http://www.steinway.com/news/ Latest news at Steinway.com Steinway Copyright 2013 2013-06-13T14:16:35+00:00 http://www.steinway.com/news/articles/boris-giltburg-wins-queen-elisabeth-international-music-competition/ http://www.steinway.com/news/articles/boris-giltburg-wins-queen-elisabeth-international-music-competition/#When:11:48:21Z Copyright: Chris Gloag Boris Giltburg emerged as the highly acclaimed winner of the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition 2013 in Brussels on June 1, 2013. At the end of an excellent final round, in which many outstanding performances by the twelve finalists were heard, he eventually received the Prix de la Reine Fabiola. The other prize winners were Rémi Geniet (2nd), Mateusz Borowiak (3rd), Stanislav Khristenko (4th), Zhang Zuo (5th) and Andrew Tyson (6th). The six unranked laureates are Tatiana Chernichka, David Fung, Roope Gröndahl, Sean Kennard, Sangyoung Kim and  Yuntian Liu.   Steinway & Sons congratulates all finalists. To watch the recorded performances, visit www.cmireb.be. 2013-06-12T11:48:21+00:00 http://www.steinway.com/news/articles/national-treasures-judy-collins-and-the-steinways-she-has-loved/ http://www.steinway.com/news/articles/national-treasures-judy-collins-and-the-steinways-she-has-loved/#When:12:20:24Z Judy Collins, one of the most beloved musical artists of the 20th century, is sitting at the piano in her Upper West Side apartment in New York City, where she has lived for more than 43 years. The piano is a Steinway, an ebony Model M grand, and she’s owned it since 1964. “I’ve written nearly every song I’ve ever recorded on this piano,” she says. “I play it every day. I played it this morning. And it still sounds good, doesn’t it? Listen.” She tickles her fingers across the keys, and, like a bolt of lightning, the extraordinary energy of two legendary American icons—Judy Collins and Steinway & Sons—comes together. Yes, Ms. Collins. It sounds good. The Classical Connection Though Judy Collins is best known for her enormous contribution to the American folk genre, she began her musical career as a student of classical piano, studying under the famed conductor Antonia Brico, the first woman to conduct a symphony orchestra. At age 13, Collins debuted in Denver as part of a duet performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 10, and it was not until years later—to the chagrin of Brico—that Collins added the guitar to her quiver and began her notable career as a lyricist and folk artist. “When I was a kid I practiced classical piano all the time,” she remembers. “The practicing kept me out of the chaos that was sometimes around me. I practiced every day then, and I still do today. In fact, if I don’t practice every day, I don’t feel right. It’s like something chemical is off.” She laughs, remembering a funny moment: “I asked my mother once if she ever had to force me to practice piano, and she said no. But she said she did have to force me to wash my hands.” Collins has always revered Steinway & Sons pianos. As a young girl in Denver, she practiced in a nearby Steinway showroom and in Brico’s studio, a wondrous place filled with Steinway pianos and art depicting great classical artists. The love Collins has for Steinway runs deep, and she remembers that the first thing she did after moving to New York City in the early 1960s was buy her own Steinway, the same Model M she still has today. The piano has had its own storied life. It, like all Steinway & Sons pianos, was made at the original factory in Queens, but soon departed for a stint at a private residence in Boston before coming back to its native city and finding a permanent home with Collins. She tells a harrowing story of the time she left her apartment for a weekend performance. When a housekeeper entered on Monday, she discovered a massive water leak in the apartment. “There was steam all through the house,” Collins says. “There was water everywhere. It was running down the lid of the piano. It was a horrible thing to see.” She examined the Steinway’s ruined paint and waterlogged rim. The famed tuner and tone regulator William Hupfer, who toured with Rachmaninoff for 13 years, came to inspect. “It’s wrecked,” Collins told him, heartbroken. “Take it away.” “It’s not wrecked,” Hupfer said. He had the Steinway transported to the factory in Astoria, where it was painstakingly restored, down to the last drop of paint. Today, Collins says, you’d never know it had been damaged. She has owned and loved three Steinway pianos in her lifetime, though now she’s down to two: her favored “axe” the Model M, and a vintage 1928 grand that has also been meticulously restored. “I don’t play that one as much,” she admits. “But it’s such a presence here.” At