The annual Steinway Society of Massachusetts Piano Competition attracts talented young artists ages 8 to 17 from all over New England. This year, one of the winners is Liam Chou, who is both a pianist and a violist and whose mother, Estelle Lin, is a gifted teacher.
In this video, Liam discusses what inspired him to start playing piano, shares his thoughts on the Steinway & Sons Spirio, and talks about what continues to inspire him as his piano journey continues.
For more information on the Steinway Society of Massachusetts Piano Competition visit steinwaysocietymass.org
by Stephen N. Reed
With an investment as significant as a grand piano, customers understandably are curious as to how long they can expect their grand to last. As with so much in life, the answer is “It depends.” However, over the years some general conclusions can be drawn, based on the materials, assembly, and level of care given to a grand piano.
Knowing the ways to keep your piano healthy through placement in the home (e.g. away from windows), regular tuning, avoiding heat registers that can dry out the soundboard, dealing with seasonal changes, and carefully moving the grand piano when needed can all help to extend a grand piano’s life.
Even so, to avoid disappointments as your piano is passed down to your children, you need to know that the average manufactured piano lasts about 30 years, whereas a handcrafted piano like a Steinway can go well beyond 50 years.
But even just for the present generation, the buyer wants to know that their grand piano is going to be playable for years to come. Purchasing a piano is a significant investment for any home. Naturally, people want to know how long does a grand piano last?
At M. Steinert, we’ve been helping customers get answers to piano questions like this for over 160 years. We want our customers to be informed buyers so that they know what they’re getting. Understanding the different factors that play into the longevity of a grand piano will help a buyer appreciate their purchase more.
When we ask the question, “What is a grand piano’s lifespan?”, what does “lifespan” mean in a quality piano context? Obviously, if you want a grand that still has a quality musical presence, that’s different than a piano that merely is capable of making any kind of sound or one that is barely standing on its legs.
For the purposes of this article, we will discuss how long a grand piano lasts to refer to its playability and basic musicality.
Experience has shown that new grand pianos (without rebuilding) maintain their playability between 10 and 50 years, depending upon numerous factors expanded upon below. Note that “playable” is highly subjective between pianists.
One person’s playable is another’s musical disappointment. Over the years we’ve found that many have never experienced a high-quality piano sound and touch – and simply don’t know what’s possible!
Factors that can affect the musical quality of a grand piano over time include:
Some manufacturers, like the Steinway-designed Boston, specify certain woods in critical areas (maple in the rim, and spruce in the soundboard), that have been proven to increase overall durability and tone quality.
Grand pianos are like people. Some may have a single health care concern, while others may have multiple issues. As a result, while each of the factors above can affect an individual grand piano’s lifespan, each one will have its own lifespan curve.
Take a look at this chart that shows piano musical quality over time for a variety of pianos:
Again, while each grand piano has its own individual path toward establishing its ultimate lifespan, examining grand pianos over time has yielded some general conclusions about the different phases of a grand piano’s life. The following is a summary of what can happen to a piano as it ages and is published with the permission of the Piano Technicians Guild:
FIRST-YEAR
The pitch of a new piano drops considerably, as the new strings stretch and the structure settles. If the piano receives the manufacturer’s recommended three to four tunings during this time, it will stay at the correct pitch, allowing strings and structure to reach a stable equilibrium. Without these important first tunings, any later tuning will involve a large pitch raise, leaving the piano unstable.
TWO TO TEN YEARS
The pitch stabilizes, assuming regular tunings (and additional climate control devices if needed). The mechanical parts of the piano’s action wear and settle too. This causes two changes: first, the touch of the piano becomes less responsive as the parts go out of adjustment.
Secondly, the tone changes as the hammers flatten and grooves develop from repeated collisions with the strings. Periodic regulation and voicing, important parts of a complete maintenance program, correct these changes.
TEN TO THIRTY YEARS
Wear of action parts continues, the extent depending upon how hard and how often the piano is played. Normal regulation and voicing will maintain a good tone and touch if usage is moderate.
If the piano suffers wide temperature and humidity swings, it will being to show permanent deterioration during this time: loose tuning pins, rusty strings, soundboard cracks, and aging of the finish.
THIRTY TO FIFTY YEARS
After years of playing, the hammers and other action parts will be quite worn. Years of seasonal changes cause bass strings to sound dull and treble tone to lose clarity. Eventually, adjustment alone will not correct these problems, and some parts will need replacing to restore the original tone and touch.
OVER FIFTY YEARS
A few geographic areas with mild climates have older pianos still in good condition. Well-built, well-designed pianos can still be playable at this advanced age if they’ve had good care and moderate use.
However, at some point in a piano’s life, an important decision must be made:
Eventually, it simply becomes less practical to continue maintaining an old piano. The end of a piano’s life comes when the repair cost exceeds the value of the repaired instrument.
Happily, almost any piano that has received reasonable care will have served the art of music for decades by the time its days are over.
We encourage customers to try other brands, including those that make manufactured grand pianos. Then come to one of M. Steinert’s showrooms in Nexton or Boston to make an appointment to talk with one of our seasoned sales consultants and to play some Steinway models.
In preparation for your appointment, consider reading more about some of the popular models of Steinway grands in the following article. It will give you a closer look at 6 Steinway grand piano models so that you begin to see which ones may suit your needs best.
A review of 6 Steinway piano models: Which is the best grand for me?
Vivian Handis, piano teacher, piano expert and retired team member of M. Steinert & Sons contributed material for this article. Vivian is known to “not hold back” in her conviction that the piano makes a difference, and takes great pride in having served many hundreds of families and pianists at Steinert’s over the years.
This popular article has been updated for 2023.
Most of us know that in any professional or recreational endeavor, a better tool increases one’s chances for satisfaction and success.
A quality acoustic or digital piano, in essence, partners with the student and teacher to implement instruction, supports effective practice between lessons and awakens the artist within.
The instrument, hands down, makes a significant difference. Without a proper instrument, the learning process is compromised from Lesson One.
Ultimately, the best piano for a beginner is the best quality piano one can afford.
There are a number of best piano candidates and paths to choose from that lead to inspiration. Once understood, the following question is where the journey really begins.
Consider that a student typically meets with their teacher for a piano lesson (in a studio or school) once weekly, anywhere from 30-60 minutes. In most cases, the student will practice at home during the week between lessons. If the teacher travels to the student, regular instruction may rely exclusively on the piano in the home.
