Southern Nevada Music in the NEWS!

Here is an article featured in Las Vegas Business Press July, 2006

Established in 1853, the Steinway & Sons Company creates around 3,500 pianos a year, all of which are measured by the highest standards set down by founder Henry Steinway, whose credo was, "Make no compromise in quality."

And that mantra holds true even in today's automated world as each Steinway is handcrafted and can take up to a year or more to create.

According to Denise Wunderlich, co-owner of Southern Nevada Music, 99 percent of concert artists worldwide choose the Steinway brand.

"Anyone who plays is going to prefer a Steinway," she said. "People come in and instantly see and hear the difference. What sets Steinway apart is the touch and sound."

Open in Las Vegas since 1958, Southern Nevada Music showcases its Steinways in a separate room in each of its stores.

"It's the most exclusive product," Wunderlich said. "You need more room to show off the grains of wood. You can't just line them up or you wouldn't be able to see how wonderful they are."

The company offers a "Crown Jewel Collection" of woods that include Kewazinga Bewinga, African Cherry, East Indian Redwood and African Pommele, among others.

Each piece used to create a Steinway is carefully selected, then cures for months at the factory until it stabilizes at a specified moisture content.

One log makes four pianos, and part of the log used to create those pianos is saved. If for some reason replacement wood is needed, Steinway goes back to the original log and derives a replacement piece from there to ensure the same grain of wood is being used on the piano, according to Wunderlich.

Southern Nevada Music is currently featuring a Steinway & Sons Louis XV Grand, part of the "Crown Jewel Collection," inside its Rainbow location showroom. The piano was crafted with East Indian Rosewood, which is found only in southern India and Sri Lanka, and features hand-carved legs. It is priced to sell at $101,300.

"We've never had this piano before," said Wunderlich, who noted that there are 12,116 parts in every piano and 57 parts in each key. "It takes 18 months to build."

Steinway & Sons also features a "Legendary Collection," in which the company re-creates historical Steinway Art Case pianos. The first of this collection is the Alma-Tadema grand piano replica, priced at $675,000, which took more than 20 months to complete. The piano boasts a hand-carved case, lid and legs, and features mother-of-pearl inlays.

Not only do artists and entertainers purchase Steinways, but intelligent investors also choose the brand. "The affluent buyer buys the best," Wunderlich said. "Steinway pianos double every 10 years in price, so many people buy for the investment."

While Steinway & Sons pianos are listed between $19,000 and $146,000, that doesn't include any custom options on the instrument. Personalized Steinways can easily reach upwards of $600,000.

"We order a lot of custom work," she said. "In Las Vegas a glossy finish is popular" as in the case of Steinway's black satin classic, Ebony.

Whether you're a classical pianist or one who likes to tickle the ivories as a stress reducer, almost anyone can appreciate the amount of time and care that goes into making such fine instruments. After all, 99 percent of concert artists can't be wrong.

Art and Music Join Forces

Artist Christian Riese Lassen sings at his gallery in The Forum Shops at Caesars after unveiling his most recent painting, done on a piano. He is accompanied by Bob Lynch of Southern Nevada Music. The painting is titled "Melody of Love" and was painted on the lid of a Yamaha Disklavier piano. The lid was shipped to Lassen's studio in Hawaii, where it was painted. Lynch had the body of the piano delivered to his home, where he recorded the piano accompaniments for Lassen's newest CD. Everything came back together for the unveiling on Oct. 21.