Henry e steinway german biography

German-American piano company

"Steinway" redirects more. For other uses, see Steinway (disambiguation).

Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway (), is a German-American piano posture, founded in 1853 in New Royalty City by German piano builder Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (later known as Orator E. Steinway).^[2][11] The company's growth sticky to a move to a paramount factory in New York, and posterior opening an additional factory in Metropolis, Germany.^[12] The New York factory, presume the borough of Queens, supplies loftiness Americas, and the factory in Metropolis supplies the rest of the world.^[7][13]

Steinway is a prominent piano company,^[14][15] common for its high quality^[16][17] and in the vicinity of inventions within the area of softness development.^[18][19] Steinway has been granted 139 patents in piano making, with rectitude first in 1857.^[20] The company's portion of the high-end grand piano handle consistently exceeds 80 percent.^[21] The dominant transport has been criticized, with some musicians and writers arguing that it has blocked innovation and led to unornamented homogenization of the sound favored overtake pianists.^[22][23]

Steinway pianos have received many awards.^[24] One of the first psychotherapy a gold medal in 1855 withdraw the American Institute Fair at glory New York Crystal Palace.^[25][26] From 1855 to 1862, Steinway pianos received 35 gold medals.^[24][27] More awards and recognitions followed,^[28] including three medals at class International Exposition of 1867 in Paris.^[29] The European part of the posse held a royal warrant of panic to Queen Elizabeth II.^[30][31] Steinway & Sons was named Company of dignity Year in 1996 by The Penalization Trades magazine. The award was land-dwelling in recognition of Steinway's "overall be of assistance, quality, value-added products, a well-executed promotional program and disciplined distribution which generated the most impressive results in primacy entire music industry."^[32] In addition to hand the Steinway piano line, Steinway delis two other, lower-priced brands of fortepiano sold under the brand names Boston and Essex.

History

Foundation and growth

Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg first made pianos in the 1820s from his house in Seesen, Germany.^[33] He made pianos under the Steinweg brand until he emigrated from Deutschland to America in 1850 with authority wife and seven of his ennead children.^[34] The eldest son, C. Monarch. Theodor Steinweg, remained in Germany, brook continued making the Steinweg brand tactic pianos, partnering with Friedrich Grotrian, unadulterated piano dealer, from 1856 to 1865.^[35]

In 1853, Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg founded Steinway & Sons. His first workshop cut America was in a small garret at the back of 85 Varick Street in the borough of Borough in New York City.^[36] The leading piano made by Steinway & Offspring was given the number 483 now Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg had built 482 pianos in Germany. Number 483 was sold to a New York descendants for $500, and is now superlative display at the Städtisches Museum Seesen,^[37][38] the town in which Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg began his career as capital piano maker.^[39] A year later, cause was such that the company contrived to larger premises at 82–88 Wayfarer Street. It was not until 1864 that the family anglicized their reputation from Steinweg to Steinway.^[40]

By the 1860s, Steinway had built and moved grow to be a factory at Park Avenue in the middle of 52nd and 53rd Street (the exempt site of the Seagram Building) disc it covered a whole block. Interest a workforce of 350 men, bargain increased from 500 to nearly 1,800 pianos per year. The employees were mostly German immigrants and the certified language of the company was German.^[41] The pianos themselves underwent numerous unproblematic improvements through innovations made both get rid of impurities the Steinway factory and elsewhere hamper the industry based on emerging campaign and scientific research, including developments hold the understanding of acoustics.^[42] Almost division of the company's 139 patented inventions were developed by the first turf second generations of the Steinway kinsmen. Steinway's pianos won prizes at exhibitions in New York City,^[25] London,^[27] limit Paris.^[29] By 1862, Steinway pianos difficult to understand received more than 35 medals.^[24][28] Class of Steinway's early reputation arose be bereaved its successes in trade fairs.^[43]

In 1865, the Steinway family sent a sign to C. F. Theodor Steinweg invite that he leave the German Steinweg factory (by then located in City (Brunswick)) and travel to New Dynasty City to take over the administration of the family firm due persist the deaths of his brothers h and Charles from disease.^[35] C. Absolute ruler. Theodor Steinweg obeyed, selling his apportionment of the German piano company play-act his partner Wilhelm Grotrian (son match Friedrich Grotrian) and two other workmen, Adolph Helfferich and H. G. Defenceless. Schulz. The German factory changed spoil name from C. F. Theodor Steinweg to Grotrian, Helfferich, Schulz, Th. Steinweg Nachf. (English: Grotrian, Helfferich, Schulz, posterity to Th. Steinweg), later shortened spread Grotrian-Steinweg.^[35] In New York City, Motto. F. Theodor Steinweg anglicized his term to C. F. Theodore Steinway. At hand the next 15 years of monarch leadership, he kept a home make the addition of Braunschweig and traveled often between Deutschland and the United States.^[35]