As a result of the current pandemic, remote piano lessons have become increasingly popular, making it even more challenging for teachers and students to create the ideal environment for piano study. Restated, without a proper instrument, the learning process is compromised from Lesson One.
Many well-intended parents (who may, or may not have ever played an instrument) seek out the finest and most compatible piano teacher for their child. They are willing to pay dearly for quality instruction, which IS worth every dollar of tuition.
Unfortunately, too many of these same parents do not think it is of equal importance to invest in the piano, or “tool” that is the best fit to implement the teacher’s instruction, support effective practice between lessons, awaken artistry, ignite inspiration … help actualize their child’s potential.
What is the outcome when a student cannot read music with accurate translation to the keyboard because they do not have the correct 88 key orientation? Do expression and musicality have a chance when a piano or keyboard cannot express a range of dynamics, sound a pleasing tone, or help develop a budding pianist’s technique and discerning ear?
Considering a child’s formative years … this is time we do not get back. What we may get back is the opportunity to begin again, as I experience with adult learners either coming back to piano, or fulfilling a lifelong dream of learning how to play.
An adult beginner can choose which piano path offers the best fit … a child, however, is completely dependent upon the instrument chosen by a parent or guardian. Children receive a beautiful and powerful message, unspoken, when the best piano a family can afford is invested in, on their behalf.
Whether it is a beginner’s first piano or an upgrade at any stage of a pianist’s development, the message is the same: Your music study is important and worthy. I/We value, respect, and support you and your hard work, as well as your teacher’s hard work. I/We believe in you.
There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to a first piano, but there are a number of paths for choosing a beginner’s best piano fit. First, a few minutes of homework will provide you with the best chance of success, inspiration, and enjoyment!
1-Think about the following criteria and which are important to YOU?
Addressing and thinking about these will clarify and simplify your piano decision.
2-Term of use: Is it a short-range or long-range piano plan?
Are you thinking “quick fix” or a potential heirloom?
3-Type: The Major Categories of pianos:
Do you know about these? Grand Acoustic / Upright Acoustic / Digital
4-Condition: New or used?
Contrary to myth, pianos don’t last forever – but sometimes used makes sense.
5-Your Environment and Space limitations:
Are you willing to tune and maintain an acoustic piano? Are there options for the location of the piano? What size and location combo is best?
6-Commitment and timing of ownership:
Will it make sense to rent, purchase, or finance?
7-Features:
Which of these statements might apply?: Touch and tone is the highest priority / Technology is a priority / Practicing with headphones a must
8-Assistance:
Know whether your teacher or a technician is able or willing to assist with the selection process.
9-Warranty:
What level of purchase security are you looking for? Sample warranty terms include Manufacturer’s New, a Certified-Used, or a 90-day warranty.
10-Case Design and Finish:
Will the piano be featured in the room, somewhat important, or ‘just there’.
11-Investment Range:
The realistic range of investment you might consider today with an eye towards musical growth.
See our article on what does a piano cost for more information on pricing and cost ranges.
Answers to the questions above may lead anywhere from the purchase of an entry-level Roland digital, to a quality acoustic rental at just over $100 per month, to a Steinway Spirio | r at well over $100,000. The range is truly that wide. Most importantly, if the piano fit is right, the goal of VALUE has been achieved, to provide the best quality affordable piano for a beginner’s success, inspiration, and enjoyment.
Offers flexibility for folks not ready to purchase or who prefer a step-by-step longer-range piano plan with a solid quality acoustic piano. Up to 12 months of rent can be applied toward purchase. Credit approval is required, with arranged automatic deduction payments. See rental page.
Offers lower purchase price. Never needs to be tuned. Receive 100% of your purchase price as trade value towards any piano of double value for up to 5 years. Roland currently offers desirable interest-free financing for 12 months. Scholarship or value certificate option with school or teacher affiliate on a new digital purchase.
Picks: HP702, HP704 for child/teen/adult. HP704 offers outstanding value over time and is our best seller with state-of-the-art touch and tone, 10-year manufacturer’s warranty parts + labor, and piano essentials kit. A student will not outgrow this model quickly. Prices range from low $2K to mid $3K exclusive of tax and delivery.
This collection of pianos includes many options in new/used/rental return/trade-in/ and consignment upright and grand pianos. I advise folks if they are stretching their budget to afford a Steinway-designed Essex, it is a wonderful choice. With a Steinway-designed piano, they will benefit from longer sustain, a smooth key action, and a lively colorful tone.
If one can afford a Boston for a beginner, it is my consistent recommendation. Boston is the closest relative to Steinway and offers exceptional value at its price point. You may stay with your Boston for several years, or as I have experienced with many Boston owners, trade up to a larger Boston!
With Essex and Boston, you will receive 100% of your purchase price as trade towards any piano of double value for up to 5 years. Also, any piano, new or used, acoustic or digital, purchased from M.Steinert & Sons receives 100% of the original purchase price for the life of the original purchaser towards any new Steinway & Sons piano of greater value. All pianos come with a warranty: New, Certified, or Used.
Vivian worked with folks who chose a Steinway from the start for their child’s music journey, or as adults, are coming back to music (often after decades) to invest in themselves, and in the piano of their highest aspiration. If you are interested in exploring the full Steinway family please visit our pianos as well as the used piano listings. All pianos on our website include pictures, video, commentary and text.
Here are some of the favorite models for beginners. Costs below reflect 2023 pricing. Feel free to inquire regarding current promotions. Also, please ask if we have any rental returns or used inventory. Essex upright: EUP108 – $7,200 plus tax and delivery. Essex grand: EGP173 – $20,900 plus tax and delivery. Boston upright: UP120S PEII ebony polish – $9,800 plus tax and delivery.
Also, the Boston grand: GP156 PEII – $25,400 plus tax and delivery.
If you embrace these ideas and answer the questions above, we are confident that it will be well worth the self-discovery you will experience on your piano journey! We believe you will be delighted by how efficiently we can guide you to find your best fits, and by how generous we are with our time to do a “deep dive” into any and all models of interest.
And, if we do not have the right piano for you … we will still help! M. Steinert & Sons has adapted to historical events since 1860 and continues to create new opportunities for supporting pianists regardless of where they buy. As we celebrate 160 years, there has never been a better time to welcome a piano home. We look forward to serving you!