one time she had three Steinways in the apartment. “Hard to believe,” she says, laughing. “But yes, I suppose I did.” From Both Sides Now Many times, journalists have written that Collins “turned away from classical” to begin her folk career, an assertion she refutes. “I never turned away,” she says. “Classical music has always been the foundation of my career.” Her cat, a blue Persian named Rachmaninoff, may be one testament to this. “I suppose if anything I’ve combined both types of music,” she says, adding that the daily classical piano practice always provided her with the rigor and discipline she needed to commit to an energetic songwriting career. “It’s not true that I turned from piano to pick up guitar. I played—and I still play—folk songs on the piano.” (Watch this 1987 performance of “Both Sides Now” as just one example.) Judy Collins might come at her craft from the proverbial both sides—folk and classical—but she has a simple, singular reverence in her heart for her first love: the grand piano. “I go all over the world, meet many people, see different places, play different songs,” she says. “But I’m always, always near a piano.” Can’t Miss:  Watch Judy Collins perform “In the Twilight,” a tribute to her late mother, on WNYC Radio’s Spinning On Air program earlier this year. About Judy Collins Judy Collins musical career has spanned more than 50 years. At 13, she made her public debut performing Mozart’s Concerto for Two Pianos, but it was the music of such artists as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, as well as the traditional songs of the folk revival, that sparked Judy’s love of lyrics, and she soon moved toward folk music. Her rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” on her 1967 album Wildflowers has been entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Judy’s version of “Send in the Clowns,” a ballad written by Stephen Sondheim for the Broadway musical “A Little Night Music,” won Song of the Year at the 1975 Grammy Awards. In addition to her own large catalog of recordings, Collins has been instrumental in bringing other singer-songwriters to a wider audience including poet/musician Leonard Cohen and musicians Joni Mitchell and Randy Newman. She is an author, film director, music producer, and social activist. Now in her seventies, she is still writing, performing, and nurturing fresh talent. She plays 80 to100 dates a year around the country. www.judycollins.com 2013-06-07T12:20:24+00:00 http://www.steinway.com/news/articles/the-van-cliburn-at-50/ http://www.steinway.com/news/articles/the-van-cliburn-at-50/#When:12:01:21Z As seen in the Issue One 2013 edition of the Steinway Owners' Magazine. Photography: Van Cliburn Foundation, Inc After Van Cliburn defied the odds and made history at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958, the founding of a new contest in his native Texas seemed an obvious way to keep the legacy of that moment alive. In 1962 the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was held for the first time, in Fort Worth. Over the years its top prize has been scooped by such artists as Radu Lupu, Steven De Groote, Alexei Sultanov and Olga Kern. The Cliburn’s half-century anniversary competition begins on 24 May 2013, with prizes to be announced on 9 June. And these days the event is much more than a piano contest. High-profile competitions such as this can become focal points for the entire community within which they take place. Fort Worth is blessed with some superb facilities, but lacks the cultural advantages of New York or San Francisco – so the Cliburn has become a hub of activity at every level. It is a source of local pride, a draw for those eager to offer sponsorship and hospitality and, above all, a feast of great music making for its audience. Photography: Van Cliburn Foundation, Inc The competition has grown to encompasses an extensive education project, offering after-school piano lessons to local children and a programme entitled Musical Awakenings to introduce classical music to young audiences, presenting live piano recitals for second, third and fourth grade pupils. It has also introduced an Amateur Piano Competition, established in 1999, aiming to show the joys of music as part of everyday life, as well as to uncover some amazing talent in the more unlikely echelons of non-musical professions. The Cliburn uses Steinway pianos exclusively and has had a special relationship with the firm for some years. Jenn Gordon, Manager of Concert and Artist Activities at Steinway & Sons in New York, explains how it works. “We try to ensure that all of the competition’s piano needs are met, so the competitors who come for this prestigious event are sure to have wonderful, concert