New piano makes a grand statement at the Con

After 18 months of anticipation, Orange Regional Conservatorium (ORC) is now finally in possession of its very own world-class Steinway and Sons grand piano.

The magnificent hand-crafted instrument was purchased thanks to $250,000 from the State Government, as part of their NSW Creative Capital grants.

The grant was announced back in December, 2021, but the piano is finally here and in prime position in the ORC concert hall.

Head of Keys David Shaw, and Projects and Programs Manager James Buchanan, were sent out to Melbourne to choose the one-of-a-kind piano. After exploring the range of options, David described the chosen piano as having “the most even tone”.

“One had a great bass but not as strong high register and the other vice versa, but the one we chose was the freshest off the boat from Germany and had a really nice even tone from bass to treble,” he said.

Steinways are classed as one of the world’s finest pianos, and the ORC hopes to attract performances of the same level.

"We're putting in a world-class grand piano to draw world-class performances and touring artists, and giving our community a legacy that will live for a long time," said ORC Director Donna Riles.

For Development Manager Bridget Kerr it’s the opportunity to offer visiting artists a high-quality instrument to complement their performance that excites her the most.

“To know we have a really high-quality piano for them is so great for ORC, because they’re very talented people and very talented artists, and the piano complements their talents,” she said.

“Steinway and Sons are a handmade piano. They bend the wood with a certain machine, and it’s all done by hand. There’s something like 12,000 parts to it, it’s a piece of art itself. So, we’re just adding to what’s already an amazing opportunity to see live music, by having a piano that can offer an absolutely high standard.”

Christening the piano for its first-ever performance will be none other than Ensemble Q on Friday, August 25.

Presented in association with Musica Viva Australia, the show will consist of Paul Dean on clarinet; Natsuko Yoshimoto on violin; Trish Dean on cello; and Daniel de Borah on the brand-new piano. Mr de Borah is recognised as one of Australia’s foremost musicians, fitting for the debut of a world-class piano.