From Gershwin to Van Cliburn: Signed Steinways Make an Impression January 07 2025

As an amateur autograph collector, I’ve become intrigued by the unique variety of items that are autographed by celebrities.

While the sports memorabilia world is dominated with signatures on everything from balls to cups, much of the arts world is mostly limited to photos, playbills, and programs. The rock and roll world branched out a few decades ago with more and more guitars being signed although, more often than not, it turns out that the pickguard was signed and then attached to a cheap guitar. There is a lesser-known phenomenon in the music world – the signing of pianos.

While some pianos feature replicated signatures as part of their design, like the Steinway Imagine piano featuring John Lennon and the Dakota Jackson designed Steinway Black Diamond featuring Lang Lang, these are not live signatures.

What compels someone to sign six-hundred-plus pound instruments? These pianos typically fall into one of three categories; those signed by professional musicians (who likely played the piano once or twice), those signed by celebrity owners, and those signed by piano industry icons.

[CLICKABLE IMAGE] Pianist Van Cliburn in 1960

A closer look inside the pianos of some concert halls will reveal signatures of some of the more famous pianists who have played on them. While certainly cool, these eclectic collections will include some autographs that the next owner may not recognize. One retired concert grand I sold had signatures ranging from Michael Feinstein to Bobby Short. I’ve sold an upright signed by Ferrante and Teicher, complete with a hand-drawn cartoon!

While sometime interpreted as the artist endorsing that particular piano, they are more of a courtesy to the piano owner and proof that “someone famous played this piano once.”

The late maestro Van Cliburn was known for purchasing nearly every Steinway concert grand he felt spoke to him, playing them for a while, then selling them with his signature at a profit. Who can blame him?

Twice I’ve sold the Steinway & Sons Model ‘B’ piano that actually belonged to jazz legend Oscar Peterson – complete with provenance. The piano even had three holes in its music desk where Peterson had attached a microphone for use in his home studio. I left the holes untouched.

The one name that is most likely to adorn a quality piano’s heavy, iron plate is the same name that adorns the fallboard.

Henry Z. Steinway (1915-2008), the last family member to serve as Steinway & Sons president, was as gracious as he was brilliant. He continued his family legacy while saving the company from the economic challenges of the 1970’s. If one purchased a piano from the iconic Steinway Hall in New York City during his tenure, he would happily sign the iron plate… they just might need to wait a little while for delivery. I once accompanied Henry to the basement of the historic building on West 57th Street where three recently sold piano awaited his pen.

[CLICKABLE IMAGE] Famous jazz pianist Oscar Peterson

He shared the list of serial numbers and I located each model, opening and propping the lids so that Henry could sign in Sharpie. “I’ve never understood why anybody wants my signature. It’s not like I built the thing,” he quipped. It would not be surprising to find that he had signed 10,000 pianos in his career.

The most unique signed piano I have come across is a Steinway & Sons Model ‘A’ grand built in 1936 for Benjamin and Pinkie Fry. While its Fiddleback Maple finish is striking, what I found most interesting about this piano was the documentation the owner provided.

A letter to Mrs. Fry from then firm president Theodore E. Steinway assured her that, “It will be a great privilege for me to see that this time you will receive a Steinway grand that will please you in every respect,” and that “I will personally make final inspection of the instrument before shipment.” In more than 25 years representing the brand, I have never come across such a correspondence from a Steinway & Sons president.

As with many artifacts, my curiosity was piqued. Why would Steinway go out of his way to send such a letter?

During my research, I found that Fry was a close friend of pianist, composer, and Immortal Steinway Artist George Gershwin. Their chance meeting on the streets of St Louis would start a friendship between two diversely creative artists. They would exchange letters over the years – most of which Pinkie kept – and the Fry’s would host Gershwin when he performed in their hometown. Gershwin personalized a print of his self-portrait to Pinkie “from one artist to another” and doodled another self-portrait in a copy of his own program while sitting in their living room.

So close were the two that Gershwin became godfather to Pinkie’s first daughter, who was born around the same time their new Steinway piano was delivered. In his letters, Gershwin assures his friend that, “I wouldn’t worry too much about your new Steinway being all right as I am sure it will be,” and that “to get a baby girl and a baby grand at the same time seems to me to be the height of something or other.”

[CLICKABLE IMAGE] A beautiful photo portrait of the famous American composer George Gershwin signed by him with a short sentiment.

Further investigation revealed that the piano was completed at the Steinway & Sons factory in Queens, New York, but instead of being shipped to the new owner in St Louis, it was shipped to Steinway Hall in Manhattan. While there is no official record as to why the piano took a detour, I found an explanation inside the piano.

Steinway & Sons shipped the piano to the City as a courtesy to Gershwin, who played, then autographed the instrument, giving him the true final approval.

Such an accommodation also explains the Steinway letter. Given Gershwin’s rockstar status at the time and his close relationship with Steinway & Sons, Theodore wanted to make sure that George’s friend was happy.

We must assume she told Gershwin as much. While we do not have her correspondence to him, he replied to her a little more than a month after auditioning her Steinway and less than a year before his death.

“I’m glad the piano pleased you so much,” Gershwin wrote. “I was quite sure it would as it is very beautiful.”

This is a wonderful example of why we love autographs. Look closely enough at a personal signature and you will see the heartbeat of the author.

Without these letters, the drawings, and his mark on the instrument itself, this story of friendship may have been lost. Now, through this piano – which was completely restored for future generations – George and Pinkie’s friendship lives on to inspire others in a way that no other piano can.

This article was a special contribution by Grant Billings.

For additional information, photographs and supporting documents about the Fry Gershwin Steinway Piano please click here.

Images of the Fry Gershwin Steinway piano were taken with permission from www.steinwaynaples.com

SEE ALSO:

- Van Cliburn Signed Photograph

- George Gershwin Signed Photograph

- Pianists Autographs & Memorabilia

- Concert Programs Signed by Pianists

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