our bösendorfer
Following several years in storage, we are delighted that our magnificent Bösendorfer concert-grand piano has returned to Haddington and is now housed in St Mary's Parish Church. Once again at the heart of our Music Close Up seasons, a magnet for visiting pianists, it is also available for community use. For enquiries about using the piano please contact Andrew Robinson: [email protected]
In September 2005, after a year-long fundraising campaign and with the help of a Scottish Arts Council Lottery Grant augmented by generous donations from local music lovers, a dream came true for Haddington Concert Society when a magnificent Bösendorfer concert-grand piano was delivered to the Town House, Haddington, the artistic home of the Society.
As the Scotsman reported at the time, the Society “aimed high, wanting the best”. The piano had been on loan to one of the world’s famous concert halls, the Brahmssaal of the Musikverein in Vienna, where it was played by, among others, the great Hungarian pianist Andras Schiff, who was interested in buying it. But the proprietor of Edinburgh Piano Company had made a prior pitch for Haddington, and to Haddington it was duly delivered, amid much fanfare and excitement.
The following April, to celebrate the piano’s acquisition and to make the most of its superb qualities, the Society held a gala piano recital at which the celebrated British pianist John Lill performed, a thrilling occasion that firmly set the seal on the piano’s reputation and the ambitious standards for which the Concert Society is well known. For twelve years thereafter, each April a pianist of international renown was lured to Haddington to play the Bösendorfer at a Gala Piano Recital – all outstanding concert pianists at home in the performing halls of the great cities of Europe, who relished the opportunity to play the Society’s piano in an intimate setting where the proximity of the audience added a special atmosphere for the pianist as well as for the audience, who seldom have the opportunity to witness performances of this quality at such close quarters. The excitement at these occasions was palpable.
But the piano is much more than a celebrity showcase. At the time of the purchase, the Society promised that it would become an integral part of East Lothian’s cultural life, readily available for community use. By 2010 alone, the piano had been used on over 200 occasions by numerous local organisations and individuals, as well as playing an important role in the Society’s own concerts. It was used regularly for piano examinations and at the annual East Lothian Schools Piano Festival. For many years, the Society held an “Open Piano” day on Doors Open Day, when local pianists, young and old, amateur or professional, could go along to the Town House to play the piano, an opportunity that was relished by a growing number of people each year. It is particularly thrilling to see and hear young children sit down at the keyboard and hear the lovely sounds they (and the piano) can make. As one music lover noted, the Bösendorfer had become “the people’s piano”.
Sadly, the Society lost the use of the Town House when it closed for renovations prior to lockdown, and it is no longer available for public use. For several years the piano was in storage while we held concerts in the beautiful setting of Holy Trinity Church, which unfortunately couldn’t accommodate the piano over the winter months. But now, in its splendid new home at St Mary’s, a new era is beginning. Four of our concerts this season will use the piano, and in the 2025-26 season, when we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the piano’s arrival in Haddington, it will form the centrepiece of every concert we hold. We thank St Mary’s Parish Kirk for the opportunity to keep our piano here and to participate in Doors Open Day once more, allowing the Bösendorfer to be admired and used as we always intended, as a true resource for the community and an inspiration to musicians young and old.
Technical details:
Model: Bösendorfer 275
Serial number: 30469/776
Year of manufacture: 1974
The 275, with its additional bass keys and distinctive bell-like quality, ceased production in the early 2000s.
In September 2005, after a year-long fundraising campaign and with the help of a Scottish Arts Council Lottery Grant augmented by generous donations from local music lovers, a dream came true for Haddington Concert Society when a magnificent Bösendorfer concert-grand piano was delivered to the Town House, Haddington, the artistic home of the Society.
As the Scotsman reported at the time, the Society “aimed high, wanting the best”. The piano had been on loan to one of the world’s famous concert halls, the Brahmssaal of the Musikverein in Vienna, where it was played by, among others, the great Hungarian pianist Andras Schiff, who was interested in buying it. But the proprietor of Edinburgh Piano Company had made a prior pitch for Haddington, and to Haddington it was duly delivered, amid much fanfare and excitement.
The following April, to celebrate the piano’s acquisition and to make the most of its superb qualities, the Society held a gala piano recital at which the celebrated British pianist John Lill performed, a thrilling occasion that firmly set the seal on the piano’s reputation and the ambitious standards for which the Concert Society is well known. For twelve years thereafter, each April a pianist of international renown was lured to Haddington to play the Bösendorfer at a Gala Piano Recital – all outstanding concert pianists at home in the performing halls of the great cities of Europe, who relished the opportunity to play the Society’s piano in an intimate setting where the proximity of the audience added a special atmosphere for the pianist as well as for the audience, who seldom have the opportunity to witness performances of this quality at such close quarters. The excitement at these occasions was palpable.
But the piano is much more than a celebrity showcase. At the time of the purchase, the Society promised that it would become an integral part of East Lothian’s cultural life, readily available for community use. By 2010 alone, the piano had been used on over 200 occasions by numerous local organisations and individuals, as well as playing an important role in the Society’s own concerts. It was used regularly for piano examinations and at the annual East Lothian Schools Piano Festival. For many years, the Society held an “Open Piano” day on Doors Open Day, when local pianists, young and old, amateur or professional, could go along to the Town House to play the piano, an opportunity that was relished by a growing number of people each year. It is particularly thrilling to see and hear young children sit down at the keyboard and hear the lovely sounds they (and the piano) can make. As one music lover noted, the Bösendorfer had become “the people’s piano”.
Sadly, the Society lost the use of the Town House when it closed for renovations prior to lockdown, and it is no longer available for public use. For several years the piano was in storage while we held concerts in the beautiful setting of Holy Trinity Church, which unfortunately couldn’t accommodate the piano over the winter months. But now, in its splendid new home at St Mary’s, a new era is beginning. Four of our concerts this season will use the piano, and in the 2025-26 season, when we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the piano’s arrival in Haddington, it will form the centrepiece of every concert we hold. We thank St Mary’s Parish Kirk for the opportunity to keep our piano here and to participate in Doors Open Day once more, allowing the Bösendorfer to be admired and used as we always intended, as a true resource for the community and an inspiration to musicians young and old.
Technical details:
Model: Bösendorfer 275
Serial number: 30469/776
Year of manufacture: 1974
The 275, with its additional bass keys and distinctive bell-like quality, ceased production in the early 2000s.
