Only one month into the year, Hugh Murphy has already sold enough Steinway pianos to satisfy the 2007 sales quota of his Syracuse store, Clark Music Center.
Angela Kershner / The Citizen
Hugh Murphy sits at his Steinway & Sons piano at his home in Fleming Thursday. Murphy recently completed a sale of 141 Steinway pianos to SUNY Potsdam's music school.
Murphy, of Fleming, recently supervised the sale of 141 Steinways to SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music for $3.5 million.
“This is more in terms of both units and dollars than we do in a year,” Murphy said. “You cannot imagine how big this is for us.”
The sale is the largest for both Clark Music and Steinway in each institution's excess of 150 years in operation.
The pianos will be shipped to Potsdam in six truckloads. Two 18-wheelers have already taken 48 of the pianos to the college.
On Wednesday, Feb. 14, Murphy will accompany faculty from the Crane School to select some of the remaining pianos that will go to Potsdam. Steinway will provide artists to play up to 28 pianos from which the faculty will choose two 12-foot grand models - known as Ds - and 12 7-foot grand pianos, or Bs.
“They'll be listening for tone quality, evenness throughout the range, technical aspects of the keys and how they react,” said Dr. Glenn Guiles, associate dean of Potsdam's Crane School of Music.
The leftover balance of pianos - 78 total - will ship to Potsdam in March. The college will also receive a D model piano directly from Steinway's plant in Hamburg, Germany. Each Steinway is handmade over the course of a year from wood that has been kiln-dried and humidified to retain its basic structure.
“Steinway is quite frankly the best piano in the world,” Murphy said.
Steinway spokeswoman Janet Bronschidle points out that 97 percent of concert pianists worldwide play Steinway pianos. By using only Steinway pianos at the Crane School, Potsdam will attain the status of an “All-Steinway School,” shared by only 65 institutions worldwide.
The pianos will be placed in the Crane School's teaching studios, practice rooms and performance spaces, where they can be of optimum use to both students and professors.
Murphy will be taking the 125 Steinways that have occupied those spaces since Potsdam purchased the instruments in 1954. He will then refurbish and sell the pianos at the Clark Music Center to complete the transaction.
“We were very fortunate; Hugh and his staff have been fantastic people to work with and put the deal together,” Guiles said.
“This is more in terms of both units and dollars than we do in a year,” Murphy said. “You cannot imagine how big this is for us.”
The sale is the largest for both Clark Music and Steinway in each institution's excess of 150 years in operation.
The pianos will be shipped to Potsdam in six truckloads. Two 18-wheelers have already taken 48 of the pianos to the college.
On Wednesday, Feb. 14, Murphy will accompany faculty from the Crane School to select some of the remaining pianos that will go to Potsdam. Steinway will provide artists to play up to 28 pianos from which the faculty will choose two 12-foot grand models - known as Ds - and 12 7-foot grand pianos, or Bs.
“They'll be listening for tone quality, evenness throughout the range, technical aspects of the keys and how they react,” said Dr. Glenn Guiles, associate dean of Potsdam's Crane School of Music.
The leftover balance of pianos - 78 total - will ship to Potsdam in March. The college will also receive a D model piano directly from Steinway's plant in Hamburg, Germany. Each Steinway is handmade over the course of a year from wood that has been kiln-dried and humidified to retain its basic structure.
“Steinway is quite frankly the best piano in the world,” Murphy said.
Steinway spokeswoman Janet Bronschidle points out that 97 percent of concert pianists worldwide play Steinway pianos. By using only Steinway pianos at the Crane School, Potsdam will attain the status of an “All-Steinway School,” shared by only 65 institutions worldwide.
The pianos will be placed in the Crane School's teaching studios, practice rooms and performance spaces, where they can be of optimum use to both students and professors.
Murphy will be taking the 125 Steinways that have occupied those spaces since Potsdam purchased the instruments in 1954. He will then refurbish and sell the pianos at the Clark Music Center to complete the transaction.
“We were very fortunate; Hugh and his staff have been fantastic people to work with and put the deal together,” Guiles said.
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