Steinway Adds Fleisher Portrait to Steinway Hall Collection

Steinway Adds Fleisher Portrait to Steinway Hall Collection

LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y., Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, December 9th, Steinway & Sons, makers of the finest pianos in the world, and ArkivMusic celebrated a special unveiling of a new addition to the Steinway Art Collection in the renowned Steinway Hall Gallery at 109 W 57th Street in Manhattan. The champagne reception was highlighted by the unveiling of a portrait of renowned Steinway pianist, conductor and educator Leon Fleisher. The event was doubly significant because the portrait's artist is also a Steinway legend: Paul Wyse, Associate Professor of Piano at the Crane School of Music. The portrait was unveiled by Leon Fleisher's wife, Katherine Jacobson Fleisher, and both Paul Wyse and Leon Fleisher were in attendance to witness the momentous occasion.

"Tonight is truly special as we are unveiling an exquisite work of art not only of a Steinway Artist, but by a Steinway Artist," said Ron Losby, President of Steinway & Sons-Americas. "Mr. Wyse is also a former student of Leon Fleisher's at the Peabody Conservatory. The introduction of Mr. Fleisher's portrait marks the first time in Steinway's 155 year history that a painting for the Collection has been done by a Steinway Artist, let alone by a former student of the subject."

Leon Fleisher has received the Kennedy Center Honors and the rank of Commander in the French Order of Arts and Letters. He was the first pianist inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame. He has held the Andrew W. Mellon Chair at the Peabody Conservatory of Music since 1959, and he also serves on the faculties of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. He has been a Steinway Artist for 61 years.

Steinway Artist Leon Fleisher also autographed his most recent Sony Classical releases available for the first time on CD through ArkivMusic (http://www.arkivmusic.com/), The Source for Classical Music (TM).

Fleisher's likeness in the Steinway Art Collection now joins those of Beethoven, Berlioz, Chopin, Cortot, Grainger, Handel, Hofmann, Horowitz, Janis, Mendelssohn, Paderewski, Rachmaninoff, Anton Rubinstein, Arthur Rubinstein, Schubert and Wagner.

About Steinway & Sons

Since 1853, Steinway pianos have set an uncompromising standard for sound, touch, beauty, and investment value. Handcrafting each Steinway requires up to one full year, and the result is an instrument of rare quality and global renown. Not surprisingly, Steinway remains the choice of 9 out of 10 concert artists, and it is the preferred piano of countless musicians, professional and amateur, throughout the world. More information is available at http://www.steinway.com/.

Source: Steinway & Sons

CONTACT: Heidi Dettinger of Steinway & Sons, +1-718-204-3116,
hdettinger@steinway.com

Web site: http://www.steinway.com/
http://www.arkivmusic.com/

-------
Profile: intent