At any time of the year the piano stands out as an acoustic marvel, both aristocratic and homespun, the glory of concert-hall virtuosos, the delight of toddlers pummeling the family upright. But at Yuletide it is something else again. As Jeffrey Biegel demonstrates on this album of seasonal melodies old and new, the instrument proves itself an incomparable medium for conveying the merriment, magic and mystery embodied in our great and ancient winter holiday.

7 original works and 14 arrangements by 9 different arrangers make this an entertaining and varied collection of both familiar and obscure Christmas selections.

American Record Guide

“If you're in the market for another Christmas record this year, you can't go wrong with the one featuring pianist Jeffrey Biegel. His technical flair and consistent tastefulness shine throughout the disc.”

— Baltimore Sun 

“Concert-hall worthy, a classy addition to any round of holiday gatherings, and a warm and friendly companion to cozy up with in the bleak midwinter.” 

— San Francisco Sentinal 

“Overall, it's a marvelous album that will appeal especially to those who prefer to enjoy the music of the season without the glib commercialism that often gets attached to it. Indeed, the intelligence and artistry are such that you can savor it any time of year.”

                         — ClassicsToday.com

“Talented pianist Jeffrey Biegel makes a clear demonstration that the instrument is an incomparable medium for conveying the merriment, magic, and mystery of the season.”

 — ConcertoNet.com

“Biegel’s Steinway D makes music of joyful reverence. It’s hard not to fall in love with this wonderful album.”

 — Bay Area Reporter

Album Credits

A Steinway Christmas Album • STNS 30005

Release Date: 09/27/2011 
Recorded May 3 & 4, 2011 at the Concert Hall of the Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, State University of New York.
Produced and Engineered by Steven Epstein
Piano Technician: Ed Court
Piano: Steinway Model D
Executive Producers: Eric Feidner, Jon Feidner
Art Direction: Oberlander Group

About the Artist

In an age when many artists' fortunes begin with a meteoric ascent and quickly cool with the inexorable free-fall, pianist In an age when many artists' fortunes begin with a meteoric ascent and quickly cool with the inexorable free-fall, pianist Jeffrey Biegel has managed to buck that trend, fashioning a career of steady success studded with concerts at major venues with major orchestras, a Grammy winning recording, and more than 30 commissioned works by living composers. His life takes its roots from age three, barely able to hear nor speak, until corrected by surgery. The 'reverse Beethoven' phenomenon explains his lifelong commitment to music, having heard only vibrations in his formative years. 2025 brings the World Premiere of three new works for piano and orchestra: Adolphus Hailstork's "Concerto no. 3" with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Melissa Manchester's "AWAKE!" for Piano and Orchestra with the Endless Mountain Music Festival, and, James Lee III's "Concerto in A" with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. The 2024 recording of Jake Runestad's "Dreams of the Fallen" with True Concord Voices and Orchestra garnered a Best Choral Performance Grammy nomination, on the Reference Recordings label. June 2023-August 2027 features the Rhapsody National Initiative - the first 50-state project for a new work for soloist and orchestra, also the first 50-state project for a new work without composer fees required from orchestras. Peter Boyer's "Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue" has embraced the nation and boasts a recording with the London Symphony Orchestra on the Naxos label. In 2022, he premiered Jim Stephenson's 'Piano Concerto', Daniel Perttu's 'A Planets Odyssey' for piano and orchestra, Farhad Poupel's "The Legend of Bijan and Manijeh" for piano, orchestra and chorus, his own concerto, 'Three Reflections: Freedom (JFK), Justice (RBG) Equality (MLK)', and Christopher Marshall's 'Thanksgiving Variations on "We Gather Together"'. 2021 saw the world premieres of his "Reflection of Justice: An Ode to Ruth Bader Ginsburg" with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's "Remembering Ruth Bader Ginsburg" for mezzo-soprano, piano and orchestra in tribute to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves. Also, the world premiere of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's "Shadows" newly arranged for piano and seven players with the Idaho State Civic Symphony. The pandemic year 2020 focused on composing original "Waltzes of Hope", "Sonatina", and "Three Reflections: JFK, RBG and MLK" for solo piano, and for piano and orchestra, orchestrations by Harrison Sheckler. It was also a time for Mr. Biegel to raise the monetary funds to commission Mr. Boyer's new "Rhapsody".   

Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA, conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters upon Mr. Biegel in 2015, for his achievements in performance, recordings, chamber music, champion of new music, composer, arranger and educator. In 2019, Kenneth Fuchs's "Piano Concerto: 'Spiritualist'" with the London Symphony Orchestra led by JoAnn Falletta received a Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium, featuring Mr. Biegel as its soloist. In 2019, the first digital recordings were released on Mr. Biegel's Naturally Sharp label: "Cyberecital: An Historic Recording", "A Pianist's Journey", and the September 2021 release of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" 1924 version with the Adrian Symphony Orchestra, Bruce Kiesling conducting.

Chosen as the first pianist to record for the Steinway & Sons recording label, Mr. Biegel's Bach On a Steinway debuted at  #3 on the Classical Billboard charts, followed by A Steinway Christmas Album reaching the #1 spot on the Billboard chart. This was followed with a tribute to the Golden Age pianists for Steinway's release, A Grand Romance, featuring knuckle-busters performed by the great pianists of the early 20th century.

Mr. Biegel created the first largest consortium of orchestras in 1998 for Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's 'Millennium Fantasy' premiered with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 2000, followed with Charles Strouse's 'Concerto America' with the Boston Pops, Lowell Liebermann's 'Concerto no. 3' with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, William Bolcom's 'Prometheus' for piano, orchestra and chorus, with the Pacific Symphony and Pacific Chorale, Richard Danielpour's 'Mirrors' with the Pacific Symphony, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's 'Shadows' with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Jake Runestad's 'Dreams of the Fallen' with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Symphony Chorus of New Orleans, Lucas Richman's 'Piano Concerto: In Truth' with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, recorded with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and Kenneth Fuchs's "Piano Concerto: 'Spiritualist'" with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (MA). He also premiered and recorded Giovanni Allevi's 'Concerto for Piano and Orchestra' and commissioned Christopher Theofanidis's "Concerto no. 2 for Piano and Orchestra" with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, the "Peanuts Concerto" by Dick Tunney, based on music by Vince Guaraldi, Jimmy Webb's 'Nocturne for Piano and Orchestra' and, PDQ Bach's 'Concerto for Simply Grand Piano and Orchestra' by Peter Schickele with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Bringing new music to youth orchestras saw the world premiere of Daniel Dorff's 'Piano Concerto' with the Etowah Youth Orchestra, conducted by Michael Gagliardo.

He studied at The Juilliard School with Adele Marcus, herself a pupil of Josef Lhevinne and Artur Schnabel, and is currently on faculty at the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College.

About Steinway & Sons label

The STEINWAY & SONS music label produces exceptional albums of solo piano music across all genres. The label — a division of STEINWAY & SONS, maker of the world’s finest pianos — is a perfect vessel for producing the finest quality recordings by some of the most talented pianists in the world.