Steinway showroom moves closer to all the piano action in Fort Worth
October 10,2019
See full CultureMap article by Stephanie Allmon Merry here.
After years of being tucked away on Camp Bowie Boulevard, Steinway has moved downtown — and its location couldn't be more perfect. The new Steinway Gallery of Fort Worth has opened its doors at 510 Commerce St. in Sundance Square, basically across the street from Bass Performance Hall.
The new 3,000-square-foot store features pianos from the three Steinway brands — Steinway, Boston, and Essex. This includes a full range of new pianos direct from New York, as well as heirloom instruments, from uprights to grands, the company says. They'll also offer piano services that include tuning, voicing, restoration, and repair.
“We’ve been at home in Fort Worth for some time, but moving to Sundance Square opens new horizons for us," says Casey D. Saliba, vice president of sales & marketing for Steinway Showrooms of North Texas and Houston, in a release. "We have showrooms in downtown Plano and near downtown Dallas and one near downtown Houston. Now to be in downtown Fort Worth is a dream come true. Visitors are already raving about the elegance, beauty, and contemporary tone of our Commerce Street space.”
The new showroom is also a performance venue, serving as a recital space for musicians, students, teachers, and piano aficionados in the Fort Worth area. In fact, a recital starring one of Fort Worth's favorite pianists officially christened the store.
An invitation-only reception on October 9 featured a recital by Olga Kern, 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition gold medalist and Steinway artist, just one day ahead of her sold-out two-night Cliburn engagement at the Kimbell Art Museum. U.S. Congresswoman Kay Granger and Steinway CEO Ron Losby were in attendance.
The new store, by the way, also happens to be just a few blocks from The Cliburn headquarters. A large photo of the foundation's namesake and Fort Worth's adopted son Van Cliburn hangs on a wall of the showroom.
The public will get the chance to celebrate the Fort Worth store on October 12. WRR 101.1 FM radio’s Barry Samsula will host a remote broadcast at Steinway Hall from 9 am to 1 pm. Visitors can drop by and meet the radio personality, enjoy food and drinks, and see the selection of Steinway pianos up close.
Grand opening events continue with a sales event October 24-27, available by appointment only. The sale will feature new and used Steinway pianos, Steinway-designed Boston and Essex pianos, as well as the new Spirio high-resolution Steinway player piano, the release says.
For anyone who likes the idea of a Steinway in their living room but doesn't possess piano skills, the new showroom carries Steinway's famous Spirio "player" piano. It uses new cutting-edge technology to play thousands of acoustic performance pieces at the touch of a screen.
Regular store hours will be 11 am-7 pm Monday-Saturday and 1-5 pm Sunday, so it will be easy to drop in before a Bass Hall performance, or even during intermission of a Sunday matinee.
This adjacency to Bass Hall offers convenience and opportunity that the company is excited about.
“It’s ideal to be next door to a performing arts venue like Bass Hall,” says Steinway President Danny Saliba in the release. “From the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition to visiting Steinway artists and more, our Steinway pianos regularly grace the Bass Hall stage. We have high hopes for our future neighborly collaborations.”
Location Mentioned: Bass Performance Hall