Henry Z. Steinway
Encyclopedia
Henry Ziegler Steinway (August 23, 1915 – September 18, 2008) was the last Steinway president of the piano company Steinway & Sons
.
He was the great-grandson of the company founder Henry E. Steinway
and started at the firm in 1937 after graduating from Harvard University
. He was president of the company from 1955 to 1977. He was the first president of NAMM Museum of Making Music
.
The 2007 National Medal of Arts
was awarded to Henry Z. Steinway and presented by US President George Bush
on 15 November 2007 in an East Room ceremony at the White House
. Henry Z. Steinway received the award for "his devotion to preserving and promoting quality craftsmanship and performance; as an arts patron and advocate for music and music education; and for continuing the fine tradition of the Steinway piano as an international symbol of American ingenuity and cultural excellence. The National Medal of Arts is a presidential initiative managed by the National Endowment for the Arts
.
In celebration of his 91st birthday and honoring a lifetime of service to the company, Steinway & Sons introduced a series of Henry Z. Steinway Limited Edition pianos in ebony or East Indian rosewood with distinctive music stands bearing cutwork of the initials HZS. The pianos were advertised nationally. A small cast bronze ovoid plaque inside each such piano bears relief sculpture
portraits of the Steinway family company presidents, along with a space for the serial number
to be stamped. A total of 91 HZS pianos were authorized: one for each year of his life at the time.
Henry Z. Steinway donated his administrative files from the 1960s-70s to La Guardia and Wagner Archives
(see also the section Steinway & Sons in the article La Guardia and Wagner Archives), which contains the records of the piano company dating to the 1850s.
He died aged 93 in New York City
, the place of his birth.
Steinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway , is an American and German manufacturer of handmade pianos, founded 1853 in Manhattan in New York City by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg...
.
He was the great-grandson of the company founder Henry E. Steinway
Henry E. Steinway
Henry E. Steinway made pianos in Germany and the United States. He was the founder of the piano company Steinway & Sons....
and started at the firm in 1937 after graduating from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He was president of the company from 1955 to 1977. He was the first president of NAMM Museum of Making Music
Museum of Making Music
The Museum of Making Music — a division of the NAMM Foundation — is a 501 non-profit organization located in Carlsbad, California. The museum opened to the public on March 5, 2000...
.
The 2007 National Medal of Arts
National Medal of Arts
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. It is the highest honor conferred to an individual artist on behalf of the people. Honorees are selected by the National Endowment for the...
was awarded to Henry Z. Steinway and presented by US President George Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on 15 November 2007 in an East Room ceremony at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. Henry Z. Steinway received the award for "his devotion to preserving and promoting quality craftsmanship and performance; as an arts patron and advocate for music and music education; and for continuing the fine tradition of the Steinway piano as an international symbol of American ingenuity and cultural excellence. The National Medal of Arts is a presidential initiative managed by the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
.
In celebration of his 91st birthday and honoring a lifetime of service to the company, Steinway & Sons introduced a series of Henry Z. Steinway Limited Edition pianos in ebony or East Indian rosewood with distinctive music stands bearing cutwork of the initials HZS. The pianos were advertised nationally. A small cast bronze ovoid plaque inside each such piano bears relief sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
portraits of the Steinway family company presidents, along with a space for the serial number
Serial number
A serial number is a unique number assigned for identification which varies from its successor or predecessor by a fixed discrete integer value...
to be stamped. A total of 91 HZS pianos were authorized: one for each year of his life at the time.
Henry Z. Steinway donated his administrative files from the 1960s-70s to La Guardia and Wagner Archives
La Guardia and Wagner Archives
The La Guardia and Wagner Archives was established in 1982 at in Long Island City, Queens, New York, to collect, preserve, and make available primary materials documenting the social and political history of New York City, with an emphasis on the mayoralty and the borough of Queens...
(see also the section Steinway & Sons in the article La Guardia and Wagner Archives), which contains the records of the piano company dating to the 1850s.
He died aged 93 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the place of his birth.
External links
- Official website of Steinway's factory in New York City
- Official website of Steinway's factory in Hamburg
- The Steinway & Sons Collection in La Guardia and Wagner Archives
(see also the section Steinway & Sons in the article La Guardia and Wagner Archives) - The Steinway family, company and village in Greater Astoria Historical Society
(see also the article Greater Astoria Historical SocietyGreater Astoria Historical SocietyThe Greater Astoria Historical Society is a non-profit cultural and historical organization located in Astoria, Queens, New York, dedicated to preserving the past and promoting the future of the neighborhoods that are part of historic Long Island City, including; the Village of Astoria,...
)