The $138,000 piano is the newest in the series of Art Case pianos designed and built by the renowned maker. Steinway & Sons believes this is the first and only piano in the world inspired by a resort.

�This is by far my most favorite of the entire Art Case series,� said Steinway piano designer Joe Sidorwicz. �We (Steinway) are extremely happy with the finished product.�

Sidorwicz is the Supervisor of the Pattern Shop at the Steinway & Sons factory in New York. His considerable design and woodworking skills are essential in meeting the design and manufacturing challenges of creating Steinway custom and limited edition pianos like the �Grove Park.�

The �Grove Park� piano uses white oak veneers throughout this unique design as there is a delicate and deliberate balance of both architectural and furniture design incorporated into the overall theme of this piano. The style techniques are synonymous with the Arts & Crafts Movement, the period in history when Edwin Wiley Grove conceptualized building The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa in 1912.

The unveiling will kick off the 18th annual Arts & Crafts Antique Show and Conference at the resort. Each year, hundreds of arts and crafts enthusiasts from around North America flock to the resort to share in the heritage of this historic period.

The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa contains the largest public collection of antique arts and crafts in the world within its walls.

�We are honored to have a work such as this themed after our historic resort,� said GPI president and CEO J. Craig Madison. �The piano definitely captures the spirit of the Arts & Crafts Movement and the history of this resort.�

The inspiration for creating the Grove Park piano came about during a visit by resort staffers to Steinway & Sons headquarters in New York as they commemorated the company�s 150th anniversary celebration in 2002. Subsequently, The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa sent Sidorwicz a series of photographs from the historic hotel showing examples of the distinct Arts & Crafts-style furniture and decor found throughout the spacious hallways, public areas, and guest rooms. After numerous meetings by Steinway & Sons design staff in early 2004, the company decided to embark on creating its next Art Case piano � the �Grove Park.� Ten months later, the Grove Park was transformed from concept to reality.

The handcraftsmanship of the various components such as the legs, lyre, music desk, and bench all utilize classic mortise and tenon joinery. The centerpiece of �Grove Park� is the music desk, featuring a leaded glass panel depicting a majestic oak tree with outstretched limbs reaching across the horizon with the sunset in the background peaking through between its branches. The bench is designed in a duet configuration. It has a low back design and a repetition of vertical spindles, and is capped by a horizontal top rail in the spirit of the classic Morris chair design. Two leather-upholstered bench cushions are inset into the bench top.

Jazz pianist Judy Carmichael will be the first artist to play the �Grove Park� piano. Judy Carmichael�s Grammy-nominated recording, �Two Handed Stride,� teamed her with four giants of jazz from the Count Basie Orchestra. She has written two books on stride piano and numerous articles on the subject of jazz. She has served on a variety of music panels at the National Endowment for the Arts, and is one of the few jazz pianists honored as a Steinway Artist.

The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa is one of the South's most venerable and famous grand resorts. Built in 1913 from granite stones mined from Sunset Mountain, the resort overlooks the Asheville, North Carolina, skyline, and provides guests with majestic views of the legendary Blue Ridge Mountains. For decades, the Inn has been a favorite year-round destination for both leisure and business guests as the resort continues to lure future generations to its magical mountainside splendor. Located in north Asheville on Macon Avenue, it is a member of the Historic Hotels of America and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Steinway & Sons began creating Art Case pianos in 1857.

For more information on the Grove Park Art Case piano and a complete list of all those artistic masterpieces, please visit www.steinway.com. For resort information, please visit www.groveparkinn.com.

(Images provided by the Grove Park Inn & Steinway.)

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