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News Event Sirius 6.0 Meets Steinway D on Stage

Photo: Oliver Röckle, Source: HMDK Stuttgart

Our lecturers Prof. Dr. Aurelia Vişovan, Prof. Wolfgang Manz and Prof. Ulrich Hench attended the European premiere at the HMDK Stuttgart on Saturday, 13 April 2024.

The Future Initiative Sirius 6.0 of the HMDK Stuttgart, which we joined with our Steinway M, has entered a new round. After four years of experience with the Sirius 6.0 keyboard in a practice instrument, the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart took the step of equipping a Steinway D concert grand with an interchangeable mechanism with a Sirius 6.0 keyboard: Sirius 6.0 Meets Steinway D on Stage.

This should create a unique situation for concerts and recitals in Europe: pianists in Stuttgart will be able to choose between two keyboards! It should be obvious that this is not only a question of equality in a society characterised by diversity, but also a contribution to the health of musicians and, above all, to the development of "Increasing Performance Potential". For 87% of women and 24% of men, the standard keyboard, which has been around since around 1880, is demonstrably too large.

The interchangeable action with Sirius 6.0 keyboard for the Steinway D in Stuttgart was manufactured by Kluge in cooperation with Steinway & Sons Hamburg.

Twelve pianists performed at the premiere, including Prof Dr Aurelia Vişovan and Prof Wolfgang Manz from the NUM Nuremberg. The discussion provided interesting and moving insights into the pianists' experiences with Sirius 6.0 keyboards in terms of touch, effort, switching from the standard keyboard, less practice time, etc. Prof Ulrich Hench explained how the conversion of our grand piano in Nuremberg came about.

Read more about our Steinway grand piano with Sirius 6.0 keyboard

More information about the Future Initiative Sirius 6.0 of the HMDK Stuttgart