We introduced our new PIANO BUYERS GUIDE to help you learn about the amazing world of pianos.
by Stephen N. Reed
For over 160 years, M. Steinert & Sons has seen the latest developments as new pianos have been introduced to the public. In all those years, Steinway’s Spirio | r has been the most impressive and exciting new development. Spirio | r is a revolution in player piano artistry and technology thanks to its easy-to-use ways to record, edit, and share piano performances.
What makes the Spirio | r special is its high-resolution, live performance capture and playback. This capturing of live performances is especially remarkable in that the individual playing the Spirio can record and edit their own recordings with the same high-resolution quality as a Steinway artist receives from recording in a professional studio.
Jonathan Kotulski, a piano technician at M. Steinert & Sons, describes the unique experience the Spirio | r provides:
“It’s fun for the person playing because it’s a kind of Do It Yourself project with the recording and editing the Spirio | r provides,” Jonathan notes. “Obviously, you’re not going to have a team of audio engineers in your home like a professional recording artist would have in a studio. However, the Spirio | r’s technology makes it accessible to you.”
As a result, you can develop your audio recording and editing skills, sharing your recordings with a teacher, colleague, or friend.
Plus, when you want to take a break from your own piano recording and editing, Spirio features a unique and growing library of over 4,000 high-definition performances, some digitally-remastered recordings from Steinway Artists of yesteryear and others from today,
But how does the Spirio | r actually work? This article will explore this remarkable piano model–how it works, its impressive capacity, and its high-resolution quality. Steinway’s goal was to enter the player piano market and quickly dominate it by delivering exceptional new technical features without compromising the instrument’s renowned Steinway tonal range and color.
Steinway’s great investment of time and energy into the Spirio line has clearly paid off, as now one-third of all Steinway sales are Spirios.
Yamaha began to develop some early player piano models in the 1980s. Then they created a new model, known as the Disklavier MX80 series, created in the early 1990s. Like the prior models, the MX80 series was recorded on floppy disks and recorded performances in a Yamaha-proprietary file format.
This system was a forerunner of the subsequent industry-standard file format known as Standard MIDI Files. Technical innovations found on these early model instruments included hammer sensors for recording, as well as recording and playback of incremental pedal data on the Yamaha Disklavier “wagon” Grand (featuring a large, rolling external control unit).
After rigorous research and testing, Spirio’s playback edition first entered the market in 2015. In order to achieve high-resolution recording, Spirio had 1020 levels of key and hammer velocity, along with 256 increments of positional pedaling.
Then, in 2019, Steinway introduced the Spirio | r, which is capable of both reproducing and recording high-resolution piano music for later playback. The key here is “high-resolution.” In fact, the Spirio | r features the highest resolution for recordings by player pianos today.
How did Spirio | r arrive at this level of high performance? Happily, the engineers involved in creating Spirio have explained the essence of the process.
IPS is an engineering firm that worked with Steinway on Spirio. They explain how Spirio’s state-of-the-art high-resolution audio is made manifest.
IPS notes that their hardware and software engineers carefully added to the traditional Steinway grand piano a high-performance, embedded control system, consisting of distributed microcontrollers networked for the high-speed movement of data.
These controllers provide precise timing in a multi-step note-driven process, producing accurate timing and dynamics of note events. This process allows Spirio to reproduce the nuances of the original performance.
Additionally, hammer velocity and proportional pedaling are monitored hundred of times per second. The high-resolution recording hardware captures the artist’s performance, thereby ensuring the most accurate reproduction to date of dynamics, timing, and pedal motions.
Multiple self-calibration processes allow the control system to adjust its note-driven waveforms, maintaining consistent sound quality and precision.
For more detail on IPS’s engineering work on Spirio, click here.
All of this is extraordinarily advanced, 21st Century audio technology, software development, and electronic engineering. It is designed to produce the high-resolution, nuanced sound any audiophile seeks. This level of high-resolution technology is needed to record a Spirio player’s exact, subtle, soft and loud key strikes.
Whereas Yamaha’s Disklavier library often relies on low-resolution data files, Spirio’s entire library is recorded at the highest resolution possible. Steinway has created a proprietary data file format that captures the nuances and full range of emotion from each artist’s level of performance, resulting in a heightened level of playback and recording.
Spirio | r’s nuanced playback and recording come from a combination of both the proprietary data file format, along with Spirio’s ability to replicate smaller increments of velocity on both the hammers and proportional pedaling.
This technology captures a range of subtlety and nuance that, before now, has not been possible. Spirio | r allows the player to experience that same range in their own recordings.
Clearly, today’s Spirio | r is an impressive blend of traditional craftsmanship and state-of-the-art, high-resolution technology.
However, if such an instrument is difficult to use, all that superior technology will come to naught. Part of the opportunity Steinway saw was to make Spirio easy to use for the average person.
Spirio’s iPad interface is one everyone can learn to use. The elegant interface has made this 21st Century self-playing piano extraordinarily popular.
A person with very little experience with technology can suddenly entertain dinner guests like a tech pro, simply by accessing a selection of songs from the Steinway proprietary music catalog. With the advent of Spirio | r, that same person can record, edit, save, and send friends their own latest piano recordings.
Best of all, Spirio only takes one step to access the piano’s technology, while others in the industry can take up to four steps.
“Spirio’s simplicity is a virtue that removes barriers, enabling pianists of all ages to engage with its software through an iPad Pro,” notes Patrick Elisha of the M. Steinert & Sons Education Department. “Whether studying and improving upon one’s playing or capturing a special performance in the home or concert setting, Spirio | r captures piano playing in a new and dynamic recording medium that will influence the way that we learn and experience piano playing for years to come.”
The Spirio | r is another example of Steinway’s commitment to easy-to-use technology. The Spirio system is operated through the same Steinway Spirio App, which detects when connected to a Spirio | r piano and provides a seamless recording interface that is both intuitive and easy to use.
In addition, Spirio | r features connectivity options through the internet, WiFi, USB, Bluetooth, MIDI, and HDMI, allowing for exceptional interoperability.
Steinway & Sons embraces innovation at the company’s core. In October 2021, Steinway announced a bold new feature on new Spirios: Spiriocast. In a nutshell, Spiriocast allows multiple Spirios to connect for live performances anywhere in the world. A top piano performer could be playing at a concert hall in Sydney, Australia, while you enjoy the performance with friends in your home.
