Steinway and Sons

Company of piano manufacturers founded in New York in 1853 by German-born Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (later Henry Steinway) (1797-1871). Steinway transformed the 19th-century piano into the modern instrument, introducing ‘overstringing’ (where the bass strings pass at an angle above some of the higher-pitched strings, thereby enriching the tone quality), larger metal frames that allowed the inclusion of strings of higher tension and better tone quality, and various improvements in the action. Since Russian pianist and composer Anton Rubinstein represented the company in the 1870s, most concert artists have preferred the brilliant tone and superior control of Steinway instruments.