The charity that runs Birmingham Symphony Hall on Westside has bought a new Steinway grand piano worth over £150,000.
Birmingham-based pianist, composer and educator David Austin Grey chose the Model D concert grand piano from the Steinway showrooms in Marylebone, London.
Steinway & Sons craft by hand at their factories in New York and Hamburg what are considered to be the finest pianos available in the world.
It is understood that B:Music, the charity responsible for Birmingham Symphony Hall and Town Hall, paid £152,400 for the Steinway.
Mr Grey explained how he chose the piano, which is nine-foot long, weighs 480kg and comes with a high gloss ebony finish.
He said: “We started with five, lined up in a row ready for me to play, each with their own unique character. We narrowed them down to two and then choose the one.
“I wanted to find something that had both warmth and clarity, sweetness and power. The instrument we chose was capable of handling everything, from the subtlest of delicate melodic lines through to the most rigorous, dynamic and demanding passages.
“I can’t wait to play this Steinway when I am next performing on the main Symphony Hall stage as part of B:Music’s Generation Ladywood project in June. I am very excited for Birmingham audiences to see and hear this beautiful instrument.”
Nick Reed, chief executive of B:Music, said: “We are thrilled to have selected one of the finest quality Steinway Model D concert grand pianos to nurture the world-class artistic inspiration and acoustic demands at Symphony Hall.
“For concert pianos to present the highest sound quality, they should ideally be replaced every five to seven years; ours are 14 and 30 years old. Therefore, it was of high priority that B:Music was able to address this situation.
“This purchase was made possible by funds from the Foyle Foundation, Backstage Trust and the Saintbury Trust, as well as private funds earmarked for Symphony Hall.”
Picture: David Austin Grey with the new piano.
