The manufacturer will donate £30,000 from each sale of the eight strictly limited grand piano directly to the Royal Albert Hall, a registered charity that has been plunged into financial crisis by the pandemic
Steinway has teamed up with the Royal Albert Hall to launch eight limited edition grand pianos in an effort to give the Hall a helping hand, after the venue was plunged into a financial crisis by the pandemic.
The collaboration was launched during an intimate concert by Steinway artists Igor Levit and Aisa Ijiri at the Hall on 23 September.
Top: Aisa Ijiri performs on the limited edition piano. Bottom: Igor Levit takes to the stage
The partnership will also include a new concert series – The Steinway Series – dedicated to promote up-and-coming musicians, which kicks off on 19 November. Taking place in the Elgar Room, the series will star classical and jazz artists such as Elisabeth Brauß, Niji Adeleye, Amiri Harewood and Roella Oloro.
Guido Zimmermann, President Steinway & Sons Europe, said: “We are very proud of our relationship with the Royal Albert Hall and have created an exceptionally-designed instrument in honour of its 150th celebration year. It has been such a challenging time for the entire music community all over the world, but with the Hall back in business it seems a fantastic and fitting way to commemorate the occasion. We look forward to our partnership becoming ever closer, spreading the joy for music for all.”
Crafted in the company’s Hamburg factory, the Steinway Royal Albert Hall Limited Edition took more than 18 months to design and create.
It features a hand-engraved outline of the Grade I listed Hall – one of the UKs most treasured and distinctive buildings – on the exterior of the piano lid. Inside there is an etching outlining the glass and iron dome roofing of the Hall, with additional nods to the building’s iconic shape on the music desk and numbered brass plate.
The inside of the piano lid features an outline of the glass and iron dome roofing of the Hall
There is just one Model D concert grand in the limited edition series – the pinnacle of concert grands – along with seven model B classic grand pianos, often referred to by pianists as the ‘perfect piano’.
Each instrument in the Royal Albert Hall limited edition incorporates the revolutionary Spirio | r recording and self-playing technology, which enables pianists to record, edit, playback, search and save their performances in Steinway’s proprietary high-resolution format.
There are only eight of these limited edition grand pianos available
For more information on the Royal Albert Hall Limited Edition grand piano range, visit the Steinway EU website here.
All images: ©Steinway & Sons
