Hall Piano Company is proud to be host to a very special piano, that of the great Vladimir Horowitz (1903-1989). From April 4th to April 6th, you can have the chance to see, hear, touch, and even play on the legendary Steinway CD-503, a nine-foot Model D concert grand piano that was the personal piano of Vladimir Horowitz.
Horowitz, a Steinway Artist Immortal, is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. His colorful personality and astounding performances enthralled audiences for decades. Early in 1934, as a wedding present, Steinway & Sons presented Horowitz and his wife Wanda with a Steinway Model D, Serial #279503. In the early 1940’s, this piano was replaced with #314503, now known simply as CD 503. This is the piano Horowitz kept in his New York townhouse. He used it in many recitals and recordings in the 70’s and 80’s, and he famously demanded that the piano be his exclusive touring instrument during the last four years of his life, including for his triumphant return to the former Soviet Union for performances in Moscow and Leningrad in 1986.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGoTfz1eRCI
Stories about Horowitz and his piano can be found in the book “My Life with the Great Pianists” by retired Steinway & Sons chief concert technician for over a quarter of a century, Franz Mohr.
A master piano technician, Franz Mohr joined Steinway & Sons in New York City in 1962 as assistant to William Hupfer, then chief concert technician, whom he succeeded in 1968. Mr. Mohr learned piano building in Europe beginning in 1950 in Cologne, Germany. In 1956 he became a concert technician for a Steinway dealer in Dusseldorf, Germany, which maintains a large concert service. Six years later he and his family moved to New York.
Born in Duren, Germany, on September 27, 1927, he studied music at the Musikhochschule in Cologne and the Academy of Music in Detmold, Germany. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Lynbrook, New York. They have three children: a daughter, Ellen, and two sons, one of whom continues the family tradition by working at the Steinway factory in Long Island City as manager of Customer Service.
Mr. Mohr retired as chief concert technician of Steinway & Sons in 1992. Presently he is an active adviser and consultant to Steinway & Sons.
To request your personal appointment with the Horowitz piano, please fill out the form below, or contact us at 504-733-8863.
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