prepped instruments ready for them to play,” she says. “We want to see that every competitor can do their job with the right equipment and the greatest ease – it’s hard enough to take part in a competition without having to worry about the piano! Altre Media “Steinway provides all technical services: we have technicians on staff who are tuning the pianos regularly, voicing them and working with the competitors on a daily basis to ensure that the piano is just right for them when they’re performing.” The pianos experience a good deal of wear and tear during such an intense competition. “Having a technician there at all times is essential, to make sure that the instruments are constantly ready to be performed on and to handle the load they go through,” says Gordon. “We send instruments from our Concert and Artist inventory in New York and we have a local dealer in Dallas that’s providing Steinways direct as well. So we’re serving all their needs.” 2013-05-24T12:01:21+00:00 http://www.steinway.com/news/articles/the-steinway-chronicle-institutional-news-from-steinway-sons-spring-2013/ http://www.steinway.com/news/articles/the-steinway-chronicle-institutional-news-from-steinway-sons-spring-2013/#When:16:54:33Z The Steinway Chronicle presents Institutional news from Steinway & Sons. This publication includes in-depth articles with compelling photographs covering Steinway's Institutional customers. If you haven't read the hard copy of the newsletter, read the online version available at the link below. Download the Spring 2013 Edition (PDF 1MB) 2013-05-21T16:54:33+00:00 http://www.steinway.com/news/articles/steinway-owners-magazine-tradition-meets-innovation/ http://www.steinway.com/news/articles/steinway-owners-magazine-tradition-meets-innovation/#When:11:46:18Z As seen in the Issue One 2013 edition of the Steinway Owners' Magazine. Nostalgia at 1911 Brasserie in the Imperial Hotel, New Delhi, with its latest addition, a Steinway Model S-155 Steinway dealers around the world are expert at communicating the unique attributes of a Steinway piano, whether it’s to an opulent establishment looking to maintain its traditional grandeur or a forward-thinking school seeking to engage a new group of young musicians. Francesca Twinn talks to two dealers who’ve recently covered both ends of the spectrum Christmas at the Imperial Hotel in New Delhi has always been celebrated with gusto, but last Christmas there was something extra special under the tree: a beautiful mahogany Hamburg Steinway Model S-155 baby grand piano. The piano was bought through Steinway dealer BX Furtado & Sons of Mumbai, whose manager, Oliver Peters, oversaw the sale. “The Imperial is one of the heritage hotels in the heart of India’s capital,” says Peters. “This hotel also boasts one of only two wooden-floored ballrooms in Delhi, the other being the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President’s house). Since years gone by they have always had a grand piano in the lobby. This was the first hotel with an artist playing live music every evening.” The Steinway Model S, dating from the 1930s, is the perfect fit for the period feel of Nostalgia at 1911 Brasserie The Model S was bought for the hotel’s brasserie Nostalgia at 1911, which, according to General Manager Vijay Wanchoo, “promises classic evenings for couples, with live music and European cuisine flambéed at the table”. The sale of this piano began a year-and-a-half back, when the Imperial’s purchase director Sanjay Verghese was asked to buy a grand piano by the hotel’s owners. But it wasn’t plain sailing. “He had a tough time in selecting a good piano with a limited budget,” recalls Peters. “He asked for quotations from Steinway and two other brands and after going through the quotations he realised the price of a Steinway far exceeded his budget.” Peters spoke to Verghese and explained to him the Steinway philosophy. “After the discussion he understood what Steinway is about: build the best piano possible, simply the best. The high level of traditional craftsmanship, painstaking attention to detail and premium grade materials used to build every piano in Hamburg impressed him.” Verghese went back to the owners and explained the Steinway philosophy to them, after which they quickly agreed to increase the budget. “The very next day,” says Peters, “Sanjay Verghese confirmed the order with us.” The Imperial is the first Indian hotel in recent years to buy a brand new Steinway. The baby grand, at 155cm long, was first introduced in the ’30s, and that alone makes it the perfect choice for the Imperial, which was built in 1931. Upon delivery, the owners’ decision to extend the budget was seen to be a wise one. “It’s purely a masterpiece,” says Wanchoo, “which