The Music Department at the University of York in the UK have added five more Schimmel C120I upright pianos to their practice and rehearsal rooms, bringing the total number of Schimmel pianos they own to fourteen.

The University of York ranks consistently in the top ten ranked universities in the UK and is in the World Top 100. It was also awarded the prestigious 'University of the Year' award at the Times Higher Education Awards in London, 2010. They are focused on providing the highest quality of education, so it is understandable they chose Schimmel - the most awarded German piano in the world. For example, the C120I received one of the highest accolades from one of the leading French magazines for classical music. See details of the Le Monde de la Musique CHOC award here.

York University announced their Schimmel piano purchase on the York University website recently on the 9 February 2012, following a generous grant. The Vice Chancellor describes the pianos as popular among the students, high quality and most importantly for a university, 'The quality of weighting and tone in this German-built piano provides excellent preparation for performance on a concert grand. They have been toned to complement the acoustics of our practice rooms.'

To read more about the prestigious range of European Schimmel pianos click here. Hutchings Pianos is the only authorised Schimmel reseller in Sydney and New South Wales. To request a brochure or a quotation for your school, studio or home, contact us or come in and visit us for a demonstration.

Just heard on the grapevine that Oprah Winfrey owns a PianoDisc piano! Other famous PianoDisc owners, past and present include:

1. Oprah Winfrey
2. Bill Gates
3. Arnold Schwarzenegger
4. Ted Kennedy
5. Nancy Pelosi
6. Jack Nicklaus
7. Dick Van Dyke
8. Geena Davis
9. Rosie O'Donnell
10. Michael Jordan
11. Danny Elfman (composer of The Simpsons and Batman themes etc)
12. Alan Jackson
13. Taylor Swift
14. Tori Amos
15. Floyd Cramer
16. Brian Culbertson
17. Star Jones

Ivy, renowned bar in Sydney's CBD, now features a brand new Yamaha GC1 baby grand piano from Hutchings Pianos in The Den on Level 2 of Ivy. One of Sydney's foremost piano vocal entertainers, Scott Finnie, also known as The Piano Man, will be performing there every Thursday night from 9.30pm until late. To book a table email pianoman@merivale.com

Simon and Friends
Thursday 22 July, 2010
7pm - 10pm

St James Church, Philip and King St, Sydney, NSW (Map)

Tickets: $35 ($25 concession)
Online bookings here

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Thursday 22nd July at the acoustically wonderful, Francis Greenway designed St James Church in the Sydney CBD, world renowned classical pianist, Simon Tedeschi will be joined on stage by his friends Kevin Hunt, and Mariia Gorkun to perform a concert in aid of the MicroLoan Foundation. Hutchings Pianos will be providing the hire of a premium, European designed and manufactured Schimmel grand piano, in aid of this very worthwhile cause.

Bob Geldof is the UK patron of the MicroLoan Foundation and Simon Tedeschi is the Australian patron. MicroLoan provides small loans, basic business training and ongoing mentoring support to groups of women in sub Saharan Africa, who are regarded as too poor to receive commercial loans from banks. Their ultimate aim is to help the poor help themselves eradicate poverty. 'Core to the ethos of the MicroLoan Foundation is the word 'micro.' We started small, concentrating on helping poor women living in rural areas and making 'micro' loans.’ (Peter Ryan, Founder and CEO)

All directors and staff at the MicroLoan Foundation in Australia are unpaid. Any overheads have been funded by themselves or have come out of a specially provided infrastructure fund. The concert on the 22nd will provide a direct injection of funds into the work the MicroLoan Foundation Australia does in Malawi to help some of the worlds poorest women start and run small businesses and support themselves.

Wendy Hutchings is a strong supporter of many charities. ‘I love providing support to organisations I believe in. It gives me a great level of satisfaction being able to make a difference, particularly through music’. Simon Tedeschi is also a great philanthropist. ‘I generally get behind any cause that I feel strongly about, it's really the minimum a musician can do in order to give back.’ (Yahoo7 News 24/06/2010)

To read about how Simon became so passionate about using his music for the greater good, we recommend reading a fantastic article about him that recently featured in The Australian -  Review section (July 3-4 2010)

At the MicroLoan concert, he will be joined on stage by Kevin Hunt, the well-known Sydney jazz and classical pianist and Mariia Gorkun, an amazing violinist from the Ukraine and a Masters of Music candidate at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA. They will be performing some of their personal favourite pieces including, Beethoven, Ravel, Duke Ellington and Gerswin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

Tickets are only $35 and are available online here ($25 Concession - proof required before entry on night). This is an amazing price to see such world class performers. We ask all Hutchings Pianos customers to consider supporting this event.