But this is not simply a remote broadcast, as you might experience on television. The piano performer’s music is channeled directly through your Spirio keyboard, bringing you a more enlivening, intimate, interactive experience.
Imagine pressing a single key on a piano, and simultaneously, across the world, that same key moved on hundreds or even thousands of pianos – that is the magic of Steinway Spiriocast.
Video of the performance is remotely relayed as well, but the main attraction here is the stunning clarity of the music, since it is live, coming from your piano, right in your own living room.
Whether it’s a masterclass by a world-renowned teacher, or a performance by a friend, family member, or artist from anywhere in the world, Spiriocast adds some incredible possibilities.
As with the rest of Spirio’s technological innovations, Spiriocast is easy to use, as demonstrated by Boston-area groups successfully linking up to Spiriocast performances.
At M. Steinert & Sons, our goal has always been to help customers find the best piano for them. Increasingly, we find ourselves fielding questions about the Spirio, especially the Spirio | r. Prospective buyers appreciate Spirio | r’s potential for helping students and others with their development as a musician, along with the exceptional high-performance audio and video entertainment options it offers.
For the curious, the best way to learn more about the Spirio | r revolution is to come into one of our showrooms in Boston and Newton to try it for yourself. Our seasoned sales consultants can walk you through the easy-to-use interface and demonstrate the full capacity of this modern player piano.
Meantime, read more about the Spirio from these additional articles:
Could the Steinway Spirio ever become obsolete?
by Stephen N. Reed
Over the years, piano teachers, parents, and piano students themselves have sensed a number of emotional and mental health benefits to piano playing. However, in recent years more evidence about specific health benefits from piano playing has emerged, buttressing these subjective beliefs.
The piano has always been seen as a means of creative and emotional expression, along with the joy of performing for audiences large and small. Now, in an age where wellness has become a priority for many more people, the tangible health benefits for piano students make it an increasingly more relevant exercise for young and old alike.
In this article, we will trace these mental, emotional, and physical health benefits. By the end of the article, you will know how piano playing has value-added benefits that can undergird one’s wellness regimen.
Perhaps more than any other musical instrument, the piano builds up the player’s cognitive abilities, strengthening the parts of the brain that are used in math and reasoning. According to one study, just three years of piano instruction has a positive impact on a child’s cognitive development.
In addition, regular piano playing provides a workout for a brain’s working memory.
Other good habits like focus, perseverance, and diligence are improved by playing the piano. Research shows that piano playing boosts creativity, too. Even accepting constructive criticism from one’s piano teacher can help a young person to become a more secure individual.
Additionally, split concentration, also called divided attention, is an integral part of playing the piano, which helps a pianist’s concentration skills. A piano student uses both hands, reads music, listens to the notes being played, and presses the pedals. That’s real multi-tasking, especially for young piano students.
One study conducted indicates that children who play an instrument for 20-30 minutes each day benefit from their multitasking skills in education and personal lives.
Music-making also has a calming effect on the mind. Research shows that time spent at the keyboard improves mental health: piano players frequently experience less loneliness, anxiety, loneliness, and depression than their non-musical peers.
A 2013 study published by the National Library of Medicine discovered that playing piano treats depression and alleviates stress.
Expressing one’s emotions through a powerful instrument can offer a young person a much-needed release from the stresses of school, difficult peer relationships, and other growing pains.
The sense of accomplishment that attends a young person playing a challenging piano piece is obviously one source of a healthy self-esteem. Parents have long grasped this, instinctively giving praise and encouragement to their piano playing children, serving as their first “audience.”
You might not believe it at first, but sitting down to play the piano is actually quite a workout. Fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination are sharpened. Playing the piano also makes your hands and arm muscles much stronger than the average person.
Recent research suggests that older piano players can benefit from increased levels of Human Growth Hormone, which can slow some of the effects of aging.
Another study asserts that having music in one’s life on a regular basis has also been proven to reduce anxiety, relieve stress, and even manage pain.
Playing the piano can improve your overall aural awareness, as well. Playing the piano trains students to recognize tones, intervals, and chords as well as helping them to develop a sense of pitch.
Patrick Elisha of the M. Steinert Education Department has played the piano and other instruments for many years. Recently he reflected on the wellness benefits he has experienced in playing the piano.
“Piano playing is an exercise demanding an open and occupied mind alike,” notes Patrick. “The very entropy that we seek to escape from in our lives is replaced with this incredibly complex choreography of the body, mind, and soul, a purifying and singularly-focused process.”
Patrick goes on to say that the health and well-being of any human being require both stability and the mercurial nature of the unknown, the latter of which helps one to be imaginative while heavily relying on the stable training needed to effectively express music through the piano.
In short, like a good piano itself, piano practicing develops the stability and knowledge to allow one to be both grounded yet creative. One has to know the fundamentals of piano playing before one can improvise well.
“This ballet of sorts stops time, if one is willing,” says Patrick. “With the right investment in time itself as well as the instrument being used for the journey, it can inspire and awaken the creative and curious elements inside us, all through the universal language of music-making.”
Different people get different wellness aspects out of their piano playing. Some may need a creative or emotional release, a deep break from the stresses of work and life in general. Others may want to develop multitasking skills and better concentration.
Whichever of these wellness areas you wish to work on, the piano gives you the opportunity to improve yourself while enjoying the challenge and fun of making music.
Come into one of M. Steinert & Sons’ showrooms and start trying some of the pianos for yourself. One of our seasoned piano consultants will be glad to learn about your needs and interests to help you find the right piano for you.
Until then, enjoy a few more columns to learn about some of Steinway’s most inspiring piano models and the kind of piano that is best for young piano students:
by Stephen N. Reed
Fitchburg State University’s music department wanted to be sure to pick the Steinway grand piano that was just right for their school’s diverse needs. According to Jane Fiske, DMA, Professor of Humanities at Fitchburg and a member of Fitchburg’s Steinway Selection Committee, the school has selected Steinway pianos. for sixty years. Their last piano, a Steinway Model B, was purchased in 1996 with a Mission Fund Grant.
Having secured the funding for this important instrument through their school’s budgeting process, a three-person committee to see how their Steinway is made in a Steinway factory tour and to sample six, brand new Model D concert grands before choosing the winning piano to come to Fitchburg State.
This Steinway Selection Process was the last, important step in a long journey towards acquiring a Steinway concert grand for their university.
