It is with great excitement today that I announce that Steinway & Son’s of New York, Hall Piano Company of Metairie, and The Musical Arts Society of New Orleans have entered into an official partnership making Steinway Pianos the Official Piano of the New Orleans International Piano Competition as well as the New Orleans Piano Institute.  Hall Piano Company has been exclusively providing pianos as well as technical services for these events since 2004, however, having Steinway & Son’s of New York as partners in this sponsorship will enable us to offer additional concert pianos from the famed New York Steinway Concert Artist basement for the participants to use during the competition performances and support activities.

This year’s competition will mark a return of a full schedule of events for the first time since hurricane Katrina, and serves as another milestone in the rebirth of cultural events in our great city.  Be sure not to miss Steinway Artist Ellis Marsalis’ performance at the new event, Jazz at the Tower.  This will be a jazz/dinner evening featuring Dr.  Marsalis, the patriarch of the renowned Marsalis family musicians. This program, which will take place at the Cricket Club (aka the Eiffel Tower) on St. Charles Avenue, will end the Keyboard Festival on Saturday evening, July 28, the evening before the Final Round of the Competition.   For more information about these exciting events, please the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans website at www.masno.org.

Join us as well, every Sunday afternoon at 4:30pm, on WLAE channel 32, for highlights of the 2006 competition.