Through 1870–80, William Steinway (born Wilhelm Steinweg, a stripling of Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg) established topping company town after purchasing a house and its surrounding property from greatness widow of Benjamin Pike Jr., prowl would later bear his name primate the Steinway Mansion. This company quarter would go on to become Steinway Village in what is now prestige Astoria neighborhood of Queens in Spanking York City.^[12] Steinway Village was contrive as its own town, and star a new factory (still used today) with its own foundry and mill, houses for employees, kindergarten, lending reading, post office, volunteer fire department, increase in intensity parks. Steinway Village later became knack of Long Island City. Steinway Track, one of the major streets overcome the Astoria and Long Island Area neighborhoods of Queens, is named tail the company.^[2]

In 1876, Steinway participated agreement the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Primacy competition among piano makers principally tangled Steinway, Chickering, and Weber. According subsidy journalist James Barron's account of Steinway's participation in the competition, the companionship was able to secure success unreceptive bribing one of the judges. William Steinway denied to the exposition's organizers that a judge had been pressurize somebody into directly, although Barron states that goodness judge was bribed through an representative, the pianist Frederic Boscovitz.^[44] According with reference to freelancer Isabel Wolff, William Steinway acknowledged in his diary that under monarch leadership the New York City leg of the company bribed judges executive trade fairs to favor Steinway pianos.^[45] According to musicologist Donald W. Fostle, it is untrue that Steinway time bribed judges at trade fairs, take precedence in the one documented case quarrel is unclear if Steinway were tangled, along with others, in bribery contract were the target of attempted extortion.^[46]

To reach European customers who wanted Steinway pianos, and to avoid high Indweller import taxes, William Steinway and Aphorism. F. Theodore Steinway established a original piano factory in the free Germanic city of Hamburg in 1880.^[47] Significance first address of Steinway's factory whitehead Hamburg was at Schanzenstraße in rectitude western part of Hamburg, St. Pauli. C. F. Theodore Steinway became ethics head of the German factory, arena William Steinway went back to high-mindedness factory in New York. The factories regularly exchanged experience about their patents and techniques despite the full distance between them, and they perpetuate to do so today. C. Tsar. Theodore Steinway was a talented architect who made many improvements in loftiness construction of the piano.^[16][48] About smashing third of Steinway's patented inventions shape under the name of C. Overlord. Theodore Steinway.^[49] The Steinway factory take back Hamburg was part laboratory, part mill. Much of the precision cutting leading drilling machinery installed in the Additional York factory was tried in nobleness Hamburg factory first.^[50] C. F. Theodore Steinway died in Braunschweig in 1889, having successfully competed against the Grotrian-Steinweg brand – both the Hamburg-based Steinway factory and the Braunschweig-based Grotrian-Steinweg shop became known for making premium Germanic pianos.^[47]

Meanwhile, the 1880s saw the firm embroiled in a series of get disputes between the New York Flexibility factory's management and workers. Back authenticate, industrialists faced labor strikes frequently.^[51][52] Collective dispute, in 1880, saw the spectator lead an industry-wide lockout of forte-piano workers in New York City. Lecture in later disputes in the decade, probity company hired detectives to spy derived its workers, paid police to meticulous management's side in the dispute queue to protect company property, and evicted strike leaders from company housing.^[51][52]

In 1883, the Hungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt wrote in a letter statement of intent Steinway: "...The new Steinway grand pump up a glorious masterpiece in power, attitude, singing quality, and perfect harmonic goods, affording delight even to my antiquated piano-weary fingers. Ever continuing success indication a beautiful attribute of the world-renowned firm of Steinway & Sons. ...Owing to my ignorance of the machine of piano construction I can nevertheless praise the magnificent result in loftiness volume and quality of sound."^[53]

In 1890, Steinway received its first royal authorization, granted by Queen Victoria.^[54][55] The multitude year the patrons of Steinway charade the Prince of Wales and in the opposite direction members of royalty and nobility.^[54] Pull subsequent years Steinway was granted commune and imperial warrants from the rulers of Italy, Norway, Persia, Portugal, Rumania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey.^[56]

Steinway Halls

Main article: Steinway Hall

From 1864 to 1866, William Steinway, who is credited become clear to establishing Steinway's success in marketing,^[58] oversaw the construction of Steinway Hall entitle East 14th Street in Manhattan, Unusual York City. Steinway Hall had expense $200,000 to build.^[59] It included representation second largest concert hall in Another York City as well as showrooms for Steinway pianos.^[60] To enter righteousness concert hall concertgoers had to give permission to through the showrooms, a way average advertise Steinway pianos. Sales increased make wet more than 400 pianos in 1867.^[61] Steinway Hall quickly became one sustenance New York City's most prominent native centers,^[59] housing the New York Symphony for the next 25 years unsettled Carnegie Hall opened in 1891.^[62]

In 1925, the Steinway Hall on East Fourteenth Street was closed and a pristine Steinway Hall on West 57th Way was opened.^[62] In 2013, Steinway wholesale the Steinway Hall on West 57th Street for $46 million and rapt out of the building at justness end of 2014.^[63] In 2016, span new Steinway Hall opened on Ordinal Avenue.^[64]

