The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna is situated at the heart of European music and art. As a city renowned for its illustrious musicians like Mozart, Beethoven, Schoenberg, and many others, Vienna’s music school strives for excellence in all its activities and programs.
To this end, the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien (MDW) sought to acquire top-quality instruments for its students in 2023. The University needed three performance-level pianos: one for piano solo performances, another for art song interpretation as an accompanying piano, and a third for pedagogical and didactic use.
Manufacturers were invited to participate in the selection process by presenting one piano for evaluation and testing at the University. Four manufacturers responded: Bösendorfer, Bechstein, Blüthner, and FAZIOLI. While Bechstein offered the lowest prices, the University had predetermined that only 20% of the evaluation would be based on cost. Artistic value was weighted at 35%, with technical suitability and quality each accounting for 20%. Bösendorfer presented their model 214.
In respect to the technical suitability and quality, the University’s technicians, as was later revealed, found that FAZIOLI’s pianos held up much better than Bösendorfers and Steinways. Notably, Steinway did not participate in this high-profile tender due to internal issues.
After a thorough evaluation, the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien decided to purchase three FAZIOLI pianos, specifically the FAZIOLI 212 model. This purchase increases the FAZIOLI count at the University to eleven instruments.
We congratulate the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien on acquiring three FAZIOLI pianos and enhancing their collection with some of the finest instruments available in the world.
Winter can be tough on pianos—especially in many parts of the U.S. where temperatures and humidity levels shift dramatically.
Even if everything seems fine, subtle changes can affect how your piano sounds and feels.
Strings may go slightly out of tune, action parts can respond differently, and overall tone may not feel as balanced as before.
Homes are changing—and so are the instruments people choose.
More families across the U.S. are leaning toward digital pianos, not because they’re replacing tradition, but because they fit more naturally into modern living.
Across the U.S., spring means one thing for students and teachers: recital season is coming.
And while most of the focus is on practice, there’s something just as important that often gets overlooked—the condition of the piano itself.