Maene is a piano and harpsichord manufacturer based in Ruiselede, Belgium.

The company was founded by Albert Maene-Doutreloigne and Zulma Doutreloigne in 1938. It is currently under the direction of their son Chris Maene.[1][2]

The company produces replicas of historical instruments[3][4] and develops new instruments like the Barenboim piano, which contained no crossed strings.[5][6][7][8]

From 2016 to 2022, Maene collaborated with architect Rafael Viñoly on a novel piano design with a curved ergonomic keyboard that could facilitate easier access to the lowest and highest notes simultaneously.[9][10]

A foot longer than a typical concert grand and like the Barenboim piano hosting no crossed strings, the Maene-Viñoly piano was completed in 2022 and premiered at the Verbier Festival played by Kirill Gerstein.[11] In the months after Viñoly's death, the instrument was hosted at the Philadelphia Orchestra[12] and featured at a Carnegie Hall concert in November of 2023 where it was played by Jonathan Biss.[9]

The company also provides keyboard instruments for the Queen Elisabeth Competition.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "About Pianos Maene". Maene. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "Chris Maene". Chris Maene. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  3. ↑ Steinway Replica n°1 (1836 - 2006) at www.steinway.be
  4. ↑ Pianokonzert: Steinway No.1 Archived 2015-05-27 at the Wayback Machine at www.hambacher-schloss.de
  5. ↑ Daniel Barenboim reveals radical new piano design: 'I've fallen in love with it' in The Guardian, 26 May 2015
  6. ↑ Chris Maene & Daniel Barenboim launch new concert grand at Royal Festival Hall London Archived 2015-05-27 at the Wayback Machine at www.chrismaene.be
  7. ↑ Daniel Barenboim's bespoke piano is an absolute stunner - here's why, Classic FM, 14 November 2017.
  8. ↑ The 'radical' Barenboim piano unveiled, BBC audio/video at YouTube, 27 May 2015.
  9. 1 2 Barron, James (28 November 2023). "A Piano With a Curved Keyboard Will Star at Carnegie Hall". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  10. ↑ "The Maene-Viñoly Concert Grand Piano". Chris Maene.
  11. ↑ Predota, Georg (31 July 2022). "Maene-Viñoly Concert Grand Piano "Ergonomic Keyboard"". Interlude. Interlude. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  12. ↑ "The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, Inc., to Display Maene-Viñoly Concert Grand Piano in its U.S. Debut at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts". The Philadelphia Orchestra. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  13. ↑ Koningin Elisabethwestrijd 2015 Archived 2015-05-27 at the Wayback Machine at www.maene.be
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