A second Steinway Hall was unlock in London in 1875.^[47] It was located first on Wigmore Street, increase 1924 it moved to St. Martyr Street, and later it moved unearthing its current address on Marylebone Lane.^[65]

Expansion

In 1857, Steinway began to make exceptional line of art case pianos, calculated by artists.^[67][68] In 1903, the 100,000th Steinway grand piano was given despite the fact that a gift to the White House;^[69] it was decorated by the virtuoso Thomas Wilmer Dewing.^[70] The 100,000th Steinway grand piano was replaced in 1938 by the 300,000th,^[66][71] which remains rip apart use in the White House.^[69][72] Nobleness piano is normally placed in nobility largest room of the White Scaffold, the East Room.^[73]

Later, Steinway diversified cross the threshold the manufacture of player pianos. Very many systems such as the Welte-Mignon, Duo-Art, and Ampico were incorporated.^[74] During leadership 1920s, Steinway had been selling propose to 6,000 pianos a year. Teensy weensy 1929, Steinway constructed one double-keyboard costly piano. It has 164 keys extract 4 pedals. (In 2005, Steinway refurbished this instrument).^[75]

During World War II, high-mindedness Steinway factory in New York old hat orders from the Allied Armies concerning build wooden gliders to convey unit base behind enemy lines. Steinway could produce few normal pianos, but built 2,436 special models called the Victory Vertical or G.I. Piano. It was capital small piano that four men could lift, painted olive drab, gray, person blue, designed to be carried alongside ships or dropped by parachute cause the collapse of an airplane to bring music relating to the soldiers.^[76]

The factory in Hamburg, Frg, could sell very few pianos by World War II. No more more willingly than a hundred pianos per year omitted the factory. In the later discretion of the war, the company was ordered to give up all primacy prepared and dried wood their footslog yard held for war production. Plenty an air raid over Hamburg, distinct Allied bombs hit the factory see nearly destroyed it. After the clash, Steinway restored the Hamburg factory run into help from the Marshall Plan.^[77]

In influence late 1960s, Steinway brought countersuit be realistic Grotrian-Steinweg to stop them from exigency execrate the name Steinweg on their pianos.^[78] Steinway won the case on call in 1975, forcing their competitor denote use only the name Grotrian loaded the United States.^[79] The case stiffen a precedent and established the meaning of Initial Interest Confusion, in which consumers might be initially attracted prevent a similarly named but lesser-known chink because of the stronger brand's satisfactory reputation.^[80]

The 500,000th Steinway

In 1988, Steinway obliged its 500,000th piano. Designed by master Wendell Castle,^[81] it carries inscriptions break on the names of the 832 pianists and 90 ensembles on the Steinway Artist roster of 1987,^[82] including Machine Cliburn, Vladimir Horowitz and Billy Joel.^[83]

Six years later the company launched C. F. Theodore Steinway Academy for Make an effort Technicians, known simply as Steinway Academy, at Steinway's factory in Hamburg, Frg. There, experienced piano tuners and pianissimo technicians from all over the replica receive further training in piano setting and maintenance.^[84] By 2000, Steinway confidential made its 550,000th piano.^[85][86]

In 2003, Steinway celebrated its 150th anniversary at Philanthropist Hall with a three-day concert leanto with performances by Peter Cincotti, Inside Garfunkel, Herbie Hancock, Ben Heppner, Ahmad Jamal, Ramsey Lewis, Randy Newman, Roger Williams, Nancy Wilson, Yundi Li sports ground Eroica Trio, among others. The chief concert featured classical music, the in a short time jazz, and the third pop.^[88][89][90] Rightfully part of the 150th anniversary, mode designer Karl Lagerfeld created a observance Steinway limited edition grand piano.^[86][91]

In 2005, Steinway celebrated the 125th anniversary entity the establishment of its factory reside in Hamburg, Germany. The celebration featured top-hole concert at the Laeiszhalle concert foyer in Hamburg with performances by Vladimir and Vovka Ashkenazy, Lang Lang, current Detlef Kraus. 1,800 people from 33 countries attended the concert.^[92][93] As measurement of the celebration, a 125th go to Steinway limited edition grand piano was designed by Count Albrecht von Goertz.^[94]

Until his death on September 18, 2008, at the age of 93, h Z. Steinway, the great-grandson of righteousness Steinway founder, still worked for Steinway and put his signature on tailored limited-edition pianos. At several public occasions, Henry Z. Steinway represented the Steinway family.^[95] He started at the group of pupils in 1937 after graduating from Altruist University. He was president of high-mindedness company from 1956 to 1977 tolerate was the last Steinway family party to be president of Steinway.^[96]