Angie Dean, one of our Kindermusik and Pringle Place studio piano teachers, featured on the ABC TV documentary last night, Greatest Cities of the World, hosted by Griff Rhys Jones from the UK. If you missed it, you can watch the program on ABC's iView. Angie Dean is a professional entertainer and has been teaching singing and piano for the over fifteen years. She is a versatile vocalist, pianist and songwriter in high demand across Sydney, performing at many five star hotels, high profile events and functions. She is commensurate either as a soloist, duo, or jazz trio. In the TV program Griff Rhys Jones discusses our idyllic lifestyle in Sydney and shows Angie performing Australia's National Anthem beautifully at the Sydney Town Hall. To read more about Angie visit her website www.angiedean.com.au or meet her in person with a free Kindermusik trial!

Sadly at the end of June we must say farewell to our very dear Jill Marsono, who is relocating to Los Angeles to further her career. Jill's a music graduate from the Berklee College of Music, Boston who started with us as a Kindermusik teacher in February 2009. She made the mistake of telling us at the interview that she loved admin! She's been doing admin for both Hutchings Pianos and Pringle Place Musik for Juniors ever since, coordinating our Kindermusik teaching program and our sheet music sales at Hutchings Pianos. We wish to say a great big thank you to Jill for her hard work and dedication.

We welcome Hester Fraser who will take over Jill's role. Hester is currently completing Honors in her Bachelor of Music at the Sydney Conservatorium, majoring in composition and is a working musician. We are delighted to have another talented young woman with us and very much look forward to working with her and introducing you to her.

Famous UK pianist and singer/songwriter, Jamie Cullum recently visited Australia to launch his new album 'The Pursuit'. He requested a Yamaha C5 grand piano from Hutchings Pianos event rental fleet for a guest appearance on Sunrise.  The performance sounded fantastic and we think you will agree, his arrangement of 'Don't Stop The Music' was very original and absolutely brilliant! To view the video clip  click here.

Schimmel is looking to the future with optimism after a successful restructure and plans for a new model rollout and premium product strategy this year.

A recent press release direct from Germany states that 'Schimmel pianos is safe and looks ahead optimistically with all jobs being preserved.' This is an amazing feat during the global financial crisis that for a while threatened the company's stability. However in the tradition of its founder, Wilhelm Schimmel who started Schimmel Pianos in Germany in 1885, the fourth generation-run company has bounced back stronger than ever.

Schimmel had filed for insolvency in 2009, but fortunately due to the German Federal Government reforming their insolvency laws they were able to continue to operate and have successfully completed financial reorganisation proceedings. According to the German Minister of Justice, Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, 'Just two percent of all insolvent companies make use of financial restructuring under use of the Chapter11 status'.  Schimmel stands as an example to many other companies. Thanks to creditors' confidence in the business and further investment from business partners and the family, Schimmel's' German production site has been secured and all staff have been provided with a job guarantee. New design features will be revealed in the new model launch soon.

Wilhelm Schimmel's motto was ‘Quality will prevail’.  The Schimmel family have certainly proven critics wrong and shown they can overcome adversity by thriving for 125 years. It continues as the largest German family-run manufacturer of grand and upright pianos in the world. Exclusively available in Sydney at Hutchings Pianos.

On the 17 January 2010, Hutchings Pianos supplied a Schimmel grand piano to the Cuisine NOW Gala Dinner hosted by Tony and Amanda Bilson at Doltone House, Darling Island Wharf, Pyrmont. The night was described as a 'jubillant feast of artistic expression, both on the stage and on the plate.'

Cuisine NOW is an initiative of Tony Bilson, providing an avenue for connoisseurs, amateurs and patrons of the fine art of cuisine to mingle and experience the best Sydney has to offer. Renowned guest chefs, Tony Bilson, Nicholas Le Bec, Tetsuya Wakuda, Cheong Liew, Michel Roux, Philippe Mouchel and Reine Sammut prepared a magnificent 7-course degustation dinner, each course reflecting the different styles and regions of the chefs.

A selection of matching wines - some specially imported from France for the occasion - were served to enhance the gastronomic feast. The European Schimmel grand piano complemented the evening perfectly and was warmly received.

Subscribe here if you would like to receive notifications of ongoing news and events at Hutchings Pianos.

On Saturday 24 October 2009, Hutchings Pianos sponsored the National Trust’s event ‘An Afternoon at the PM’s, Kirribilli House’. This stunning 1854 residence has hosted numerous events in Australia’s history over the years and Hutchings were pleased they could be involved and support a worthy cause.

The event included the launch of the Trust’s new brand strategy, a silent fundraising auction and entertainment by Ambre Hammond, internationally renowned classical pianist on a Schimmel grand piano supplied by Hutchings Pianos.

Not many people know that in addition to the Schimmel piano supplied by Hutchings Pianos, there is a Schimmel grand piano in permanent residence at Kirribilli House!

Subscribe here if you would like to receive notifications of ongoing news and events at Hutchings Pianos.