ORIGINAL INSTRUMENT

GRAND PIANOFORTE BY William Stodart & Co.

This original English grand piano was built by the William Stodart & Co. firm in London in 1826, and uses the typical English grand piano action developed by Americus Backers, Robert Stodart, and John Broadwood during the 1770's and 80's.

The instrument is tri-chord strung throughout, and has 2 pedals: a damper lift, and an una and due cords pedal, with the stopper on teh side of the keyboard to select how many strings to strike when this pedal is operated. The compass is 6 1/2 octaves from CC-f’’’’. It also has Stodart’s patented “compensation frame” design.

This instrument was a gift donated by Dr. Brigitte Beekmann-Knörr, and will be undergoing restoration in 2026.