Changes confined ownership

In 1972, after a lengthy obstruction, a long-running financial struggle, high authorized expenses, and a lack of bomb interest among some of the Steinway family members, the firm was put up for sale to CBS.^[97] At that time, CBS owned many enterprises in the enjoyment industry, including electric guitar and amplifier maker Fender, drum maker Rogers, electro-mechanical piano maker Rhodes, and the ball team New York Yankees. CBS locked away plans to form a musical include that made and sold music outward show all forms and through all outlets, including records, radio, television, and lilting instruments.^[98] This new conglomerate was apparently not as successful as CBS locked away expected, and Steinway was sold mull it over 1985, along with classical and creed organ maker Rodgers and flute mushroom piccolo maker Gemeinhardt, to a faction of Boston-area investors led by Parliamentarian and John P. Birmingham.^{[99][98][100]} In prime to acquire Steinway, the investors supported the musical conglomerate Steinway Musical Properties.^[101] In 1995, Steinway Musical Properties was acquired by Selmer Industries to cover the musical conglomerate Steinway Musical Instruments.^[102]

In June 2013, private equity firm Kohlberg & Company offered to buy Steinway parent company Steinway Musical Instruments cooperation $438 million.^[103] Two months later elude fund Paulson & Co. Inc. masquerade a higher offer, $512 million, obstacle take the company private. The Steinway Musical Instruments board recommended that shareholders accept this, and in September 2013 Paulson announced completion of the acquisition.^[104][105]

Recent history

After the 2008 economic downturn, Steinway grand piano sales fell by fraction, and 30 percent of the union team were laid off at the Newborn York factory between August 2008 celebrated November 2009.^[106] Sales were down 21 percent in 2009 in the United States.^[106] But sales began increasing a miniature in 2010, and they continued stop improve the following year.^[107][108]

In 2015, Steinway went back to the player forte-piano industry from around the 1920s saturate introducing a digital player piano furniture called Spirio.^[109][110] The technology in influence Spirio pianos was created in 2007 by Wayne Stahnke, an Austrian designer who has previously made digital theatrical piano systems for other piano companies, like Yamaha and Bösendorfer.^[111] Wayne Stahnke's technology, originally called Live Performance Design LX, was sold to Steinway school in 2014 and re-branded as Spirio.^[109][112] Forecast contrast to player pianos by indentation brands available at the time, spruce up recording option was not originally accessible in the Steinway Spirio.^[113] In 2018, a recording option was made idle in Steinway Spirio pianos, known because the Spirio r. The Spirio discipline is referred to as "non-parasitic", belief that the recording and playback paraphernalia do not interfere with the expansion or feel of the piano. Righteousness pianist is recorded by over 20 grey-scale optical sensors mounted behind depiction piano’s keyboard. With over 1000 levels of sensitivity and the ability unite record 800 measurements/second, they sense integrity speed at which the hammers blockage the strings. In 2024, the Spirio library contained more than 4,000 recordings. ^[114]

In 2015, Steinway made its 600,000th piano. The piano features the Fibonacci spiral and Macassar ebony veneer. Practise took 6,000 hours of work shield 4 years to make, and was priced at $2.4 million.^[115][116]

As of obvious 2021, Paulson & Co. remains primacy ultimate parent of Steinway & Scions, with head office at 1251 Conduct of the Americas, New York, Basics 10020.

Models

Steinway pianos are sold infant a worldwide network of around Cardinal authorized Steinway dealers who operate swivel 300 showrooms.^[5] The primary differentiation among Steinway models is simply their lion's share (which is indicated by their maquette letter), which is also one constantly the most important indicators of their relative prices.

Steinway pianos are as well sold in the secondary market. Class price of a used Steinway sprig vary tremendously, depending on the invent (size), age, condition, and the fine of any restoration work that has been done.^[117][118] Additionally, Steinway offers registered pre-owned pianos, using Steinway-approved parts.

Grands and uprights

Steinway makes the following models of pianos:

The Hamburg factory adjusts seven models of grand pianos pole two upright models. (The numerical plenty of each model designation represents loftiness length of the grand pianos abstruse the height of the upright pianos, in centimetres).

The New York sufficient makes six models of grand pianos and one model of upright softness. (Steinway has previously made upright pianos in different dimensions.)

Grand Pianos

• Hamburg shop
• New York factory
  • S (5'1")
  • M (5'7")
  • O (5'10+3⁄4")
  • A (6'2")
  • B (6'11")
  • D (8'11+3⁄4")^[120]

Upright Pianos

The Dowel L (5’ 10 1⁄2"^[121]) was descend upon and sold as a replacement go for the Model O from 1922 put in plain words 2006.^[122]

Designer cases

Designers and artists such by the same token Karl Lagerfeld,^[86][91]Dakota Jackson, Walter Dorwin Teague, Arthur Blackmore, Joseph Burr Tiffany, Gladiator Comfort Tiffany,^[123][124]Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema,^[125]George Schastey, enjoin the Herter Brothers have created advanced designs for Steinway pianos. These particularly designed pianos fall under the undertake case piano line or the cosy edition piano line.^[14]

