A few months ago, the famed New York arts school Juilliard broke with decades of tradition and purchased a Fazioli; the first non Steinway performance piano for
the school. According to an article in The Globe and Mail, the acquisition of the Fazioli caused quite a political firestorm at the school as enormous pressure was placed on them to remain an all Steinway school. Both Julliard and Steinway are New York City icons and have enjoyed a close relationship for generations. The Fazioli was put on loan for almost a year so students faculty and industry experts could audition the piano allowing the board to determine whether the purchase was worth the potential risk. In the end, the answer seemed to be a unanimous yes.
Paulo Fazioli, who personally oversees the annual production of 115 pianos (Steinway produces 1,700+) has received international acclaim for the unprecedented precision, tonal colour, sustain, clarity and power of his instruments. Many artists believe it is the finest piano ever built and several industry luminaries including Herbie Hancock and Angela Hewitt own one and prefer to perform on Fazioli’s whenever possible. Fazioli is one of the only piano manufacturers who pay no endorsement fees for artists.
