a decades-old gold ring, intended to support a local competition.  

For Bonnie Houser Eggers, who served as Cleveland Institute of Music's digital services librarian, that concept became a reality as she uncovered a stunning piece of Cleveland Institute of Music and Piano Cleveland history.  

Houser Eggers served as an archivist for many years and was tasked with going through boxes stored at the Cleveland Institute of Music. As she opened the boxes and sorted through stacks of paper, Houser Eggers was surprised to find a small box stamped by Van Cleef & Arpels Inc.  

Inside was a velvety brown jewelry box. She unlatched the lid to reveal a shiny gold ring, featuring a bouquet of pearls and diamonds. Packed in alongside the jewelry box was a folded piece of paper, which Houser Eggers unfolded to find was a receipt from July 1981, addressed to the Cleveland Institute of Music, for the third International Piano Competition.  

Piano Cleveland CEO Marissa Moore said the Cleveland International Piano Competition began at the Cleveland Institute of Music. The competition’s concept originated in the early 1970s, as then Music Director of the Cleveland Institute of Music Grant Johannesen met with a mentor of his, concert pianist Gaby Casadesus.  

The meeting transformed into an idea — to create a competition for up-and-coming pianists. The concept was formed to memorialize Gaby Casadesus’ late husband, pianist and composer Robert Casadesus. The two brought the idea to Martha Joseph, the acting president of the conservatory, and to Odette Wurzburger, a law professor at Case Western and a patron of the arts and culture, which resulted in the first Robert Casadesus International Piano Competition, held in 1975.  

On the Van Cleef & Arpels Inc. receipt that Houser Eggers found, the receipt was made out to the attention of Wurzburger. According to Moore, Wurzburger had a long partnership with Van Cleef as a jeweler.  

Following Wurtzburger’s death, items from her estate were offered at auction by Gray’s Auctioneers in Cleveland and at Sotheby’s locations in New York and Paris; some of the pieces were from Van Cleef.  

Moore went through Piano Cleveland’s archives and found financial documentation from 1981 showing that the organization received a gift from Van Cleef. She said that it was valued at around $1,300 at the time.  

“In the financials, it says that it was an asset that was to be liquidated. Then six months later, it also shows up as an asset in the financials, saying that it’s being housed in the safe at the Cleveland Institute of Music,” Moore said. “My guess is that was the last time that anyone thought about it. Here we are, many years later, discovering this beautiful piece that has a fun history.”  

Now with the ring back in Piano Cleveland’s possession, Moore said the organization has to figure out what’s next.  

“I’m just so glad it’s been discovered,” Moore said. 

Piano Cleveland's Cleveland International Piano Competition comes to CIM 

Later this week, 13 young musicians will take the stage as they compete in the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists, hosted by Piano Cleveland.   

The semi-final round will invite three contestants from the Rising Star Division, ages 10 to 12, five from the Junior Division, ages 13 to 15, and five from the Senior Division, ages 16 to 18.  

Six finalists — three from the Junior Division and three from the Senior Division — will participate in a master class with Jean-Yves Thibaudet, as well as perform concerto movements with the Canton Symphony Orchestra.  

The semi-final and final rounds will take place July 24 through Aug. 1, with performances at the Cleveland Institute of Music.  

To learn more and purchase tickets, visit pianocleveland.org/cipc-for-young-artists-2026-2.