Colonial Theatre Acquires 1894 Hamburg Steinway

09:37AM / Friday, September 07, 2007Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD - The Colonial Theatre welcomed the arrival this week of its concert grand piano. The piano is being leased but the Colonial has the option to buy it if sufficient funds can be raised to do so. The instrument is a completely restored nine-foot Steinway, Model D that was originally built in 1894, during the "Gilded Age" of Steinway in Hamburg, Germany, and just nine years before the Colonial opened its doors. The complete piano restoration was commissioned by Flynn Pianos LLC, owned by Terry Flynn and his partner Kim Muller of Freiburg, Germany. Flynn Pianos, out of New Fairfield, Conn., provides a full range of piano services, from consultation, tuning and repairs, to restoration and sales. Muller completed the master's degree program (klavierbaumeister) while working for Steinway's Hamburg factory and is now an independent consultant and restorer who also works with Klavierhaus (German for "keyboard house") in New York City. Klavierhaus has supplied pianos for Lincoln Center, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The two firms worked together to restore the Hamburg Steinway with a team of 12 professionals from Klavierhaus. On April 13, Andre Watts performed at the Mahaiwe Theatre on an 1895 Hamburg Steinway, Model D, supplied by Flynn. Flynn recalls walking up the aisle after the performance and overhearing a group of people talking about how much they liked the piano, and wondering how to get in touch with the owner. Flynn introduced himself to the group that included Colonial Executive Director Dave Fleming. Following numerous conversations, the Colonial engaged Flynn to commence the restoration of the 1894 Hamburg Steinway specifically for the Colonial. A lease/purchase agreement was executed with the immediate goal of solving the Colonialâ€™s current need for a high-quality concert instrument and eventual goal of this piano becoming the theater's "signature" instrument. Officials hope this piano will be one of the major reasons why artists of note and audiences of discretion will chose the Colonial for future concerts. The restoration of the instrument was completed ahead of schedule, after many months of work, and was delivered on Tuesday. Plans are being formed to build a series of annual concerts around the piano. The Colonial has begun its affiliation with Young Concert Artists this season with this specifically in mind. Through YCA, the Colonial hopes to distinguish itself with a series of recitals by young artists at the start of promising careers. They are expected to attract younger audiences in addition to the very experienced ears who regularly attend recitals in the Berkshires. The fact that the YCA Artist Series has only been available at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center prior to the inception of the Joe & Mary Jane Handler YCA Series at the Colonial, adds an element of distinction to the Colonialâ€™s classical music presentations in a region of superb classical music venues and organizations. The Colonial management is also in conversation with major international piano competitions to explore opportunities for collaboration. The full range of top artists who live in or near the Berkshires or who travel here on tour will be invited to be a part of the Colonialâ€™s concert future. Many of the piano concerts in the Colonial will be classical recitals but the theater will also demonstrate the instrumentâ€™s power and range in other musical styles to appeal to the broadest possible audiences. Restoration Details The 1894 Hamburg Steinway, Model D, was moved out of storage inventory in April. The piano had been unplayable for 30 years in a private home. In inventory for more than three years, the Model D underwent a complete restoration that included a new sound board, pin block, and a completely new action made in Germany. Muller supplied the piano and sent all parts from Germany including the cover, action parts, new legs, new music desk, and special brass wheels. The team of 12 restorers included the stripper, who removes all the strings, take all of the pieces apart and removes the finishing; the bellyman, who makes the sound board, sets the plate (the cast-iron piece on top of the sound board), and makes the bridge; the refinisher and rubbers, who apply and rub the multiple-layered finish; the stringer who puts the strings on; the first action man assembles the action pieces and does the first fitting and regulation; the mkaster action man does the final regulation and voicing, which was done on site at the Colonial on Wednesday night; and the mover, Jeff Baker, who works independently out of New York and is also a composer. Hungarian brothers Gabor and Sujatri Reisinger, owners of Klavierhaus, were the master rebuilders and oversaw the day-to-day operations of the piano restoration. Local tuner Dave Locke met with Flynn on Wednesday and will tune the piano for performances. History of Flynn Pianos LLC Flynn has been tuning and repairing pianos since the early 1970s. He worked from his home in Georgetown, Conn., until 1995, when he moved to New Fairfield, just north of Danbury. Ten years ago, he started working as a consultant at Simonâ€™s Rock College of Bard in Great Barrington. He soon took over the technical work and has since been the college's piano supplier (they currently have a nine-foot Klavierhaus restored Steinway). Two years ago, Flynn began showcasing pianos in the Beethoven House Music store in South Egremont owned by Jack Brown. Showing grand and upright pianos in his store ranging from $5,000 to $45,000, Brown now sells these pianos in partnership with Flynn Pianos. www.flynnpianos.com Colonial Theatre The theater, as a new performing arts center, is faced with the challenge of distinguishing itself while complimenting the rich musical opportunities available to both sophisticated and new audiences. The Colonial has acoustic properties that make it ideal for some kinds of presentations. During the initial testing of the piano on Wednesday night, it was discovered that the room was particularly ideal for a musical instrument with the sheer power and nuanced tone that this one has. "It does not take a degree in instrumental music to enjoy a piano concert, especially with an instrument like this," said Fleming. "All anyone has to do is close their eyes and allow the rich tone and the delightful range of sound engulf them. The more one knows what to listen for, the easier it is to be astounded by the sound of this piano in this theater."

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Local Hockey Program's Alum Projected in NHL Draft

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:36PM / Tuesday, June 16, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An alumnus of the Atlantic Coast Academy hockey program is generating a lot of buzz heading into next week's National Hockey League entry draft.

And that attention can only help build the profile of the program Mike Taylor founded in 2022.

"The talent is here," Taylor said this week of ACA, which pairs hockey development and education for players from around the nation and the world. "I don't think as many people locally realize the talent we've had here. I don't think they realized we had a future NHL Draft pick playing in our home rink."

That prospect is Maksim Sokolovskii, who the NHL lists as the No. 40 North American skater in the June 26 draft.

Sokolovskii, a 6-foot-7 left-shot defenseman, scored 34 goals and collected 50 assists in 65 games playing for ACA in the 2024-25 season.

This year, he is playing for the London Knights of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, one of the top leagues of its kind in North America.

"Sokolovskii is a massive and highly athletic defenseman," analyst Corey Pronmon wrote this month for The Athletic. "He's a strong, mobile player who's very physical and projects to make a ton of stops."

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