has been acquired for an extraordinary and international live music experience for enthusiasts. The whole idea is to engage the audience with soulful music while they enjoy a romantic evening at Nostalgia. “Dealing with Furtados has been wonderful and we at the Imperial take pride in what they have contributed to music in this country. They have been extremely professional but with a personal touch; they believe in handholding the client till the last mile.” Celebrations have also been taking place at Daynes Music of Midvale, Utah, following the marking of its 150th anniversary in 2012. Fourth generation owner Skip Daynes recounts some of the facts and achievements of his family’s business. The forward-thinking Skip Daynes, current owner of Daynes Music, which has been in business for 150 years and started selling Steinway pianos 140 years ago “Our store started in 1862. My great-grandfather was the founder and his son was appointed the first Tabernacle organist at age 14 and helped install the organ. He was the organist for thirty-three years.” It was less than a decade later that the longstanding relationship with Steinway & Sons began. “We were appointed a Steinway dealer in 1873. [Co-author of The Official Guide to Steinway Pianos] David Kirkland’s research states that we are the oldest Steinway dealer west of New York State.” Daynes Music’s longevity can be put down to a forward-thinking attitude that has passed down the generations. “Our company slogan for many years was ‘Everything in Music’. We pioneered radio, TV, stereo, and shipped music all around the world. Nowadays our industry is very specialised,” continues Daynes, who is enthusiastic about the firm evolving as the “new old-school” – embracing technology being key to its continued success. Daynes has found great success with PNOScan, a method of turning a piano into a digital keyboard. “We have taken this product to the highest level. Daynes is working with international piano competitions, music authors, teachers and cool kids to promote the ability to plug your computer into an acoustic piano and use new programmes that promote Steinway piano sales. “We have added PNOScan to almost every piano we have sold in the last two years. The word is getting out! Now young teens are bringing in their iPads to plug them into a Steinway.” Daynes gives praise to his Vice President, Kerwin Ipsen, for pioneering this exciting development. New computer software PNOScan, demonstrated by 150-year-old Steinway dealership Daynes Music of Utah It’s not just youngsters who are being won over by the new technology. Daynes tells the story about a couple, Ian and Anette, who came in looking for a used Steinway. “We had a very nice B in the warehouse, with carved legs and sides, made in the 1940s. It had one small crack in the soundboard, with the dark mahogany needing refinishing, action parts and strings. Anette called it a ‘funky’ piano. “Money was no object but Ian said she couldn’t have it! Too big, needed work etc. The next day I talked him into seeing PNOScan. We pulled up ‘Home Concert Extreme’ and a keyboard appeared on the bottom of the laptop screen showing him in red where to put his finger. The orchestra played until he found the next red marked key. ‘We need this on our Steinway,” he said. Anette looked confused. ‘You know,’ he went on, ‘the one in the warehouse... the funky one.’ A SOUND INVESTMENT A Steinway & Sons piano isn’t just a beautiful instrument, it is also a shrewd investment. Steinways normally sell on for 85 per cent of the price of a new piano. And because they can last for over 100 years if properly cared for, you could find yourself making your money back in time. That’s why it made sense for the Imperial Hotel, New Delhi, to find the extra budget to buy its new Steinway Model S. It helps to have a bank that understands the value of art and beauty, such as Swiss private bank Lombard Odier, which manages investments for private and institutional clients and pays particular interest to their long- term ambitions and hopes, from owning an outstanding musical instrument to sponsoring music at the highest level. With the right planning and advice, that new Steinway need not be a pipe dream. “We refinished, rebuilt and delivered it to them in their beautiful home. It is a treasure for Ian and a centerpiece for Anette.” Daynes, who helped launch the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition in 1976 by donating a Steinway piano worth over $50,000 to the winner, is proof that longevity comes from embracing the new, and he is passionate about nurturing young pianists. His latest venture is UPlay, a collaboration with the University of Utah and music software developer ePiano, which takes the form of an online piano lab for elementary schoolchildren. UPlay offers kids who would not normally have the privilege of access to a piano a chance to learn the instrument online. “Our store is now 150 years old and I am 74. If we do not join our world, we will be left behind,” he says. And then with characteristic determination he proclaims, “We will not be left behind!” 