For many years, M. Steinert & Sons has offered this one-of-a-kind experience for interested customers: a trip to Steinway & Sons’ Astoria, New York factory to handpick their very own Steinway grand piano. We can attest that every customer has enjoyed the experience, which can also include a guided factory tour to see up close how meticulously Steinway pianos are made.
Accompanied by your own M. Steinert piano consultant, you get to try six brand new Steinway grands, narrowing their choice down to one particular favorite. This bonding process is the very beginning of the joy of owning a Steinway, choosing it for its tone and touch. All Steinways meet the most exacting of standards, but because they are handcrafted, each is unique, as well.
In this article, you’ll see how Fitchburg State used this process quite effectively recently to help their school in its quest to become an All-Steinway School.
Institutional customers like higher ed institutions, going through the Steinway Selection Process, frequently send a committee to Astoria. This is due to the variety of tasks the selected piano will be used to perform, as compared to the less complex purchase by individual customers who may simply want to entertain themselves and friends.
Typically, the committee will be selecting a piano that will be the focus, even the centerpiece, of their school’s concert hall. That centerpiece piano is often the Model D, which will be played by special guest performers, faculty, and promising students.
Such a piano might also be pulled in to help with fundraising events and university ceremonies.
“Our piano will be used for a variety of things at the school in our main auditorium, Weston. Ensemble rehearsals and performances, chamber and solo recitals, and community events,” says Amy McGlothlin, DMA and Director of Bands at Fitchburg State University.
“We wanted a piano that had the sensitivity to play music that was soft and legato as well as a piano that can have a big presence and be heard over a larger ensemble,” McGlothlin explains. “I think we found that in the piano we selected that day.” The committee members took turns playing the six Model Ds, narrowing the field gradually until they agreed on the one they liked the most.
McGlothlin recently served on Fitchburg State’s committee that went to Astoria for their school’s Steinway Selection Day. The others serving on their committee were fellow members of Fitchburg’s Music Department: Jane Fiske, DMA, and Robin Dinda, DMA.
For Fitchburg State, this current Model D purchase, right from the factory, is a key step in their drive to become an All-Steinway school.
“For many years our school has invested in Steinway pianos,” says McGlothlin. “We have been fortunate that our administration recognizes that the pianos built by Steinway represent the finest craftsmanship and durability.”
McGlothlin notes that reading articles about Steinway, as well as the Note by Note documentary helped to educate administrators about the value of Steinways. “Those things have helped administration and finance to see that we are purchasing a work of art that retains value and durability and not just a mass-manufactured instrument, McGlothlin explains.
Fitchburg State, like many schools, had to develop a long-term strategy to eventually become an All-Steinway school.
“We have been working on replacing the piano in our auditorium for quite some time. As you know, it’s a large expense,” says McGlothlin. “The current piano in that space is a “B” model, a bit smaller, and frankly, not big enough for the space. It’s also about 60 years old, which for an academic institution is quite a long life. It’s really a tribute to how well the Steinways are constructed.”
Perseverance is a key ingredient for any school wanting to replace older pianos with new Steinways. While private schools might have other fundraising strategies, music departments like the one at Fitchburg State typically must go through their school’s budgeting process. That may mean multiple attempts before securing the needed funding.
“We have been requesting the Model D for at least as long as I have been here,” says McGlothlin, who has been at Fitchburg State for three and a half years. “We have an annual funding request process that our school uses,” explains McGlothlin.
“Each spring we submit our funding requests to the administration and through a series of meetings they decide which requests will receive funding,” McGlothlin notes. “So, every year, they are seeing this request, and we just never stop asking until we get it funded, which was now.”
Institutions are all about accountability. Knowing that the music department’s three-person committee would be going through a Steinway Selection Process and Astoria factory tour could give assurance to university administrators this was going to be a hands-on, very knowledgable decision.
Securing the funding this year to buy the Weston Auditorium’s new Model D was a win for Fitchburg State on more than one level. The school now has a piano that is the standard of the industry for any top piano performer that comes to Fitchburg for a concert. 97% of all performing pianists prefer Steinway. Plus they have a piano to help with significant university celebrations and fundraising efforts.
Additionally, having a Steinway Model D, one that your school got to handpick right from the Steinway & Sons factory floor is a significant encouragement to Fitchburg State music faculty and students. Such a purchase conveys that the school believes these musicians are worth the very best.
“The faculty were surprised to hear, this summer, that we would be getting a new Model D for that space,” says McGlothlin.
“We are pretty grateful that the administration recognizes that the piano needs to be replaced and that it should be replaced with the piano that the space needs.”
That piano, a Steinway Model D with a rich tone and a powerful bass, was unanimously agreed upon by Fitchburg’s three-person committee, according to Jane Fiske. “Although each of the pianos we tried was of the highest quality, we all agreed with our final selection; it will easily project to the back our concert hall.”
Regarding the Steinway Selection process, Fiske says that it was an exceptional experience. “Our hosts at Steinway made the experience of selecting the Model D more than we could have hoped for,” says Fiske. “It was a privilege to be a part of the university team sent to Astoria to select this once in a lifetime, one-of-a-kind piano.”
The Fitchburg State committee learned a great deal about how their Steinway was made during their factory tour. The Steinway Selection Process followed with the unique opportunity to handpick their favorite new Model D for their school’s main auditorium.
This was an exceptional due diligence effort by the committee to select the “just right” piano for Fitchburg State. They can now look forward to the arrival of their Steinway later this month.
Would your institution be interested in learning more about the Steinway Selection Process and how it can help you to achieve All-Steinway School status? Contact our institutional sales department at M. Steinert & Sons, the oldest Steinway dealer in the world, helping individual and institutional customers choose the right Steinway for them since 1860.
Additionally, read these articles below for more information about the Steinway & Sons company and their world-class pianos:
by Stephen N. Reed
M. Steinert & Sons is proud to honor our Steinway Educational Partner Anna Avetisyan, a 2021 Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame honoree! Only one piano teacher per region of the U.S. achieves this distinction annually.
“We are always so glad to see one of our educational partners recognized for their work with their piano students,” said Brendan Murphy, President of M. Steinert & Sons. “Anna deserves this, and we congratulate her and her family on this rare and distinctive award from Steinway.”
Previously, Anna had won the 2018 and 2020 “Steinway & Sons Top Music Teacher Award.”
