The Horowitz piano was built in the early 1940’s. It was in Maestro Horowitz’s home for many years and then was used for his public concerts (in the US and abroad) and for recordings. At the time of his death, Maestro Horowitz was planning a return to Europe and Russia, and was planning to have the piano transported to these cities.

The piano is a standard Steinway concert grand, scrupulously maintained for Horowitz’s use. Because Steinway pianos are not mass produced, each one has a distinct and unique personality. Horowitz chose one that would best suit his remarkable technique which called for an extremely fast and responsive action, with tremendous uplift (enabling the keys to stay right under his fingers).

The piano has been used in performance and recording by a few other musicians after Horowitz’s death, notably Rudolf Firkusny, Horacio Gutierrez, Alicia de Larrocha, Murray Perahia and Alexei Sultanov.

 

In January 1991 the piano embarked on a two-year tour of the United States to visit more than seventy-five cities. A display of Horowitz photographs and memorabilia will accompany the piano on the nationwide tour.

This piano, a Steinway Model D, nine-foot ebony concert grand, was Horowitz’s touring instrument until the time of his death in 1989. Horowitz used this piano exclusively wherever he performed, including the historic concerts marking his return to Moscow and Leningrad, as well as concerts in Japan, Europe, Britain and The White House. It is this piano which Horowitz plays in the video film produced about the concert tour of Moscow. Vladimir Horowitz was a Steinway Artist for more than sixty years.