2013-05-10T11:46:18+00:00 http://www.steinway.com/news/press-releases/steinway-sons-record-label-releases-a-grand-romance/ http://www.steinway.com/news/press-releases/steinway-sons-record-label-releases-a-grand-romance/#When:13:34:24Z The latest Steinway & Sons release evokes a golden era of the piano virtuoso—a sonic splendor with impeccable musicianship from Steinway Artist Jeffrey Biegel LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (May 7, 2013) – Steinway & Sons Record Label releases pianist Jeffrey Biegel’s new album A Grand Romance on May 7, 2013. This recording celebrates the intimacy of the relationship between pianist and public, from the early romantic blush of the 1830s through the 20th century, with a sampling of miniatures proper to recital hall, salon or parlor: diminutive études and atmospheric morceaux caractéristiques, novelty items and technical dazzlers. A Grand Romance features musical miniatures penned by accomplished keyboardists and composers such as Moszkowski, Schütt, Bortkiewicz, Paderewski, and Rubinstein, among many others. These works wooed Western audiences into a new era of fiery emotive expression and Jeffrey Biegel takes on these transformative works with seemingly effortless bravura.   Moritz Moszkowski’s Caprice espagnol, Étincelles, and La Jongleuse are presented here, in all of their pictorial glory. Étincelles, or “Sparks,” is a work of perpetual motion, an unbroken swirl of combustibility that nods to its own title. Henselt’s “Si oiseau j’étais, à toi je volerais” revels in a breezy flutter, and his Petit Valse No. 1, written 15 years later is a paradigm of simply elegant salon music. Schulz-Evler’s intricate embellishments on Johann Strauss’s By the Beautiful Danube offer players a chance to dazzle and delight in the luxuriant melodies and luscious sounds. This album paints across the 19th and early 20th centuries and Biegel provides a Josef Lhévinne style salon performance. He plucks these works carefully and offers them as gifts, perfectly wrapped for our enjoyment. Jeffrey Biegel’s recent recordings include the 2011 bestselling A Steinway Christmas Album as well as the debut Steinway & Sons label release, Bach On A Steinway. He has also recorded Leroy Anderson’s Concerto in C, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Millennium Fantasy and Peanuts Gallery, and a solo Vivaldi disc for Naxos. His recording of the complete piano sonatas of Mozart was released by E1. In 2010, he performed world premieres of Richard Danielpour’s Mirrors for Piano and Orchestra, and William Bolcom’s Prometheus for Piano, Orchestra and Chorus. He has premiered new works and arrangements with the Boston Pops, New York Pops, the American Symphony Orchestra, the Eastern Music Festival Orchestra, as well as the symphony orchestras of Minnesota, Indianapolis, and Harrisburg, among others. Mr. Biegel is currently on the piano faculty at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. 2013-05-07T13:34:24+00:00 http://www.steinway.com/news/articles/the-steinway-action-a-record-of-its-history-and-lesson-on-design/ http://www.steinway.com/news/articles/the-steinway-action-a-record-of-its-history-and-lesson-on-design/#When:19:27:53Z One Day in 1932 Josef Hofmann, who had already spoken of the Steinway piano's 'extraordinary perfection of action,' came to Steinway Hall and said, 'It isn't quick enough: can't you make it still more sensitive, still more responsive? – “Commentary on the New Steinway Accelerated Action.” Presto-Times, Nov. – Dec. 1934 Commentary on the New Steinway Accelerated Action. Preso-Times Nov.-Dec.1934 Read the Full Article (1 MB) Hofmann's challenge was the impetus to Steinway becoming the most responsive and sensitive of any piano made. Frederick Vietor, grandnephew to C. F. Theodore Steinway, fulfilled Hofmann’s request by creating the Steinway Accelerated Action®; enhancing the Steinway action to respond to the touch instead of being forced into action. Today, the Accelerated Action is found on all American-made Steinway pianos. Laboratory tests have proven that the keys on a Steinway piano can repeat 13% more quickly than any other piano. The same features that allow for this faster repeat also provide a much more sensitive, responsive keyboard, an aspect that can be appreciated even by beginning pianists. The Design Elements of the Accelerated Action "Original illustration from the patent of Oct. 13, 1931. Figure 2 represents a detail view of the balance rail bearing." Read the Full Article (5.6 MB) 1) Balanced Rail Bearing The balance rail bearing, as you can see in the illustration taken from the 1931 patent, is a rounded felt-covered piece of maple, which serves as the fulcrum on which the key pivots. Only Steinway incorporates a rounded surface; other brands have flat rail bearings. Why is a Rounded Surface Important? Scenario 1: Imagine a long plank balanced on a flat piano bench. It's easy to place the plank so that it balances. The plank can be moved slightly one way or the other without either end touching the ground. If you place your hand on one end and press very lightly, the plank might bend a little but the other end will not move. As you gradually press harder, the other end of the plank will eventually move, but only after you have applied considerable pressure. Scenario 2: Now imagine the same situation but with a round surface on top of the flat bench. In this case the plank moves easily (friction free), and it is somewhat difficult to balance; once balanced, pressure on either end will cause the opposite end to move. This principle underlies every Steinway action. The benefit is that the Steinway keys move friction free on the rounded balance rails making for the most responsive action possible. "Original illustration from the patent of Oct. 13, 1931." Read the Full Article (5.6 MB)  2) Weighted Keys The second distinguishing factor in the touch is the weighting of the keys: Larger weights are placed closer to the balance rail bearing, causing the keys to return faster. So why doesn't every piano manufacturer incorporate these features? In one word: Time. Every key found on Steinway pianos is individually weighed off - a remarkably time consuming process. Because the Steinway action has a much more sensitive fulcrum than actions of other pianos, all other action-related regulation is also more sensitive. The sensitive fulcrum of a Steinway action increases the complexity of all parts of the action. Steinway, of course, is happy to put in the extra work, especially when the result is the most responsive piano action in the world. As the founding credo states "Build the best piano possible." 2013-05-06T19:27:53+00:00 http://www.steinway.com/news/articles/steinway-owners-magazine-troubled-waters/ http://www.steinway.com/news/articles/steinway-owners-magazine-troubled-waters/#When:12:47:25Z As seen in the Issue One 2013 edition of the Steinway Owners' Magazine. Pianos and water don’t mix. Or they shouldn’t. When they do come together, the effects can be disastrous. Inge Kjemtrup assesses the damage and finds out how you can protect your piano from the demon damp Last October, Hurricane Sandy left a huge swath of devastation across the Caribbean and on America’s Eastern Seaboard. Houses were torn apart, trees ripped from their roots, streets flooded and parts of the New York subway were submerged in water. One memorable image of Manhattan showed almost all of the lower part of the island in darkness due to electrical outage. The loss of lives and property (the initial estimate for the US alone was $65.6 billion) from this storm is still being evaluated. Split legs can be replaced Bill Youse, Director, Technical Services and Special Projects for Steinway & Sons New York, witnessed some of the effects that a sudden influx of water has on pianos. “We have repaired several Steinways that were damaged by Sandy,” he says. “Most received minor damage and we replaced legs, pedals and pedal lyres. They had been in just a few inches of water and were removed very quickly so the damage was minimal. Two or three will need complete restoration and one was beyond repair.” The circumstance that made that particular piano irreparable was pretty extreme. “The customer explained that the piano had been ‘hit by a boat that had crashed into and floated through his living room,’” says Youse. David R Kirkland, Customer Service Administrator for Steinway & Sons New York, cites natural disasters such as Sandy, plumbing mishaps, leaking roofs and fire sprinkler systems as the leading causes of water damage. “Water damage can also occur when water is used by fire-fighters to extinguish a fire,” he adds. “There is also humidity damage, which can occur when a piano is exposed to tropical levels of humidity in excess of 75 per cent RH [relative humidity].” Corrosion of the strings may be cosmetic and easily removed but if it’s severe there is a danger that the strings could break Whether a piano can be restored after water damage depends on a number of factors, as Youse explains. “How much water, what type of water (fresh or salt) and where