For her part, Anna notes that she is deeply humbled by this honor and just wants to use it to help her students reach new heights at the keyboard.
“My father is a cellist and my mother a violinist, and they both taught at the conservatory and played in the state philharmonic orchestra,” says Anna, who grew up in Armenia. “I grew up in that kind of environment. It was normal to have people come over to our home to play in a trio or quartet.”
Anna has followed in her parents’ musical footsteps. She started taking piano lessons at age nine and performing solo with an orchestra at age eleven. Despite her exceptional progress, Anna says her parents had mixed emotions about her choosing music as a career.
“They weren’t wild about me becoming a musician,” she notes. “Music can be very fulfilling, but they wanted me to be a breadwinner, too.”
Undeterred, Anna graduated from the specialized Music School in Yerevan, Armenia, two years ahead of the scheduled graduation date.
She went on to receive her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance with an emphasis in Piano Pedagogy from the Babajanyan State Music College, and her Master of Music in Piano Performance, Collaborative Piano Performance, and Piano Pedagogy from the Komitas State Conservatory.
Eventually, Anna’s career brought her to Boston, where she received a Graduate Performance Diploma in Collaborative Piano Performance from the Longy School of Music of Bard College.
Anna has appeared in concerts and festivals as a solo and collaborative pianist in the United States, Canada, Armenia, and Russia.
In 2016, Anna founded Through the Looking Glass, a chamber music series that focuses on bringing chamber music performances to communities in the Boston area.
Anna is an active performer in the Boston area and has a full-time piano studio in Burlington. She is a Steinway & Sons teacher and educational partner, and a member of MMTA, MTNA, and NEPTA, where she currently serves on the board of directors.
For nearly thirty years, Anna has enjoyed teaching the piano. Her students have regularly participated in recitals and festivals in the Boston area and beyond, have won numerous competitions, and have performed in the prestigious Carnegie Hall.
“Music is not just what I do,” says Anna. “It’s who I am.”
Anna is truly dedicated to her piano students, as she knows what it takes to do well at the piano.
“I get completely submerged in a piece they’re playing, and we may go overtime by twenty minutes as a result,” says Anna. “My goal as a teacher is to provide a warm and positive learning environment encouraging the students to find their unique individual musicality.”
Building the student’s confidence is key, according to Anna. “As they achieve confidence and technical proficiency, we are able to explore any piece with knowledge and understanding while enjoying it.”
Anna credits her friend, Vivian Handis, for helping her find two exceptional pianos to use personally and for her students. Vivian was a piano sales consultant with M. Steinert & Sons for 19-years and now serves as a teacher-partner for the company.
“I went to M. Steinert in 2004, needing a special-sized piano for our home,” explains Anna. “I got a Boston 178 baby grand. I loved its warm tone–it was a high-quality instrument. I’ve since had two Boston baby grands! Students were pleased with them, too. I have been friends with Vivian ever since getting my first grand piano. I know I could trust her in every possible way.”
Now Anna has a Steinway Model M, having taken advantage of M. Steinert’s “Trade-Up” policy, where those buying a new Steinway grand piano will receive an allowance equal to the full purchase price of their trade-in piano in reasonably good condition.
Anna reflects on her nearly 20-year relationship with M. Steinert & Sons.
“I have always felt a very special warmth whenever I stepped through their doors,” says Anna. “There is always that magical atmosphere, being among the magnificent instruments. Even more so, there is almost a feeling of a sanctuary, a place where high standards and deep traditions are cherished, and where there is an almost familial feel among the staff and management.
“Everyone is caring, warm, and highly professional, and I am very grateful to have them among my colleagues and friends: Vivian Handis, Steve Hauk, Brendan Murphy, Chuck Johnson, Kayla Woodworth, Jonathan Tetzlaff, and many others.”
Anna and her husband, Ash Khachatryan, attended the recent 2021 Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame induction at the company’s Astoria, New York factory. She enjoyed meeting other inductees from around the country, hearing them discuss the same joys and challenges of teaching piano today.
At the awards dinner, each of the Steinway inductees received a certificate denoting their induction to Steinway’s Teacher Hall of Fame and enjoyed a performance by a Steinway Artist playing pieces by Bach and Ravel.
While in Astoria, Anna and Ash greatly enjoyed a guided tour through the factory, seeing how meticulously each Steinway piano is made. She found the awards dinner and factory tour immensely satisfying.
Anna’s name is now on a well-presented plaque listing all of Steinway’s inductees into their Teacher Hall of Fame. Anna’s dedication to music and her students remains the dominant theme in her approach to the piano. As she puts it:
“The more you are given, the more you have to give back.”
by Stephen N. Reed
Steinert & Sons inaugurated its “Conversation with a Teacher” interviews with this look into the process of sight-reading, specifically a pianist’s first read of a new piece, with Cynthia Sanger.
Cynthia is the owner of B Sharp Musical Studio in Newton and is also a piano instructor at Brookline Music School. Cynthia has lived in the Boston area since 1988 and has been teaching piano at B Sharp for ten years. M. Steinert is proud to partner with Cynthia and B Sharp.
Steinert’s Education Department’s Patrick Elisha explored with Cynthia a variety of factors involved in a sight-reading of a new piece.
Cynthia noted that sight-reading a new piece is both similar and different from starting a new book. On one hand, both a musical piece and a book are similar in that they have a beginning, middle, and end.
But whereas book readers are discouraged from flipping ahead to see what happens at the end, a pianist needs to read over the end in order to anticipate what’s coming and to discern how each part of the piece ties together.
Some specific elements Cynthia looks for immediately in a sight-reading include the title, the key signature, and the meter. “The length of the measures is important, as I try to figure out how I’m going to have the same number of beats in each measure,” explained Cynthia.
Cynthia noted that she also looks ahead to see any repeated themes and their variations. If the piece has a key change, she notes that as well as if the piece returns to the original key and familiar themes again.
Cynthia encourages those looking into a new piece to find one at a bit lower of a level than what they can play. This avoids the student getting demoralized at trying to play a more difficult piece.
We appreciate Cynthia helping us to kick off this first “Conversation with a Teacher” at M. Steinert!
Please watch the full interview between Patrick and Cynthia or go straight to Minute Mark 15:17 for the split-screen of Cynthia playing Haydn’s Suite 54 in G Major.
If you are a teacher interested in learning more about working with M. Steinert & Sons, visit our Educational Partner page.
