by Bud Ward
There’s a new kid in town.
Actually, it’s not a kid at all, but rather a musical instrument, in this case a piano for the Northern Neck Orchestra (NNO). And in reality, it’s not even in town yet. Not just yet…but coming to the new Lancaster High School when it is completed.
Truth is, it’s a majestic Steinway concert grand piano, specifically a new Steinway Model D concert grand. The model long has been the favorite of most of the world’s greatest pianists. The piano is recognized for its incredible tonality and expressiveness that ranges from intimacy and elegance to passion and power, inspiring performers and moving audiences.
And in addition to its substantial length of about nine feet, this one is on steroids: It has a new technology named “Spirio,” a successor to the old “player piano” many will remember from their youths. That, and so much more.
This new piano—one of a kind in the entire Northern Neck and beyond—is now the property of the 33-year-old Northern Neck Orchestra, courtesy of an anonymous donor’s $300,000 charitable gift. “A true asset to Lancaster County and the entire region,” in the words of music director, conductor and pianist Michael Repper, who traveled to New York City recently to make the selection.
Making that choice from among three specific and brand-new Model Ds shown to him was, Repper said, “a fun challenge.” All Steinways are meticulously hand-built and “they are all of extremely high quality,” he said in describing the selection process he headed on behalf of the NNO. “They will all differ in their tone, character, control, and in other matters.”
“One stood out,” he continued. “In selecting a piano for an orchestra, you are looking for an instrument with a wide range of control, with an ability to project over an orchestra without too much effort and with the most controllable sound.
“All three pianos I tried were great,” he said. But “the third option was immediately the clear choice for the NNO. Upon playing it, I knew that it was the right piano for us. Trusted colleagues confirmed my intuition.”
With its ever-expanding library of performances from Steinway pianists, for example, Spirio can replicate performances with the push of a button, the live audience experiencing their playing not through a speaker but through the instrument itself. The system also can record what is played on the piano, with all the nuances of the pianist’s performance.
Repper says the Spirio resources “will be extremely consequential for our pre-concert talks,” will “expand the kinds of concerts the orchestra can offer,” and will provide new opportunities for music education throughout the region. He does not envision the new piano’s replacing NNO live piano performances but said he looks forward to “finding creative ways” of using its new technology.
Orchestra fans and music lovers throughout the region can look forward to seeing—and more importantly hearing—the new piano as the orchestra, in Repper’s words, “continues to grow and flourish.”
The new Lancaster High School and theater, once they open, will become the new home of the orchestra and site of its future concerts. Until then, the new piano will be safely stored off-site at Steinway’s expense.
One thing audiences will notice for certain: It’s not our grandparents’ old upright piano in the living room. Not by a long shot. Very long.
