Music Icon “Piano Man” Billy Joel To Be Honored With Prestigious Steinway Hall Portrait

New York, NY, December 12th, 2011 — Legendary “Piano Man” Billy Joel will be honored today by Steinway & Sons with a painted portrait that will hang in Steinway Hall in Manhattan. Joel, who has been a Steinway Artist for almost 20 years, will be the first non-classical pianist to be immortalized in the Steinway Hall collection. His portrait will hang alongside those of legendary musicians including Sergei Rachmaninoff, Franz Liszt, Arthur Rubinstein, Ignacy Paderewski, and more.

The portrait of Billy Joel, painted by artist and musician Paul Wyse, will be unveiled and dedicated in a ceremony at Steinway Hall. He will be one of only two living artists to be inducted into the collection, the other being Leon Fleisher.

Says Billy Joel: “I'm honored to be included among the great musical artists whose portraits are displayed at Steinway Hall — a landmark place which represents so much historic and cultural significance in the history of New York City. And I'm proud to represent a company which epitomizes the very best in piano craftsmanship.”

Steinway Artists are never paid for their endorsement — they choose to be Steinway Artists because they prefer to play on Steinway pianos. All Steinway Artists must personally own a Steinway piano.

Todd Sanders, Vice President — Sales & Marketing Steinway & Sons — says: “Steinway & Sons is honored to include a beautiful portrait of longtime loyal Steinway Artist Billy Joel at Steinway Hall alongside the portraits of some of the most legendary pianists in history. As a company that was founded in New York, and that still builds our Steinway pianos right here in Astoria, Queens, Steinway has a special affinity for Billy Joel — another New York export that has made a lasting impression on the world of music.”

About Steinway & Sons
Since its founding in New York in 1853, Steinway & Sons has been considered the world's premier piano manufacturer. Known for their exceptional craftsmanship, Steinway & Sons pianos are built in one of two company-owned and operated factories: Astoria, New York and Hamburg, Germany. Steinway & Sons pianos are still constructed primarily by hand, using many of the techniques developed over 160 years ago. Today, Steinway & Sons also offers the Boston and Essex piano lines, Listen, a magazine for music and culture lovers, and the Steinway & Sons record label. For more information, visit www.steinway.com.

Press Contact:
Anthony Gilroy
Steinway & Sons
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(718) 204–3116