Steinway Model B Review: Is the B the perfect piano?by Stephen N. Reed (updated January 2023)
The Model B is Steinway’s best-selling model and has been acclaimed for having the top Steinway sound and touch outside the concert grand models. The Model B is well-known for its constantly refined tone, touch sensitivity, broader dynamic range, longer sustain, and nuanced color.
How did the Model B achieve these aspects, becoming the standard against which all 7′ foot grand pianos are measured for the past century?
For several hundred years, piano design engineers agreed that, regardless of brand, a grand piano in the vicinity of 7′ in length can be considered ideal from a musical perspective.
This is due to the overall acoustic balance of the bass, tenor, and treble registers and how they complement and enhance each other. The bass is rich, distinct, and prolonged without overwhelming the treble. The sustain of the higher octaves is noticeably longer, and the harmonic content of the notes is more audible and colorful.
Over 165 years, Steinway & Sons has made each piano part involved in creating the famed “Steinway sound” the best it can be, both in terms of materials and design. The following parts are critical to the overall sound of the Model B.
The braces beneath the grand piano establish the piano’s structural foundation, much like a house’s cement foundation and will, in tandem with the cast iron plate above them, perform the primary function of withstanding the 40,000 pounds of string tension within a piano.
Spruce provides tensile strength with less weight. Maple dowels fasten braces to the rim, producing a single homogenous foundation upon which the entire tonal component is built.
To increase the surface square inch volume of the soundboard and thereby increase the overall resonance of the grand piano, Steinway widens the rear or “tail” of its larger grand pianos to accommodate more of a vibrating surface area composed of the resonant spruce wood.
The three largest Steinways (A, B, and D) boast a wide tail design.
All three of Steinway’s larger models feature a cast iron treble bell in the shape of a cone affixed to the rim’s underside.
This bell serves to hold the plate vertically rigid using a steel bolt from the nose of the bell to the cast iron plate, preventing vertical flexing of the plate under the enormous string tensions, thereby assisting significantly in tuning stability, especially in the treble registers.
The one-piece continuous bent rim, 2¾” thick, is one of the most significant technical innovations in piano building. The rim provides the foundation for the stability of each Steinway grand piano.
The Steinway Model B’s rim comprises 16 Hard Rock Maple layers, with the inner and outer rim being pressed together in a single operation. This provides the structural integrity that enables a Steinway piano to endure for generations.
The soundboard lies at the heart of a Steinway piano. Great care is taken in selecting the wood and the soundboard’s design. To meet the highest quality standards, Steinway uses only superior Sitka spruce with a regular grain and a prescribed number of annual growth rings.
The Steinway Diaphragmatic Soundboard is based on a 1936 patent to achieve optimum performance in dynamic range and maximum sustain. Under this patent, the soundboard is gradually tapered from the center to the edge, permitting freedom of movement and creating a sound of unparalleled richness and sustain.
Created like the soundboard of violins to give a free and even response throughout the entire scale, the Model B design permits complete freedom of movement while displacing a greater amount of air, creating a richer and more lasting tonal response.
Close-grained, quarter-sawn Sitka spruce, which has exceptional stability and vibrance under stress and vibration, is used for the Model B soundboard.
Along with the Model D, the Model B features a single-piece bridge. The continuous “shepherd’s crook” bridge is a feature of only Models B and D. It is one long continuous bridge from the highest treble to the deepest bass, enabling the instantaneous transfer of the vibrations of some 233 strings throughout the bridge and the soundboard, creating more color, more resonance, and more sustain.
Steinway constructs its soundboard bridges exclusively from vertically laminated hardwood with a horizontal grain, capped with solid maple. Each bridge is notched by hand for precise, individual string-bearing.
This design ensures optimal sound transmission from the strings to the soundboard, resulting in a sustained, resonant tone—creating the unique Steinway Sound.
In 1963, Steinway introduced the Hexagrip Pinblock, engineered to enable pianos to hold their tuning longer and with great precision. The exclusive design provides the tuning pin with smoother movement under torque, a more uniform retaining action, and a piano that holds its tuning longer.
The Model B is the most aesthetically pleasing, non-concert Steinway. The curved 7′ sweep of the piano’s right side from front to back is more gracious and less stubby than a smaller baby grand.
The shape made a more elegant statement and was in former days often referred to as the “parlor grand,” as it would grace the room reserved for conversation and the entertaining of guests in spacious homes.
Most Steinway Artists own Model Bs or Model Ds–or both. The Model B is not too large for many living rooms but also large enough to be appropriate for a smaller concert hall or a church sanctuary.
It is the most versatile of the five smaller grands by Steinway and is Steinway’s best-selling model. It is often the choice of serious amateurs or professional pianists who do not have the budget or the room for a 9′ concert grand Model D.
Having sold over 150 million records, Steinway Artist Billy Joel ranks as one of the world’s most respected entertainers and recording artists. In an interview on Steinway’s website, Joel attributes his early curiosity about the piano to Steinway’s Model B.
“The piano teacher that my mom took me to had a Steinway,” Joel explains. “It was a Steinway B, the Model B grand — and it was so much better than the piano that we had in our house. I used to love to go to her house to play her piano, not because I liked taking lessons [laughs], because I just loved the sound of the piano that she had. It was set up in a studio and the acoustics were fairly ambient and that piano…
“I used to try to get her to… ‘Can we lift the lid up on the piano?’ Because I wanted it louder. Sometimes she would and sometimes she wouldn’t, but that was my first exposure to a Steinway. I was about five years old.”
Classical pianist and Steinway Artist Lang Lang was involved in designing the Black Diamond Steinway grands, most of which are Model Bs. That’s not by accident. Steinway trusted the launch of this new line to the Model B, its all-time best-selling grand piano. Every Black Diamond includes Steinway & Sons Spirio – r.
Another superstar, singer Lenny Kravitz, has joined creative forces with Steinway, creating his own Limited Edition Model B series.
The 2023 Model B is one of the least expensive high-end pianos, starting at $134,900.
Compared to the price of other longer Steinway models and comparable models in other high-end brands, the Model B is seen by many as the best investment in the Steinway line.
This grand piano is for customers who want the best and will sacrifice to own it. The Model B is not for those buyers who want to save money by buying a used Steinway, nor for those without a space in their home at least 9′ long for a piano and bench.