Steinway began creating smash to smithereens case pianos in 1857 and class making of art case pianos reached its peak in the late Ordinal century. Today, Steinway only builds allocate case pianos on rare occasions. Loftiness art case pianos are unique. Gross of Steinway's most notable art circumstance pianos are the Alma-Tadema grand piano from 1887, the 100,000th Steinway softly from 1903, the 300,000th Steinway forte-piano from 1938, and the Sound expose Harmony from 2008. The Alma-Tadema sumptuous piano was designed by Sir Martyr Alma-Tadema and received great public commendation when it was exhibited in London.^[126] The piano is made of tree, inlaid with ivory and mother refreshing pearl, with carved case, lid, stall legs, and painted in the affections lid by artist Edward Poynter. Give it some thought was bought by financier Henry Gurdon Marquand for his New York Eliminate mansion.^[127] In 1997, it was advertise at Christie's auction house in Writer for $1.2 million, setting a proportion record for a piano sold crash into auction.^[128] It is now on boast at the art museum Clark Question Institute.^[126] The 100,000th Steinway piano was given as a gift to integrity White House in 1903 and evolution made of cherry tree with metallic leaf. It is decorated with coats of arms of the thirteen contemporary states of America and painted impervious to Thomas Dewing with dancing figures as the nine Muses. The 100,000th Steinway piano was replaced in 1938 shy the 300,000th Steinway piano. The goldgilded mahogany legs of the 300,000th soft are carved as eagles and wish for molded by sculptor Albert Stewart.^[66] Magnanimity piano remains in use in illustriousness White House.^[69][72] The Sound of Harmony is decorated with inlays of 40 different woods, including the lid, which replicates artwork by Chinese painter Shi Qi.^[129] It took about four years^[130] to build the grand piano move it was priced at €1.2 million.^[129] The piano was chosen for sprinkle at the Expo 2010 Shanghai China.^[130]

Examples of limited edition pianos include The Steinway Limited Edition by Karl Lagerfeld created to celebrate the 150th acclamation of the Steinway company in 2003,^[86][91] and the 125th-anniversary grand piano uninviting Count Albrecht von Goertz designed become celebrate the 125th anniversary in 2005 of the founding of the Steinway factory in Hamburg, Germany.^[94]

In 1993, Steinway introduced a new line of very designed cases, the Steinway Crown Chef-d`oeuvre Collection.^[131] The collection consists of famous and upright pianos in Steinway's wonted models, but instead of the arranged black finish the pianos of description Steinway Crown Jewel Collection have veneers of rare woods from around grandeur world.^[132] The collection includes Macassar tree, East Indian rosewood, and kewazinga bubinga.^[131]

Brands

In addition to the Steinway & Sons brand, Steinway markets two other brands: Boston for the mid-level market cope with Essex for the entry-level market. Beantown and Essex pianos are made object lower-cost components and labor. Pianos innumerable these two brands, made with Steinway owned designs, are manufactured in Collection by suppliers.^[133][134] Steinway allows only academic authorized Steinway dealers to carry recent Boston and Essex pianos.^[135]

• Boston: made embody the general mid-ranged piano market habit lower prices than Steinway's name hue. Boston pianos are manufactured by Kawai Musical Instruments in Hamamatsu, Japan essential Karawang, Indonesia. There are five sizes of Boston grand pianos and duo sizes of Boston upright pianos idle in a variety of finishes. Eminent piano models are GP-156 PE, GP-163 PE, GP-178 PE, GP-193 PE, suffer GP-215 PE. Upright piano models fill in UP-118 PE, UP-126 PE, and UP-132 PE. Boston pianos incorporate some light the features of Steinway pianos much as a wider tail design (a feature of the Steinway piano models A-188, B-211, C-227, and D-274) indirect in a larger soundboard area get away from conventionally shaped pianos of comparable sizes, a maple inner rim, and Steinway's patented Octagrip pinblock.^[133]
• Essex: made for dignity entry-range market and is lower imperative than Steinway and Boston pianos. Owing to 2005, Essex pianos are made calm the Pearl River piano factory tidy Guangzhou, China. Prior to 2005, they were made by Young Chang delicate Korea. There are two sizes sustaining Essex grand pianos and four sizes of Essex upright pianos available meticulous a wide variety of finishes tolerate furniture designs. Grand piano models program EGP-155 and EGP-173. Upright piano models are EUP-108, EUP-111, EUP-116, and EUP-123. Like the Boston pianos, Essex pianos incorporate some of the features be in opposition to Steinway pianos as well: a inflate tail design, an all-wood action respect Steinway geometry with rosette-shaped hammer flanges, and reinforced hammers with metal fasteners.^[134]

Piano bank

Steinway maintains a worldwide "piano bank" from which performing pianists, especially Steinway Artists, can select a Steinway softness with the touch and tonal endowment they prefer for use in nifty certain concert, recording, or tour.^[136] Steinway prepares, tunes, and delivers the softness of the performer's choice to integrity designated concert hall or recording workshop at the performer's expense.^[12][137]

The "piano bank" consists of approximately 250 Steinway pianos valued collectively at $12.5 million stop in full flow 2019.^[138]

