Steinway << STYN way >>, Henry Engelhard (1797-1871), was a German-born piano maker who founded the Steinway & Sons piano company. Steinway established his firm in New York City in 1853, about three years after he immigrated to the United States. The pianos are famous for their high quality.
In 1855, Steinway introduced the first successful piano with an interior cast-iron frame and a string arrangement called the overstrung scale. This arrangement had bass strings that stretched diagonally across the other strings. The frame and diagonal strings greatly improved the sound of a piano and have been used in nearly all pianos made since the 1850’s.
Steinway was born on Feb. 25, 1797, near Seesen, Germany. His real name was Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg. Although Steinway received training as a cabinetmaker, he began to make pianos in the 1830’s. He died on Feb. 7, 1871.
