WITH STEINWAY & SONS’ BESPOKE SERVICE, THE ONLY LIMITATION IS YOUR IMAGINATION
As the world’s preeminent piano maker, Steinway & Sons has helped countless clients realize the custom piano of their dreams. Far more than just an exquisite instrument, a Steinway piano is an instrument of the highest expression and creativity, and it can be as unique as you and your home.
Whatever you imagine your ideal Steinway to be, you can bring it to life with Steinway Bespoke. With the creative assistance of Steinway’s team of highly skilled craftspeople and designers, your Steinway can be a singular work of art – handcrafted and made to order exclusively for you.
Bespoke pianos can be as simple as an art case featuring paintings from world-class artists – a reimagining of Monet’s Water Lilies, for instance, or Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa placed on the inner lid or outer rim of the piano. Or they can be as ornate as the first White House piano that was presented as a gift to President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903. The #100,000 piano, celebrating 50 years of Steinway and now residing in the Smithsonian, can be meticulously replicated with even the details of the golden eagles on the legs of the piano that seem to hold the instrument up.
Rob Polan, Vice President of Steinway Custom Pianos, says making bespoke and art case pianos dates back to the very beginning of Steinway & Sons, which was founded by German immigrant Henry Engelhard Steinway in 1853 in a Manhattan loft. Over the next 30 years, Henry and his sons developed the modern piano, building their instruments one at a time and applying skills that have been handed down ever since.
Today, every Steinway & Sons piano is built with experience decades in the making by artisans who take pride and time to humanize a piano still made by hand, who strive for and achieve continuous innovation and improvement. Every Steinway grand and upright is a masterpiece of craftsmanship consisting of more than 12,000 individual parts and taking a year to make from start to finish. Each Steinway also has its own musical character and is as unique as the individual who plays it.
“To respond to the growing demand for bespoke Steinways,” Polan says, “we expanded our team of skilled craftsmen to create truly unique, one-of-a-kind pianos, and we are thrilled to explore the untapped potential of what a Steinway can look like.”
The first head of Steinway’s art case department was J.B. Tiffany of the famed Tiffany family. Bespoke and art case Steinways have been designed and crafted in every conceivable style, utilizing a wide range of precious stones, exotic woods, gold painting and gilding, hand-painted artwork, hand carving and more. In keeping with this tradition, designs big or small can be custom built for any Steinway grand piano.
From clean lines and organic shapes to natural finishes and materials, Steinway offers a range of contemporary designs to fit your aesthetic. Bespoke instruments could incorporate precious stones like diamond, malachite, lapis lazuli and mother of pearl, as well as traditional methods of marquetry and inlay. You could also opt for gold, silver, and other precious metals and finishes, plus hand-selected leathers and custom colors.
The endless possibilities continue with Spirio, Steinway’s finest high-resolution player piano system. Offering an ever-expanding library of music with hundreds of hours of performances by renowned artists across all genres, Spirio allows you to enjoy Steinway in your home no matter your skill level – even if you’ve never played piano.
To learn more about Steinway’s range of bespoke services and custom options, visit steinway.com/bespoke or contact Steinway’s specialists to discuss how they can realize your vision.