Steinway & Sons

Steinway & Sons
Company typePrivate
IndustryMusical instruments
FoundedMarch 5, 1853 (1853-03-05)[1]
in Manhattan, New York City[2]
FounderHeinrich Engelhard Steinweg
(later known as Henry E. Steinway)[3]
Headquarters • Europe and international:
Rondenbarg 10, Hamburg, Germany[4]
53°34′27″N 9°55′27″E / 53.5743°N 9.9241°E / 53.5743; 9.9241 (Steinway & Sons - European and international headquarters - Hamburg, Germany)
 • Americas:
One Steinway Place, Queens, New York City, New York, U.S.[4]
40°46′45″N 73°53′59″W / 40.7793°N 73.8998°W / 40.7793; -73.8998 (Steinway & Sons - American headquarters - Queens, New York City)
Number of locations
200 authorized dealers operating 300 showrooms worldwide[5]
Area served
Worldwide[5]
Products • Grand pianos[6]
 • Upright pianos[7]
Production output
2,600 pianos (annually)[8]
ServicesRestoration of Steinway pianos[9]
ParentPaulson & Co. Inc.[10]
WebsiteOfficial website

Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway (/ˈstaɪnweɪ/ ⓘ), is a German-American piano company, founded in 1853 in New York City by German piano builder Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (later known as Henry E. Steinway).[2][11] The company's growth led to a move to a larger factory in New York, and later opening an additional factory in Hamburg, Germany.[12] The New York factory, in the borough of Queens, supplies the Americas, and the factory in Hamburg supplies the rest of the world.[7][13]

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

Steinway pianos have received numerous awards.[24] One of the first is a gold medal in 1855 at the American Institute Fair at the 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 the International Exposition of 1867 in Paris.[29] The European part of the company held a royal warrant of appointment to Queen Elizabeth II.[30][31] Steinway & Sons was named Company of the Year in 1996 by The Music Trades magazine. The award was given in recognition of Steinway's "overall performance, quality, value-added products, a well-executed promotional program and disciplined distribution which generated the most impressive results in the entire music industry."[32]

In addition to the Steinway piano line, Steinway markets two other, lower-priced brands of piano sold under the brand names Boston and Essex.

  1. ^ Fostle, Donald W. (1995). The Steinway Saga: An American Dynasty. New York: Scribner. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-684-19318-2.
  2. ^ a b Panchyk, Richard (2008). German New York City. Arcadia Publishing. p. 50. ISBN 978-0-7385-5680-2.
  3. ^ Stevens, Mark A. (2000). Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Encyclopedia. Merriam-Webster. p. 1540. ISBN 978-0-87779-017-4.
  4. ^ a b Fine, Larry (2014). Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer – Fall 2014. Brookside Press LLC. pp. 194–195. ISBN 978-1-929145-39-3.
  5. ^ a b "Steinway Musical Instruments 2012 Annual Report on Form 10-K". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. March 14, 2013. p. 5. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  6. ^ Fine, Larry (2015). Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer – Spring 2015. Brookside Press LLC. p. 193. ISBN 978-1-929145-40-9.
  7. ^ a b Fine, Larry (2015). Acoustic & Digital Piano Buyer – Spring 2015. Brookside Press LLC. p. 192. ISBN 978-1-929145-40-9.
  8. ^ Fasola, Wilma; Bock, Henning; Pfenninger, Tessa (February 17, 2016). "Steinway & Sons – Grand Success". The Brander. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  9. ^ Barron, James (2006). Piano: The Making of a Steinway Concert Grand. New York: Holt. p. 235. ISBN 978-0-8050-7878-7.
  10. ^ Good, Edwin M. (2002). Giraffes, black dragons, and other pianos: a technological history from Cristofori to the modern concert grand. Stanford University Press. p. 303. ISBN 978-0-8047-4549-9.
  11. ^ Giordano, Nicholas J. Sr. (2010). Physics of the Piano. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. p. 139. ISBN 978-0-19-954602-2.
  12. ^ Lenehan, Michael (2003) [1982]. "The Quality of the Instrument (K 2571 – The Making of a Steinway Grand)". The Atlantic Monthly. Archived from the original on April 11, 2004. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  13. ^ Steinway & Sons Documentary – A World of Excellence. Shanghai Hantang Culture Development Co., Ltd. July 3, 2013. Event occurs at 6:16. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2015 – via official YouTube channel of Steinway & Sons.
  14. ^ Liebeskind, David (2003). "The Keys To Success". Stern Business. Fall/Winter 2003 – "The Producers". New York: Stern School of Business, New York University: 10–15. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  15. ^ Giordano, Nicholas J. Sr. (2010). Physics of the Piano. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-19-954602-2.
  16. ^ Palmieri, Robert, ed. (2003). The Piano: An Encyclopedia (2nd ed.). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. p. 366. ISBN 0-415-93796-5.
  17. ^ Elliott, Alan C. (1998). A daily dose of the American dream: Stories of success, triumph and inspiration. United States: Rutledge Hill Press. ISBN 978-1-55853-592-3.
  18. ^ Ehrlich, Cyril (1990). The Piano: A History. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-19-816171-4.
  19. ^ Derdak, Thomas; Grant, Tina (1997). International Directory of Company Histories. Vol. 19. St. James Press. p. 426. ISBN 978-1-55862-353-8.
  20. ^ Kehl, Roy F.; Kirkland, David R. (2011). The Official Guide to Steinway Pianos. United States: Amadeus Press. pp. 133–138. ISBN 978-1-57467-198-8.
  21. ^ Cummings, Thomas; Worley, Christopher (2014). Organization Development and Change. Cengage Learning. p. 102. ISBN 978-1-305-14303-6.
  22. ^ Midgette, Anne (September 5, 2015). "Pianos: Beyond the Steinway monoculture". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  23. ^ Hough, Stephen (October 23, 2011). "A tone too subtle for modern ears: Stephen Hough mourns the fall of Bechstein, piano-makers to emperors of a bygone era". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  24. ^ a b Singer, Aaron (1986). Labor management relations at Steinway & Sons, 1853–1896. Garland. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-8240-8371-7.
  25. ^ Kehl, Roy F.; Kirkland, David R. (2011). The Official Guide to Steinway Pianos. United States: Amadeus Press. p. 105. ISBN 978-1-57467-198-8.
  26. ^ Ratcliffe, Ronald V. (2002). Steinway. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-8118-3389-9.
  27. ^ Daniell, Charles A. (1895). Musical instruments at the World's Columbian Exposition. Chicago: Presto Co. p. 293.
  28. ^ Kennedy, Robert C. (August 10, 1867). "Cartoon of the Day – Sudden Mania to Become Pianists ..." Harper's Weekly. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  29. ^ Milner, Glen (producer and director); Bright, Richard (executive producer); Wanamaker, Zoe (narrator) (June 27, 2016). "Steinway". Handmade: By Royal Appointment. Episode 4. BBC. BBC Four.
  30. ^ "Steinway & Sons". The Royal Warrant Holders Association. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  31. ^ Ratcliffe, Ronald V. (2002). Steinway. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. pp. 188–189. ISBN 978-0-8118-3389-9.
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