Manufacture

German and American factories

Some pianists advocate technicians have expressed a preference daily pianos from Steinway's Hamburg factory overly those made in New York, as an alternative vice versa.^[50]Emanuel Ax, concert pianist with piano teacher at the Juilliard School,^[139] has said that "... the differences enjoy more to do with individual tools than with where they were made."^[50]Larry Fine, American piano technician and novelist of The Piano Book, considers City Steinways to be of higher firstclass than those from New York.^[140] Accumulate 2010, the New York factory enthusiastic some changes in its manufacturing processes and materials to improve quality, arena Fine was invited to tour character factory to see some of picture changes. Fine wrote in his Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer of Source 2011 that the changes have speculator the quality of the New Royalty pianos,^[141] but that the Hamburg pianos are still of higher quality.^[142]

Steinway has two sales areas: the factory sieve New York supplies North and Southbound America, and the one in Metropolis supplies the rest of the world.^[7][13] At all main Steinway showrooms punch the world, customers can order pianos from either factory. The Hamburg wallet New York factories exchange parts presentday craftsmanship, and the parts for both factories come from the same places: Canadian maple is used for illustriousness rim, and the soundboards are forced from Sitka spruce from Alaska. Both factories use similar crown parameters keep an eye on their diaphragmatic soundboards. To maintain topquality, Steinway has acquired some of wellfitting suppliers. Steinway bought the German grower Kluge in Wuppertal, which supplies keyboards, in December 1998, and in Nov 1999 purchased the company that tackle its cast iron plates, O. Relentless. Kelly Co. in Springfield, Ohio.^[143]

A fullness of the world's concert halls impish at least one Steinway piano,^[144] extremity some (for example Carnegie Hall) scheme model D-274s from both the Metropolis factory and the New York poorer to satisfy a greater range distinctive preferences.^[145]

Components

Each Steinway grand piano has excellent than 12,000 individual parts.^[146] A Steinway piano is handcrafted^[147] and takes just about a year to build.^[148]

Steinway maintains tog up own lumber yards at both rank Hamburg and New York factories, prejudicial and drying lumber from nine months to five years. Less than 50 percent is finally used in illustriousness making of Steinway pianos. More elude 70 percent of the walnut pile is discarded. The woods are purchased when they are available rather elude when they are needed.^[149]

Rim

The rims spend Hamburg-made Steinways are made of layers of hard rock maple and mahogany; the New York-made rims use layers of hard rock maple only.^[50] Magnanimity layers are glued and pressed complicated into one piece in one keep going using rim-bending presses that C. Dictator. Theodore Steinway invented in 1880. Funding the rim-bending process, the rim has to rest from the stress flawless being bent. It is placed have as a feature a conditioning room for a thirty days or more to reduce the humid content of the wood to around six percent.^[149]

Plate

Inside the piano, a low iron plate provides the strength condemnation support the string tension, which ranges from 16 tons to 23 tons depending variety the model.^[150] The iron plate even-handed installed above the soundboard and levelheaded bronzed, lacquered, polished, and decorated mount the Steinway logo. Steinway fabricates plates in its own foundry.^[151]

Soundboard and bridges

Steinway makes its soundboard from solid spruce,^[152] which allows the soundboard to reinstate and amplify sound.^[153] The soundboard check Steinway pianos are double-crowned with Steinway's diaphragmatic design. The diaphragmatic soundboard, which was granted a patent in 1936,^[154] tapers in thickness from the affections to the edges, which permits a cut above freedom of movement resulting in first-class richer and more lasting tonal response.^[155]

Steinway bridges are made of vertically laminated hard rock maple with a firm rock maple cap. The bridges lookout measured for specific height requirements target each piano and are hand notched.^[156]

Keys and action

Steinway keys are made tip off Bavarian spruce.^[157] The surface of rank white keys is made of polymer; earlier, they had been made neat as a new pin elephant ivory. Around the 1950s, Steinway switched from using ivory,^[158] and stumpy years later use of ivory divulge piano keys was outlawed.^[159] The abridgment parts are mounted on Steinway's tubelike metallic frame. The Steinway hammers muddle cut from virgin woolfelt, containing maladroit thumbs down d admixture of other materials.^[156]

In 1962, birth New York factory introduced the Permafree action for its grand pianos, consume Teflon parts in place of material bushings. Using Teflon was less dear for the company, was intended space withstand wear and humidity changes denote than cloth, and eliminated the factory's reliance on a kind of web constitution that might not be exactly high-mindedness same from batch to batch. But, the Teflon bushings (which are extent rigid and unaffected by humidity) were tightly installed inside parts made look up to wood, which does expand and procure according to humidity. This made nobleness action become too tight or as well loose, especially after changes in picture weather, and caused annoying clicking noises while playing. The Teflon bushings were discontinued in 1983, and existing pianos that had them were retrofitted deal cloth. The Hamburg factory never enforced the Teflon bushings in its pianos.^[160]

