RVS needed a truly grand piano, a stunning Steinway D confined to a New York high-rise needed a place to spread its wings; the big bird is headed for Medford’s Craterian Theater

By Jim Flint for Ashland.news

When Rogue Valley Symphony music director Martin Majkut met a beautiful 20-year-old in New York City last summer, it was love at first sight. He proposed and the match was sealed.

The object of his affection? A stunning 9-foot Hamburg Steinway D, which RVS officially acquired this spring.

Perched atop a high-rise in a Manhattan architect’s office for two decades, “The Raven” — a 20-year-old grand piano — is finally coming to roost in its new home this summer, just in time for its official coming-out party — a weeklong, three-concert debut at Medford’s Craterian Theater in August.

An unexpected bequest from the estate of a Grants Pass symphony patron came at a fortuitous moment: The RVS board had been discussing the need for a new concert grand.

“The RVS has never owned one before,” Majkut said. “The pianos we used were rentals; the board agreed to earmark the bequest for a new instrument and tasked me to find a suitable one.”

Majkut describes the Steinway at Southern Oregon University’s Music Recital Hall as “a fine instrument,” but says the rental piano used at the Craterian and Grants Pass performances was “on its last legs.” He notes that many guest artists have echoed that concern — if not in those exact words, then certainly in sentiment.

Perfect timing

As luck would have it, just as the bequest came through, RVS learned about The Raven becoming available from one of its piano soloists, Michael Stephen Brown. Majkut and Brown rushed to New York to check it out.

“They were both smitten,” said Joelle Graves, RVS executive director.

“The piano, new, would cost $250,000,” Graves said. “We paid $160,000 and that included all the preparation.”

The move cross-country in a climate-controlled truck will cost $8,500. RVS is partnering with a company that specializes in moving pianos. It recently relocated from California to the Rogue Valley. That company is lining up two additional pianos to ride along with The Raven for transport westward.

 Steinway has been building pianos in Queens, New York, and Hamburg, Germany, since 1880.

The Hamburg is bult with a typical European hall in mind,” Majkut said. “Considering the size of our halls, I believe the Hamburg is a great fit.”

Majkut describes The Raven has having an extensive range of expression — with many colors and an extraordinary dynamic range.

“It simply has a personality of its own,” he said. “I think it lends itself best to a player of great finesse, but will also willingly play for a thundering virtuoso. It can create a big sound, but it is never going to be piercing. It invites the player to explore different colors and to create multilayered textures.”

Majkut, an accomplished pianist himself, envisions The Raven influencing future programming choices for RVS.

“Once I get more intimately acquainted with its abilities and the sounds it likes to make, it will bring to mind concertos that would be the best fit for it,” he said. “It is an exciting prospect to have this dialogue with an instrument.”

Naming The Raven

Tali Mahanor, a Steinway-trained piano technician, had long served as the trusted tuner for the piano’s former owner, internationally renowned architect Rafael Viñoly. She christened it The Raven, inspired by the piano’s midnight sheen and glossy black allure.

She also connected Brown and Majkut with the Viñoly family and is preparing the piano for its new role, traveling to the Rogue Valley this summer to perform a final tuning.

Meanwhile, Mahanor has restrung the entire upper half of the grand, made several adjustments, and rounded the edges of every key to make glissandos more comfortable. Majkut hopes that during Mahanor’s visit to the Rogue Valley this summer she might be persuaded to give a talk about The Raven and the intricate work she’s done on it.

Festival premiere

The official introduction to Rogue Valley Symphony audiences will be during Pianopalooza, a festival of three concerts, featuring six world-class artists.

Each of the concerts will feature a solo piano piece along with two pieces performed with the orchestra: a classical double concerto for violin and piano, and a piano concerto.

On Aug. 19, violinist Yevgeny Kurik and Ashland pianist Alexander Tutunov will perform Hummel’s Concerto for Violin and Piano. Then Tutunov will perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

On Aug. 22, violinist Will Hagen and pianist Joyce Yang will perform Haydn’s Concerto for Violin and Piano, followed by Yang performing Grieg’s Piano Concerto.

On Aug. 24, violinist Geneva Lewis and pianist Maxim Lando will perform Mozart’s Concerto for Violin and Piano, followed by Lando performing Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

“It’s an ambitious festival,” said Majkut, “unlike anything we’ve done before.”

For concert times, program information, and tickets, visit rvsymphony.org. RVS currently is processing subscription renewals. New subscriptions and single tickets will be available June 20.

Architect and musician

The piano’s former owner was the principal of Rafael Viñoly Architects, with offices in New York City, Palo Alto, California, London, Manchester, Abu Dhabi and Buenos Aires. He designed landmark buildings internationally.

Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, he died from an aneurysm in New York City in 2023 at the age of 78.

Viñoly was a serious amateur pianist and a lifelong lover of the Hamburg Steinway in particular. After having a New York Steinway D for many years, he finally decided to splurge and acquired his first Hamburg D in the1990s.

“My father played the piano every day of his life for over 50 years,” said his son, Román Viñoly, current director of the firm. “At the end of his life, he owned four Steinway Ds — one in his office, one in his home in New York City, one in his home on Long Island and one in his home in Uruguay.”

Housed in a specially built soundproof room within the firm’s sweeping Manhattan top-floor suite — complete with a dedicated HVAC system and integrated humidifiers and dehumidifiers — The Raven provided a welcome respite from the exigencies of a very demanding professional life.

“My father also enjoyed the challenges of improving his playing,” Viñoly said. “Sometimes he played for just 10 minutes — to change his perspective on a particular challenge — and sometimes for hours on end. He usually came out of his piano room with new ideas to pursue.”

More than an instrument

After his father’s death, letting go of the piano was no easy task for Viñoly.

“As his son, it was a bit difficult to part with one of his most cherished possessions. To me, he was in the thing, somehow,” he said.

The Raven had been “tamed” by piano technician Mahanor for the small space in which it resided. Viñoly forgot how big the sound could be until after it was tuned again for the symphony’s purposes.

“I realized then it had somehow been caged for our purposes,” he said.

That realization sparked a shift in perspective, leading Viñoly to reconsider the piano’s future beyond his own use.

“I did not want it to languish in obscurity as my sometime plaything,” Viñoly said. “I thought it should have a better life and be heard by many more people. I am happy to see it released to its full potential again.”

And now, as The Raven spreads its wings in the Rogue Valley, it begins a bold new chapter — no longer tucked away in a private studio, but taking center stage, ready to inspire musicians and move audiences for generations to come.

Freelance writer Jim Flint is a retired newspaper publisher and editor. Email him at [email protected].