the water came from (above, below, steam or high humidity) can be sometimes just as important has long exposure to water.” Stabilization is the name of the game. “The effects can take a while to manifest,” says David Widdicombe, Technical Services Manager, Steinway & Sons London. “We generally want the piano to dry naturally and be stabilized, and then we take a decision about what to do. It’s important for pianos to dry out slowly.” Kirkland suggests a drying period of three to six months before an assessment can be made. Once water gets into the piano it can compromise many components, including metal parts, felt bushings and, most serious of all, the soundboard “We have to preserve our reputation for quality, so we can’t take shortcuts,” says Widdicombe of the Steinway repairs process. This means that even a piano with a few damaged hammers might have to have all its hammers replaced. Happily, with a fine piano like a Steinway, even a seemingly expensive repair may balance out against replacement value. Once stabilized, a piano must be closely inspected, ideally at the piano workshop rather than in situ, and it will be scrutinized from top to bottom. “The way the keyboard fits to the keybed has to be fairly precise,” Widdicombe says, “and the keybed needs to be flat and not warped.” A compromised keyboard can be replaced, but keybed damage can contribute to a piano being beyond repair. A warped keybed or soundboard can lead to a piano being beyond repair “Mould and mildew can affect all of the wooden parts and can attack the felt on the hammers, changing their texture and thus the tonal qualities of the piano,” says Youse. “It could change the feel by attacking felt bushings throughout the action and pedal assemblies. Some of the chemicals to treat mould and mildew can cause damage of their own, so the best treatment is usually replacement of the affected parts.” Minor rust is a cosmetic issue and can often be removed but, says Widdicombe, “bad corrosion can cause breaking strings. If strings are rusty as the result of water dripping, we advise replacement. The condition of the soundboard in this respect is also important.” Severe corrosion to strings and other metal parts Pianos with modern polyester finishes are generally more water resistant, which is helpful against smaller-scale damage like drips from ceilings. But on grand pianos, the finish is almost irrelevant, as the hinge that opens the music stand is not watertight. “We have a piano where that happened – enough water on top of the piano got through and damaged the action,” says Widdicombe. “Funnily enough, the finish was not damaged. It was satin and could be fixed.” HUMIDITY AND YOUR PIANO Recommendations from Steinway & Sons 1. Buy a hygrometer for the room where your piano is located. You can buy a decent hygrometer for $30 to $40 at wine shops, hardware stores and technical equipment stores. This will give you an indication of the amount of moisture in the air. 2. Monitor the hygrometer to determine the highs and lows of humidity for your particular piano environment. According to established, institutional guidelines for piano maintenance, a humidity fluctuation range in excess of 30 points on the relative humidity (RH) scale is excessive for the piano. The result would be tuning instability, possible cracking of the soundboard, eventually loose tuning pins and sluggish or loose pivot points in the keys or action of the piano. Forty-five to 50 per cent RH is the optimum range for Steinway pianos. 3. Steinway & Sons recommends the use of climate control measures or a room humidifier as necessary during dry seasons. Whatever measures are used, the essential principle is to maintain as narrow a range of humidity fluctuation as possible and to safeguard the piano from sudden or drastic extremes of humidity fluctuation. 4. Treatment of mould or mildew requires professional attention, possibly restoration or replacement of parts, and relocation of the piano to a more suitable environment. Steinway piano owners can only do so much to protect against extreme environmental events like Hurricane Sandy, but they can safeguard against humidity fluctuations through the regular use of a hygrometer to monitor relative humidity (see box). If needed, a humidifier or a dehumidifier or air conditioner can be added to control the overall environment in the piano room. Widdicombe advises buying a room humidifier that has an outlet that goes to the outside rather than a built-in reservoir. He cites the case of a client whose dehumidifier was working just fine to keep the room stable – until he went away on holiday and the reservoir filled up and the dehumidifier stopped working. Youse has a final warning for any rock stars contemplating pushing their piano into the pool. “We restore pianos from all over the world, so I see many different types of damage from many different types of environmental situations and I have seen many pianos that were beyond recovery,” he says. “Many people may not know this, but when a piano is submerged to the point where it floats (yes, pianos do float, albeit for a very short period of time) they flip over on their tops. Once you see that, the piano is pretty much unsalvageable.” 