Strings and pinblock

The pianos have steel prerequisites in the midsection and treble, surrender bass strings made of copper-wound swot. The strings are uniformly spaced look at one end coiled around the aright pins, which in turn are inserted in a laminated wooden block alarmed the pinblock or wrestplank. The coordination pins keep the strings tight esoteric are held in place by abrading. Steinway also employs front and create duplex scales, in which the most important vibrating section of the string survey augmented by a much smaller quiver in the two ends of honesty string which are fastened in go about. Steinway was a friend of loftiness German physicist Hermann von Helmholtz,^[161] with this friendship led to the process and Steinway patent in 1872 accomplish front and back aliquots, allowing interpretation traditionally dead sections of strings fasten vibrate in sympathy with the indication string. The result is a engineer, more complex sound.^{[162][163][164]}

The pinblock, also humble as wrestplank, in Steinways is flat of seven layers of hard-textured grove that are glued together, set have doubts about a 45° angle to the case of the grain. It is prearranged to keep the piano in pitch longer.^[165]

Affiliates

Steinway Artists

In contrast to other softly makers, who presented their pianos pay homage to pianists, William Steinway engaged the Country pianist Anton Rubinstein to play Steinway pianos during Rubinstein's first and solitary American concert tour from 1872 ruse 1873, with 215 concerts in 239 days.^[171] It was a success insinuation both Rubinstein and Steinway.^[172] Thus, illustriousness Steinway Artist program was born.^[173] Subsequent the Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Solon toured America playing 107 concerts make clear Steinway pianos in 117 days.^[174]

As receive October 2018^[update], around 2,000 pianists worldwide object official Steinway Artists,^[175] which means turn this way they have chosen to perform culpability Steinway pianos exclusively, and each owns a Steinway.^[176] None is paid inconspicuously do so.^[14][177] Steinway Artists come deprive different genres: classical, jazz, pop, station rock. A few examples of Steinway Artists are Daniel Barenboim, Harry Connick Jr., Billy Joel, Evgeny Kissin, Diana Krall, Yundi Li and Lang Lang.^{[168][170][178][179]} Some examples of Immortal Steinway Artists are Irving Berlin, Benjamin Britten, Martyr Gershwin, Vladimir Horowitz, Cole Porter, squeeze Sergei Rachmaninoff.^{[170][179][180]}

Steinway expects Steinway Artists laurels perform on Steinway pianos where they are available and in appropriate condition.^[181]Artur Schnabel complained once that "Steinway refused to let me use their pianos [i.e., Steinway pianos owned by Steinway] unless I would give up accomplishment the Bechstein piano – which Unrestrained had used for so many stage – in Europe. They insisted consider it I play on Steinway exclusively, in all places in the world, otherwise they would not give me their pianos harvest the United States. That is class reason why from 1923 until 1930 I did not return to America. ... [in] 1933, Steinway changed their intellect and agreed to let me ask for their pianos in the United States, even if I continued elsewhere lock play the Bechstein piano ... Thus, 1933 on, I went every crop to America."^[182] In 1972, Steinway responded to Garrick Ohlsson's statement that Bösendorfer was "the Rolls-Royce of pianos" exceed trucking away the Steinway-owned grand pianoforte that Ohlsson was about to afford a recital on at Alice Tully Hall in New York City. Ohlsson ended up performing on a Bösendorfer piano borrowed at the eleventh time, and Steinway would not let him borrow Steinway-owned pianos for some purpose. Ohlsson has since made peace collect Steinway.^[181]Angela Hewitt was removed from rank Steinway Artist roster around 2002 funding she purchased and performed on out Fazioli piano.^[181] After the Canadian musician Louis Lortie was removed from grandeur Steinway Artist roster in 2003,^[183] smartness complained in a newspaper article wind Steinway is trying to establish topping monopoly on the concert world vulgar becoming "the Microsoft of pianos".^[181] Deft Steinway spokesman said, in response nick Lortie's decision to perform a agreement on a Fazioli piano, that Steinway does not want anyone on class Steinway Artist roster who does crowd want to play the Steinway exclusively.^[181]

According to musicologist Stuart de Ocampo, "That Steinway aggressively sought out and remunerative (in various forms) for artist endorsements must be stressed in order reverse combat an idealistic notion that interpretation greatest flocked to Steinway simply due to it was the best." More by and large, Stuart de Ocampo endorses the panorama of Donald W. Fostle, who wrote in a company history of Steinway that "the genius of Steinways ... after all is said lay in their ability to promote millions of persons across decades queue continents that in this realm short vacation supreme subjectivity, individual variation, incertitude, sports ground ever-changing conditions, there was an perfect best. The assertion, repeated often competent, took on the coloration of fact", but Stuart de Ocampo concludes meander "Innovations in piano construction carved quicktempered a unique sound for the Steinway pianos in the mid-nineteenth century. Medals at fairs and international exhibitions were the basis of Steinway & Sons' early reputation."^[43] Paying for pianists' endorsements back then was not specific come upon Steinway. As there were financial incentives for testimonials, several famous pianists locked away no qualms about endorsing more better one piano brand. Franz Liszt ex officio Steinway, Bösendorfer, Chickering, Erard, Ibach, Craftsman & Risch, and Steck at leadership same time.^[184] Today, no pianist practical paid by Steinway,^[14][21] and when Steinway Artists loan pianos from Steinway look after a concert or recording session birth artists do have to pay Steinway for preparing, tuning, and delivering clean and tidy the piano.^[137] According to management scholarly David Liebeskind, the Steinway Artist syllabus "... is one of the only final product endorsements programs, as no person in charge is paid to play on wretched endorse a Steinway piano."^[14]

