German Piano Builder Udo Steingraeber reception March 2, 2010

Like Stradivarius and Guarneri violins, carefully cultivated, selected and prepared woods and meticulous design and precision hand craftsmanship are the keys to making truly great pianos. Udo Schmidt-Steingraeber, seventh generation of German piano makers based in the famed city of Bayreuth comes to Berkeley to lead a seminar for more than 100 professional Bay Area piano technicians and piano buffs about the history, mysteries, secrets and Steingraber's centuries of experience as leading builders of hand-crafted pianos to legendary pianists and composers including Franz Liszt.

Mr. Schmidt-Steingraeber will be honored at a reception for music teachers and the public from 3-5 p.m., and in the evening he will hold a seminar for piano technicians beginning at 6:30 p.m. with a mini-performance by pianist Dr. William Welborn, faculty member at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The seminar and reception will be held at R. Kassman Piano, 843 Gilman Street in Berkeley, and is co-sponsored by the three Bay Area chapters and the Sacramento chapter of the Piano Technicians Guild of America.

Mr. Schmidt-Steingraeber will discuss piano design and building past and present, how contemporary design has evolved from historical practice, state-of-the-art technology's place in hand-crafted pianos and design features particular to Steingraeber pianos.

"The art and craft of designing and making pianos by hand is dwindling, with more and more instruments being mass-produced and marketed like cars and more and more piano builders being bought up by large corporations," says Russell Kassman, host of the events. "Hearing Udo speak about seven generations of crafting pianos is a fascinating glimpse into a sadly waning art. This is a perfect topic for the Bay Area, where we celebrate the artesenal and the connections between producers, craftspeople and artists as a complete organic cycle."

Official Website: http://www.rkassman.com