For many decades, the piano to have was a Steinway. Established in 1853, and known for being the favourite choice of most concert pianists, Steinway had a stranglehold on the upscale piano market. To become part of the Steinway Artist list, concert pianists had to agree to only use Steinway pianos in both their professional and personal lives, and in exchange were guaranteed that a piano would be made available to them for both recital and practice sessions. Until recently, this wasn’t really considered a burden for pianists as Steinway was making some of the best pianos in the world. However, in the early 1980’s the world of classical pianists started seeing a shift in both high-end piano manufacturing and in the brand exclusivity concept.

In contrast with Steinway’s exclusivity contracts with its roster of over 1,200 classical artists; Fazioli has been quoted saying that he doesn’t believe in imposing artistic limitations on pianists. Fazioli believes in making his pianos available to artists who favor using them but allowing them the freedom to shift to other manufacturers if they wish to do so with no cost to their relationship with the Italian piano manufacturer. In essence, the responsive artistic quality of the Fazioli piano is what holds artists’ exclusivity commitment, as opposed to Steinway’s contract-based concept.

The beginnings of the up and coming Fazioli brand took place in the late 1970’s when Paolo Fazioli decided to try his hand at manufacturing a piano. He revealed his first prototype in 1981 at an international trade fair for musical instruments. The rest, as they say, is history.

A Fazioli piano

Fazioli’s pianos are handcrafted instruments made from wood from the Val di Fiemme region of Italy (this is the same area where the spruces that make up Stradivarius violins can be found). Fazioli is also credited with crafting the world’s largest concert grand piano, the Pianoforti, measuring 10 feet, 2 inches. This piano boasts an exclusive feature - a fourth pedal (which allows the volume to be turned down without affecting the timbre); an option not offered by any other piano manufacturer in the world. This feature is wildly successful amongst the world’s most prominent concert pianists who strive to achieve the best possible sound and clarity in their most dramatic musical transitions.

The Fazioli piano though, is still a rarity. This year, the company forecasts the production of only 120 pianos, (each piano takes two years to manufacture on average), so playing / buying one should be considered an entrance to a exceptionally exclusive club. (In comparison, Steinway manufactures around 3000 pianos annually).

The price of Fazioli pianos range from $75,000 to over $400,000, (with the higher end model being made of materials consisting of mother of pearl, semi-precious stones and sequoia burr wood). In comparison, Steinway grand pianos start at just under $50,000.

While it does seem extremely pricey, converts to the Fazioli piano say that there is nothing like it. Classical pianists have been quoted saying that they take comfort in knowing that there is now someone in the world who cares about making an exquisite piano. It’s because of that sentiment that Fazioli is becoming the preferred choice for artists who care most about sound quality and the overall responsiveness of their instrument. Now boasting their adoration for the Fazioli brand, a growing number of professional pianists, like Herbie Hancock, will now accept nothing less than the best – a Fazioli.