Steinway & Sons has collaborated with American furniture designer Dakota Jackson and virtuoso pianist Lang Lang to produce the Steinway Black Diamond piano, set to be make its Asia launch in Singapore on 17 October 2019.
Extremely exclusive, these limited-edition Steinway pieces are inspired by the rarity of the black diamond. Only eight Model D concert grand pianos and 88 Model B classic grand pianos available in the world. In Singapore, two Limited Edition Black Diamond pianos (one black, one Macassar ebony) were pre-sold ahead of its official launch.
The only remaining coveted Model D concert grand piano available globally has been allocated to Singapore.
Dakota Jackson, famous for his eponymous brand, first worked with Steinway in 1998 to design the Tricentennial Artcase Grand Piano to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the instrument's invention. In 2016, the two parties collaborated once again for the 160th Anniversary Limited Edition Arabesque Grand Piano to celebrate the piano maker's 160th anniversary. The design, with twisting legs that were inspired by the Arabesque (ballet position), became the first Steinway & Sons piano to receive a Red Dot Design Award for Product Design.
For the Limited Edition Black Diamond, Jackson has added lustrous metallic accents and sweeping lines, his signature touch seen from the three slender diamond-shaped silhouettes punctuating the line of the rim to the elegant S-shaped topstick. Steinway Artist Lang Lang's signature adds a finishing touch to each Limited Edition.
"This Steinway has not only the look — but the sound, the emotion, the touch," said Lang Lang, the first Steinway Artist to be involved in the development of a Steinway grand.
Every Steinway Black Diamond comes equipped with the revolutionary SPIRIO | r technology, which offers exclusive high-resolution recording and playback for professional and amateur pianists. It presents new tools of expression and advanced ways to access, share, and experience performance. The device also contains a music library which includes exclusive performances from Steinway Artists from classical pianists like Lang Lang, to jazz stars like Diana Krall and pop artists like Billy Joel, as well as historic performances by Steinway Legends like Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Arthur Rubinstein.
As the maker of the world's finest pianos since 1853, Steinway & Sons has continually pushed boundaries and has led the revolution of bringing artistry, craftsmanship, and technological advancement together. While still adhering to traditions that have not changed in over a century, the Steinway Black Diamond continuously adapts cutting-edge technology to its creations. The Steinway Black Diamond takes the lead as the company enters a new era of evolution.