2013-04-26T12:47:25+00:00 http://www.21cmediagroup.com/mediacenter/newsitem.php?i=1179 http://www.21cmediagroup.com/mediacenter/newsitem.php?i=1179 2013-04-22T19:09:31+00:00 http://www.steinway.com/news/press-releases/steinway-featured-in-live-webcast-of-american-pianists-association-competition/ http://www.steinway.com/news/press-releases/steinway-featured-in-live-webcast-of-american-pianists-association-competition/#When:18:41:25Z 
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (April 17, 2013) – This weekend, Steinway & Sons is proud to join music lovers around the world in watching live webcasts of The Gala Finals of the American Pianists Association (APA)’s yearlong competition, the 2013 ProLiance Energy Classical Fellowship Awards. The gripping final two “Discovery Week” concerts will be held on April 19 and 20 with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra at the Hilbert Circle Theater in downtown Indianapolis, IN, and webcast live at www.americanpianists.org/media/live. After concerto performances on Steinway & Sons grand pianos by the five finalists (Sean Chen, Sara Daneshpour, Claire Huangci, Andrew Staupe, and Eric Zuber) with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Gerard Schwarz, the APA will name the 2013 Christel DeHaan Classical Fellow, which is one of the piano world’s most substantial prizes, valued at more than $100,000. As part of the Fellowship award, the winner will issue a solo recording on the Steinway & Sons record label for distribution by ArkivMusic. Former U.S. Secretary of State and noted amateur pianist Condoleezza Rice is the Honorary Chair of the APA’s Classical Fellowship Awards, and she will welcome the Finalists and the audience via video each evening. The schedule for streaming webcasts of the American Pianists Association’s Gala Finals is as follows: Friday, April 19, 2013, 8pm EDT Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra/Gerard Schwarz Sara Daneshpour – Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor Claire Huangci – Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major Eric Zuber – Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Saturday, April 20, 2013, 8pm EDT Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra/Gerard Schwarz Sean Chen – Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major Andrew Staupe – Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor Naming of winner: 2013 Christel DeHaan Classical Fellow of the American Pianists Association All performances will be broadcast live at www.americanpianists.org/media/live. They will also be available for on-demand viewing for a limited period following the competition. “This is absolutely a can’t-miss event for any classical music lover and any admirer of Steinway & Sons pianos,” said Ron Losby, President, Steinway & Sons – Americas. “With the live webcast, we have the opportunity to see and hear live performances of some of the greatest young classical pianists in the world as they compete for one of music’s most revered fellowships. The competition will be fierce. It promises to be very exciting.” About the American Pianists Association Fellowship Recognized by the New York Times for offering “profound early-career assistance” to world-class American classical and jazz pianists, the American Pianists Association has been showcasing the five Finalists for its Classical Fellowship Awards throughout the 2012-13 season. The APA’s Fellowship offers one of the piano world’s most substantial prizes, valued at more than $100,000 – including a $50,000 cash award and two years of career assistance and performances. Performance opportunities during the Fellowship period involve solo recitals, as well as appearances with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and the symphony orchestras of Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Santa Fe, and Tucson. Previous winners have been presented at the Kennedy Center, Phillips Collection, Dame Myra Hess Series, and Chopin Foundation of America, as well as various recital series nationwide and on tours overseas. For more information, visit www.americanpianists.org or watch www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcbd-a0Auck&feature=youtu.be 2013-04-17T18:41:25+00:00