We are pleased to announce the dates of the 2010 Steinway Society of Massachusetts Piano Competition. Next year’s event will take place April 30 – May 2, 2010. The Piano Competition will again take place at historic Steinert Hall in Boston.
The 2010 competition will be extra special, as our sponsor, M. Steinert & Sons, will be celebrating the company’s 150th anniversary.
More details about the 2010 Piano Competition will be posted as they become available. Please check back often.
Greatness comes with a price. And in the case of musicians, that price is hours and hours of practice.
That point was brought home recently right here at our Boston showroom. As you may know, the upper floors of Steinert Hall on Boylston Street contain numerous practice rooms and teaching studios.
This week the music emanating from one of our practice rooms was at a higher level, as Joseph Silverstein, former concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, spent several hours working with Max Levinson, Steinway Artist and professor at Boston Conservatory.
The setting was casual – no tuxedoes. But the effort was still intense as the two artists worked on several complex pieces. It was a genuine treat for those of us who were able to witness the collaboration between these accomplished masters.
Brendan Murphy
This was the headline of a famous advertisement that ran in newspapers across the country back in the 1920s. The ad told the story of a man who astounded his friends at parties with his ability to play the piano. What was the ad selling? Piano lessons, of course!
Guess what? Even in this age of high tech electronics, iPods and CD-ROMs, you can still astound your friends at parties by sitting down and playing songs on the piano. In fact, M. Steinert & Sons is making it easier than ever to impress with your keyboard talents.
Steinert’s has introduced a program called “Recreational Music Making,” a series of lively classes designed to teach the piano to people who have not had previous formal training. I think the best way to describe “Recreational Music Making” is as a “shortcut” to playing the piano.
Instead of repetitive drills and scales, class members get right into playing popular songs and traditional favorites. So, while you may not be a guest artist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, you will soon be able to provide party music and lead sing-a-longs at the keyboard.
Are you ready to sit down at the piano and dazzle your friends? Check out the “Recreational Music Making” schedule on the M. Steinert & Sons web site at www.msteinert.com.
2009 Steinway Society Piano Competition
Division 1 Winners:
1st Prize: Andrew Li
2nd Prize (Split): Amir Siraj
2nd Prize (Split): Kara Chuang
3rd Prize: Anna Larsen
Honorable Mention:
Kevin Chen
Division 2 Winners:
1st Prize (Split): Kadar Qian
1st Prize (Split): Seho Young
2nd Prize: Chistopher Staknys
3rd Prize: Daniel Kim
Honorable Mention:
Kevin Zhu
Victor Li
Mirella Gruesser-Smith
Derek Wang
Division 3 Winners:
1st Prize: Emma Liu
2nd Prize: Mackenzie Melemed
3rd Prize: Tristian Smith
Honorable Mention:
Elias Dagher
Keyo Nagai
Winston Huang
Liang-Shun Lim
Silas Chan
Division 3:
1st Prize- Emma Liu
2nd Prize- Mackenzie Melemed
3rd Prize- Tristian Smith
Honorable Mention:
Elias Dagher
Kayo Nagai
Winston Huang
Division 1:
1st Prize- Andrew Li
2nd Prize(split)- Amir Siraj
2nd Prize(split)- Kara Chueng
3rd Prize- Anna Larsen
Honorable Mention- Kevin Chen
All 1st 2nd 3rd Prize winners will perform in the recital on Sunday at 4pm. All are invited to attend.
CONGRATULATIONS!
The Division 1 auditions are complete. The judges will announce a winner later this evening. Please check back.
GOOD LUCK!
A reminder to all 2009 Piano Competition participants:
Please arrive at promptly at your designated check in time. We will be unable to accommodate early or late check-ins.
GOOD LUCK!
I can’t tell you how often someone comes into our piano showroom, runs his or her hand lovingly over a beautiful new piano, and says, “I wish I had learned how to play the piano when I was younger.”
I understand the sentiment. I, too, wish I had learned to play the piano when I was younger. It is a wonderful instrument with an incredible range of “voices” and untold possibilities. But, as a student, I migrated to the saxophone. But the lure of the keyboard remained.
So now I am finally doing something about it. At the advanced age of… well, never mind how old I am. Let’s just say that I am no longer a child. But I am finally taking piano lessons.
In fact, there is an incredibly powerful movement across the country among adults who are either returning to the piano after an absence of many years, or taking up the instrument for the first time. The stigma of being “too old” to learn a skill like playing the piano no longer applies.
At M. Steinert & Sons we have started several programs for returning piano student or new student of “advanced” age. Our students range from retirees to young professionals, empty-nest mothers to couples sharing a new experience. It is a real melting pot!
The best part is that many, if not most, of our older piano students are taking group classes. What was once viewed as a solitary and isolated learning process has become socially interactive and — dare I say it — fun.
Apparently, the answer to the question at the start of this post is, “No.” You are NEVER too old to learn something new, even when that “something” is playing the piano.
If you are interested in resuming your piano education, or in starting anew, check out the class schedule on the M. Steinert & Sons web site (http://www.msteinert.com).
Brendan Murphy
Renowned Chinese pianist Lang Lang took time from his world concert tour to conduct a “Master Class” at Boston’s historic Steinert Hall on Monday, March 2nd. The young piano students, winners of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation Scholarship, were enthralled by the 26-year old Lang Lang, who was in Boston performing at Symphony Hall.
Lang Lang’s current world tour, which started in Vienna, will take him around the globe, with performances in Beijing, Berlin, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Abu Dhabi, among many other cities.
Lang Lang conducts Master Classes regularly throughout the world including at the Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, Manhattan School of Music and Hannover Conservatory as well as all the top conservatories in China where he has received honorary professorships.
Heralded as the “hottest artist on the classical music planet” by the New York Times, Lang Lang has played sold out recitals and concerts in every major city in the world and is the first Chinese pianist to be engaged by the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic and the top American orchestras. In August 2008, over 5 billion people viewed Lang Lang’s performance in Beijing’s opening ceremony for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad where he was seen as a symbol of the youth and future of China.
About M. Steinert & Sons
Founded in 1860, M. Steinert & Sons is New England’s preeminent piano merchant, serving the region’s music community with a blend of high quality instruments and exceptional personal service. M. Steinert & Sons is the exclusive New England representative for Steinway & Sons pianos, which are universally acknowledged as the finest pianos ever made and are the choice of the world’s leading pianists. M. Steinert & Sons has showrooms in Boston and Natick, MA. For additional information about M. Steinert & Sons visit www.msteinert.com
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The Steinway Society’s Brendan Murphy will be a guest on the “Jordan Rich Show” on Boston’s WBZ-AM (1030 AM) on Saturday evening, March 28th. Brendan is scheduled to spend an hour with host Jordan Rich discussing the Steinway Society, the Piano Bank, and our upcoming Piano Competition. Tune in at midnight!
Bob Sheehan