Legendary composer John Williams made a surprise appearance at a Hollywood Bowl tribute show in his honor. Reports confirm the 94 year old maestro took the stage to conduct a single encore piece, taking the podium for "The Imperial March". It was a massive moment for Star Wars fans in attendance who got to see the master in action.
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi was a painfully private individual. Details about his romantic encounters are sketchy, and for the most part rely on his own and somewhat inconsistent recollections later in life. We do know, however, that Verdi went to live in the house of the grocer and wine merchant Antonio Barezzi in 1831. Barezzi was the president of the Philharmonic Society in Busseto, and many of its performances and rehearsals were held in a large room in his house. He was also the proud father of three daughters. The eldest, Margherita was only five months younger than Verdi and said to be pretty, gentle and fond of music. Encouraged by her father, Margherita took voice and piano lessons from the young maestro Verdi, and soon the romantic sparks started to fly. For over a year, the young lovers managed to keep their relationship a secret, but all that four-hand piano practice eventually aroused the suspicions of Margherita’s parents. Margherita was, after all, approaching marriageable age and the presence of a penniless musician might easily have compromised her reputation. Although Mummy and Daddy did not fundamentally object to the relationship, a solution had to be found nevertheless.
And so it came to pass that Daddy Barezzi financed Verdi’s first year of study in the far-away city of Milan. Promising to pay back the parental scholarship and to marry his “Ghita” once he had secured a job, Verdi sets off in July 1832. Besides providing an exciting musical and artistic environment, the big city also held attractions of a different nature. Verdi lodged with Professor Giuseppe Seletti and his absolutely stunning daughter Dorina. Seletti would complain bitterly to Barezzi about Verdi’s behavior. “You must understand that being a good musician does not make him an honest man. I found him rude, proud, and acting like a scoundrel in my house. I cannot tell you how much damage he has done to my family, because it is too indecent to write about.”
Margherita Barezzi
Once Verdi returned to Busetto in 1833, he took Dorina with him. It is hard to tell how Margherita reacted — Daddy Barezzi would have been suitably embarrassed — but the local clergy was outraged. When Verdi applied for the job as the town’s “maestro di musica,” a rival candidate was quickly nominated, leading to an extended and heated town quarrel, which included street brawls, arrests and prosecutions. The matter was finally settled in 1835 — by then Dorina had gracefully exited stage right — and Verdi received the official town contract on 20 April 1836. Having finally secured a proper job, Verdi wasted no time and married Margherita on 4 May 1836 in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Busseto. After a lavish lunch, the couple departed for a short honeymoon to Milan, and subsequently returned to settle in the Palazzo Tedaldi. Margherita was not merely a highly attractive woman she also was a decisive advocate of her husband’s career. By September 1836 Margherita was expecting, and Virginia Maria Luigia — the middle names chosen in reference to her two grandmothers — was born on 26 March 1837. Although happy in his family life, Verdi was determined to make his name in Milan. Margherita wrote, “Never, absolutely never, would he [Verdi] settle in Busetto. Having dedicated himself to theatre music, he would succeed in that and not in music for the church.”
In 1838, Verdi publishes his first book of Sei Romanze (Six Romances), and his son Icilio Romano Carlo Antonio is born on 11 July. In August of that year, tragedy struck and little Virginia died of an unnamed childhood disease. Now more than ever, Verdi was determined to leave Busetto and he left for Milan with the manuscript score of Oberto in his back bag. Margherita and his young son soon followed. During rehearsals for Oberto, Icilio Romano unexpectedly fell ill and despite immediate medical intervention suddenly died on 22 October 1839. Verdi was devastated and soon lay ill himself for several weeks. Once he had recovered in May 1840, it was Margherita’s turn. According to medical opinion, she had contracted encephalitis and instead of getting better she was getting worse. Verdi sent for his father-in-law who barely managed to arrive hours before his daughter died aged 27. “From a dreadful disease, in the arms of her father, my beloved daughter, Margheretha, in the very flower of her youth. She was a faithful companion of the excellent young man, Giuseppe Verdi. I weep over this tragic loss.” And Giuseppe later recalled, “A third coffin goes out of my house. I was alone! Alone!”
by Emily E. Hogstad September 4th, 2026
The most expensive pianos in the world include instruments commissioned for billionaires, built for charity, and used to compose some of the most beloved songs ever written. One hid secret documents in a classic film; another toured sites of American tragedy as a symbol of peace.