The Steinway Person in charge program has been copied by second 1 piano companies,^[185] but Steinway's program deterioration unique in that a pianist oxidize promise to play pianos of integrity Steinway brand only.^[177][181] The Steinway Head designation restricts a pianist's use be totally convinced by pianos by other makers and implies an obligation to perform on Steinway pianos.^[186]

All-Steinway Schools

The All-Steinway School designation go over given by Steinway to educational institutions of music in which not ineffectual than 90 percent of the pianos conniving designed by Steinway.^[187] Steinway does gather together offer the pianos free of operate but requires that the institutions be unsuccessful them.^[14] Performance venues, teaching studios, professor practice rooms for piano students obligated to be equipped with Steinway pianos. Guiding studios and practice rooms for spanking students may be equipped with Beantown or Essex pianos; some All-Steinway Schools have chosen to have Steinway pianos in these rooms also. It attempt required that the pianos are restricted in performance-quality condition and All-Steinway Schools must have piano technicians that partake in Steinway's technical training programs. Take as read the pianos are not maintained affront performance-quality condition, Steinway can withdraw goodness All-Steinway School designation.^[188]

The Oberlin Conservatory wear out Music in Ohio holds the best partnership with Steinway. They have stirred Steinway pianos exclusively since 1877, 24 years after Steinway was founded.^[189] Hit 2007, they obtained their 200th Steinway piano, a model D-274 manufactured unbendable Steinway's factory in Hamburg, Germany.^[190] In relation to examples of All-Steinway Schools are probity Yale School of Music at Altruist University in Connecticut,^[191] the Curtis Association of Music in Pennsylvania,^[192]Royal Holloway, Lincoln of London,^[193] the University of Town Faculty of VCA and MCM ideal Australia,^[194] and the Central Conservatory match Music in Beijing.^[191]

In 2007, the Extend School of Music in Potsdam, Original York, was added to the All-Steinway School roster, receiving 141 pianos nucleus one $3.8 million order.^[195] In 2009, the University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music in Ohio became categorized an All-Steinway School, based on trig $4.1 million order of 165 different pianos, one of the largest without delay Steinway has ever processed.^[196]

As of 2024^[update], there are approximately 200 All-Steinway Schools around the world.^[197]

Piano competitions

Several international pianissimo competitions use Steinway pianos. Since probity Cleveland International Piano Competition chose want use only Steinway pianos in 1999, Steinway has been selected exclusively coarse such competitions as the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Payment, Texas, the Gina Bachauer International Softly Competition in Salt Lake City, Utah, the International Johann Sebastian Bach Match in Leipzig, Germany, the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, Belgium, the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition in Metropolis, Italy, and the Long-Thibaud-Crespin Competition block Paris.^[198]

Awards

The Steinway company and its leadership have won numerous awards,^[24] including:

• In 1839, Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg exhibited trine pianos at the state trade luminous in Braunschweig, Germany, and was awarded a gold medal.^[200]
• In 1855, Steinway phony the Metropolitan Mechanics Institute fair insert Washington, D.C. and won 1st prize.^[201][202]
• In 1855, Steinway exhibited at the Dweller Institute Fair in the New Dynasty Crystal Palace in what is evocative Bryant Park in New York Discard. Steinway won a gold medal. Splendid reporter wrote the following about Steinway: "Their square pianos are characterized tough the great power of tone, littlest and richness in the bass, pure full mellowness in the middle rota and brilliant purity in the multiply, making a scale perfectly equal skull singularly melodious throughout its entire compass. In touch, they are all become absent-minded could be desired."^[203]
• From 1855 to 1862, Steinway pianos received 35 medals fasten the United States alone, since which time Steinway entered their pianos take into account international exhibitions only.^[24][27]
• In 1862, for glory International Exhibition in London, Steinway shipped two square pianos and two eminent pianos to England (two to City and two to London) and won 1st prize.^[27]
• In 1867, Steinway won troika awards at the International Exposition redraft Paris: the Grand Gold Medal dominate Honor, the Grand Annual Testimonial Honour, and honorary membership of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. These awards won in Europe increased the demand manner Steinway pianos, thus the reason honourableness family looked into opening a luggage compartment in London. The International Exposition beat somebody to it 1867 established Steinway as the influential choice for pianos in Europe.^[27][29]
• In 1876, at the Centennial Exposition in description United States, Steinway received the flash highest awards and a certificate castigate the judges showing a rating appreciated 95.5 of a possible 96.^[204]
• In 1885, Steinway received the gold medal differ the International Inventions Exhibition in Writer and the grand gold medal wheedle the Royal Society of Arts bother London.^[173]
• In 2007, the National Medal faultless Arts