The Model B is available as a Steinway Spirio, Steinway & Son’s cutting-edge player piano with a 4,300+ piece musical library of Steinway Artist performances and the Spirio | r – with the ability to record, archive, and edits performances in high resolution.
Many believe that the Model B is Steinway’s best piano, including professional pianists. Again, the Model B may not be ideal for someone who needs to buy a lower-budget piano or doesn’t have the space to accommodate a nearly 7′ grand.
However, the Model B has earned its popularity and acclaim for the professional or the serious amateur who wants a piano to challenge them and bring out their best as a musician. Some piano critics go so far as to say that the Model B is the “perfect piano.”
Larry Fine, a leading piano consultant and author of The Piano Book, writes, “The Model B is my favorite of the…Steinways and the best choice for the serious pianist, recording or teaching studio, or small recital hall.”
See if you agree. Play a Model B and listen for yourself. M. Steinert & Sons has piano consultants who can help you explore the nuances and the power of the Model B, including its Spirio versions. A piano this legendary needs to be fully experienced.
Meanwhile, click on the links below to some of our other articles about Steinway pianos.
by Stephen N. Reed
Much has been written about the Steinway Spirio’s musical and entertainment value in the home. For many thousands of satisfied owners, the Spirio has reclaimed the piano’s historic place in the center of the home. For good reason, nearly half of new Steinway pianos purchased today are Spirios.
The Spirio provides hours of practice on a high-quality piano, as well as the joy of perfecting a piano piece. Now, with the latest high resolution technology, Spirio’s allow their owners to play, record, and soon participate in remote performances and masterclasses.
But what about the use of a Spirio in a school or institution of higher education? In this article, we will examine four reasons they should consider buying a Spirio.
For an institution like a fine arts department in a school or institution of higher education, grand pianos are among the top equipment assets as they are among the very few instruments a student cannot bring with them.
Choosing the right piano becomes a tremendously important decision, as it will be with your institution for many years.
The most critical factor regarding any institution’s consideration of purchasing a Spirio is the fact that it is designed and created by Steinway & Sons engineers and craftspeople. The handcrafted quality of a Steinway piano has made it a legendary brand, with a tone and touch that are unique in the world of music. Plus, they are built to last.
For institutions, a Steinway will be the longest-lasting equipment as well as the one with the lowest cost to maintain over time, as they are designed specifically for the rigors of this use. The approximate lifespan of a well- maintained Steinway piano in an institution is 40-50 years.
One is hard-pressed to find another instrument or piece of equipment at an institution with that kind of durability and cost-effectiveness.
Concert pianos tend to be cycled out of major concert use into a secondary performance or rehearsal role sooner than that.
Unlike other widely-used institutional equipment, pianos must accommodate a diverse range of playing or teaching styles and tastes. Steinway & Sons pianos are strongest in their versatility to fulfill this role in all academic spheres.
For generations, Steinway craftspeople have helped to build the company’s reputation. They are seen as legendary masters at their craft–any institution can feel proud to partner with such skill and passion.
Additionally, Steinway & Sons pianos are a perpetually positive force for recruitment of new faculty and students.
For example, institutions of higher education and private schools with Fine Arts programs may also have primary/secondary piano offerings that stretch far beyond those students whose focus is music.
As a result, a Steinway piano potentially impacts all students interested in taking piano or music lessons at a school.
For those students and faculty already immersed in music, many of them seek out schools with Steinway pianos. They are associated with a benchmark of excellence in education, instruction, and a commitment to providing the best equipment on which to learn.
In short, Steinway’s reputation can easily redound to a school and pay significant dividends in the form of student and faculty recruitment.
Remote learning is now a requirement for institutions in a post COVID-19 era, offering the ability to audition, study, and perform, with the unique SpirioCast technology soon allowing for the reception of live piano content, starting in November 2021.
This places Spirio in a perfect position to support higher education and musical institutions in offering more variety in its courses as well as offering recruitment to expand to previously inaccessible markets.
For example, Texas A&M University’s Commerce Department recently announced it has become an All-Steinway Spirio school and looks forward to utilizing Spirio’s remote learning capacities.
Spirio is a Steinway & Sons piano built with durability, ease of use, and lifetime updates in mind for the institutional market. Any institution investing in a Spirio is offering its constituents the finest equipment for the study of music and the performing arts. Other benefits include:
In order to meet the continuously evolving standards and career opportunities in the competitive workspace, institutions need musical equipment that meet modern, rigorous standards.
This same equipment must provide students with the most current methods of education and professional development–if those same students are going to compete later in their chosen career areas.
In a college or university music department, the pianos are a primary asset in attaining these goals, with Steinway’s Spirio being the only instrument to offer students the capability to record, edit, and playback captured piano playing, all in the highest resolution available today.
Spirio features the world’s highest resolution curated library of 4,300+ performances by classical, jazz, and contemporary Steinway Artists, free and updated monthly at no extra charge to students and faculty users.
Moreover, these students and faculty utilizing a Spirio at their school or a nearby musical institution will have access to the world’s highest resolution curated library of 4,300+ classical, jazz, and contemporary Steinway Artists, free and updated monthly at no extra charge for students’ access through their institutions.
Spirio also features advanced connectivity options, including HDMI output to broadcast to classroom projectors or other screens, as well as MIDI In and Out to connect with applications for notation, interactive learning, recording and more.
Spirio is this conduit to connecting music and the growing world of internet connectivity and technology enhanced learning.
The same self-playing piano that is at work in a morning remote learning or notation session with students in different locations can also be found later that same evening, adding to the entertainment at a fundraising event.
Supporters of your school will be intrigued by the quality and varying functions of Spirio, making it an easy conversation starter at school functions.
For development functions, a Spirio is fully capable of helping you with the following:
When one considers the different educational and development uses for a Steinway Spirio, a more versatile, harder working instrument would be difficult to imagine.
At M. Steinert & Sons, we have been helping schools, colleges, and universities across New England with their piano selections since 1860. Our seasoned salespersons have deep experience in education and music, enabling them to easily understand which options would work best for you.
Read more about Spirio in the articles below and consider a visit to one of M. Steinert’s two showroom locations in Boston and Newton. Or we would be glad to come to your campus first for an assessment of your school’s particular needs. Please fill out the form below so that we can get in touch with you.
Could the Spirio ever become obsolete?
How much does a Steinway Spirio cost?
