Kathy and I flew up to New York Sunday (Sept. 23) for a special event we were invited to (more on that later).
I happened to post something about the trip on Facebook, and our good friend Robin Goldsby (Robin Meloy Goldsby of "Piano Girl" book fame) suggested we visit Steinway Hall while we were in town. As it happens we were staying at a hotel just a few blocks from the Hall.
Robin has a close friend named Betsy Hirsch who is a sales rep at Steinway Hall so she put us in touch with Betsy.
Monday morning we met Betsy at Steinway Hall on West 57th in New York. Betsy is one of those people you can't help likeing (much like Robin).
She is very warm, open, and honest, not to mention talented and funny (now I know why they are friends).
Betsy took us on a tour of the Hall, showing us all the wonderful instruments and historic pieces. We even got to go down into
the basement where they keep all the concert grands artists use when they come to town. Each is numbered because the artists have
their preferences and they get the one they really like.
I had the pleasure of playing a couple of the pianos, although the one that sounded the best was the D in the rotunda.
I played the latest piece I wrote (written for Kathy) and it sounded amazing in that huge rotunda (of course chopsticks would
sound good with those acoustics).
Unfortunately the batteries died in Kathy's camera shortly after we arrived, and Betsy had to leave (to visit a customers)right
after we were through. But we walked up the street, purchased some batteries and went back to take more pictures.
Josh Tuckman, another Steinway sales rep (and a forums member I might add) was kind enough to let us wander on our own to
take the pictures we wanted to capture.
All in all a very nice visit.
Later that same day we attended a very classy piano event, more on that in another post.
But first, here are some pictures from our visit to Steinway Hall, 109 West 57th Street, New York, NY.
A plaque dedicated to Paderewski that we passed on our way to Steinway Hall (less than a block from the hall)
Kathy in front of Steinway Hall
Rotunda at Steinway Hall
Me standing between pictures of Robin Goldsby and Robin Spielberg
Josh Tuckman (Steinway sales rep) and Me in the rotunda of Steinway Hall
Me playing the D concert grand in the rotunda
Playing the John Lennon Model
Playing the special 500000th Steinway
A Hall in Steinway Hall
A Steinway Poster from Long Ago
Frank & Kathy's Excellent NY Piano Adventure PART II - The ESTONIA 210 Debut