Host: So Steinway pianos are known as one of the most amazing musical instruments throughout the world. Can you tell me a bit about the history where the piano started?
John Rizopoulos: Steinway is an American company who was started back in 1853 by Henry Steinway who was a German immigrant and he went over to New York to seek out the American dream if you like. He built his first piano in the kitchen and he started producing pianos in Manhattan. Now, today, the factory is located in the Long Island City. This is our nine-foot Model D, which is a piano used in most concert halls throughout the world. Every Steinway piano, whether it's a nine-foot or an upright, takes one year to make.
Host: How many pianos are they pumping out per year?
John Rizopoulos: Usually, it's about 2,500 pianos per year. It's a very small production, but they do not skip out on any, any qualities. They basically build the piano without compromise. Three are over 900 artists who perform exclusively on Steinway pianos and now one of them gets paid by the company to introduce the product. Not one, now some of the most famous artists have been included, Vladimir Horowitz, for example, Arthur Rubinstein, Glen Gould, just to name a few.
Host: Awesome! Thank you very much for answering my questions. If you want to be a real piano player you need to go to Steinway.
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