It's off-topic but I thought it might be of interest for some.



Last Thursday, Henry Z. Steinway passed away at his home in Manhattan at the age of 93. Henry was an American icon who ran the piano company that bears his name for years and remained an active spokesperson for the company up until his death. He headed the company from 1955-1977 and was known throughout the industry for his warmth and wit, his commitment to the piano industry and profound respect for artists of all kinds.

I’ve known Henry since 1995 when my partner and I first invested in Steinway & Sons. At the time, many of the people at the company looked at our purchase with skepticism—we were young finance guys—and Henry himself admitted years later that he thought, “Here we go up the flue for sure.” Over time, though, we gained his confidence and as our relationship grew, he always greeted my partner and I with the genuine warmth and wit for which he was known.

After he retired around 1980, he maintained an office at Steinway Hall, our flagship showroom on 57th Street in Manhattan, and continued to serve as ambassador for the company. Most days, you could find him in his office typing on a 60s-era typewriter, meeting with awe-struck customers or dealers or just wandering around the building. In recent years, his visits were shorter and more sporadic, but whenever he was at Steinway Hall, the building had an aura of history and goodness that all visitors could feel.

In 1958, he and his family sold the building that houses the Hall and I think he regretted it from the moment he handed over the keys. In 1999, we had the opportunity to buy the building back, and although the investment value was debatable, we did so to insure the showroom’s ongoing presence. At the time, were mocked by investors, but when we announced it at our annual dealer meeting, Henry jumped up, broke into a huge grin and hugged anyone within reach. Ironically, the appreciation of Manhattan real estate made the purchase a winner, but Henry’s reaction trumped any economic gain. It remains one of the proudest moments in my career.

Henry always had time to share his thoughts on the industry and treated my partner and me with respect despite our relative lack of industry experience. He never once showed a bit of arrogance despite his fabled name and was full of self-deprecating humor. When President Bush awarded Henry the National Medal of Arts, the nation’s highest honor for the arts, he mentioned it to me with the wry qualifier, “They’ve made a mistake, but I don’t want to embarrass them. He's the President, you know.” It was classic Henry.

He and his wife Polly were happily married 64 years and I often referred to them as the coolest couple I ever met. She is a beautiful, sweet woman and I’m sure she misses him greatly. We all do. He was a giant.

The New York Times obituary...Henry Z. Steinway, Piano Maker, 1915-2008

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