Today we’re looking at the stories behind seven of the most expensive pianos ever made, going from least expensive to most expensive.
Steinway Sound of Harmony
In 2008, Steinway announced that it had built its most expensive piano to date.
It was commissioned for Chinese art curator Guo Qingxiang. Guo’s job is to buy, sell, and collect high-end artwork for the Dalian Wanda Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Beijing.
Guo began his career focused solely on Chinese art, but has since expanded into buying Western art.
One of the pieces Guo commissioned was a custom Steinway, featuring inlays consisting of forty different types of wood.
The lid features reproductions of art by Chinese painter Shi Qi.
Steinway & Sons Red Pops for Red Parlor Grand © Houston Piano
Most of the pianos on this list were custom-made for the luxury market, but this particular instrument was built for charity.
In 2006, musician Bono from the band U2 and Bobby Shriver of the Kennedy family teamed up to found an organisation called (RED).
The organisation encouraged companies to launch red products to symbolise both love and AIDS awareness.
In 2013, Sotheby’s hosted a charity auction spearheaded by designers Sir Jonathan Ive and Marc Newson, with proceeds benefiting AIDS research.
At the 2013 edition of the auction, Bono and Coldplay’s Chris Martin performed on a Steinway at the auction before it sold for nearly $2 million.
The proceeds went to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Africa.
Imagine
John Lennon was one of the greatest songwriters of all time, so it’s no surprise that one of his pianos is on the list!
In December 1970, shortly after the Beatles’ breakup, he bought an upright Steinway Model Z piano.
He went on to compose his early solo work, including the song “Imagine”, on this instrument.
After Lennon’s murder in 1980, the piano found its way to a private collector. When that collector decided to sell it in 2000, the instrument went to auction.
Pop star George Michael submitted the winning bid of £1.45 million, which, in 2000 dollars, was roughly $2.2 million.
Beginning in 2006, the instrument was displayed at various sites of American violence, such as the assassination of President Kennedy, the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building, and the mass shooting at Virginia Tech.
This evolved into the Imagine Piano Peace Project in 2007, and videos were filmed of performers playing “Imagine” on the piano at these sites. Those videos would then be used for fundraising.
The piano has since been on display at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, and at the Beatles pilgrimage site, Strawberry Field, outside of Liverpool.
Fibonacci spiral
In 2013, when Steinway wanted to celebrate the construction of its 600,000th piano, the company turned to artisan furniture maker Frank Pollaro.
He responded with an instrument inspired by the Fibonacci sequence. A Fibonacci sequence is a sequence in which each number is the sum of the two preceding ones.
Patterns and proportions dictated by Fibonacci sequences often occur in nature, such as in the spiral of an unfolding fern. Here, they appear as carvings on the piano.
The Fibonacci Piano was created out of six logs of Macassar ebony and took over six thousand hours to craft.
Pollaro said of the project, “Combining the universal languages of music and mathematics suddenly made perfect sense.”
Pictures at an Exhibition
© steinway.com
Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” is a famous piano suite written in 1874. It was inspired by an exhibit of Viktor Hartmann’s works, the artist friend of Mussorgsky.
To make their “Pictures at an Exhibition” piano, Steinway & Sons took direct inspiration from the suite – and the art that had inspired it.
Renowned artist Paul Wyse painted reproductions of Hartmann’s surviving works onto the white case of a Steinway. He also added portrayals of viewers strolling past and taking in the art.
The striking interior of the lid features a massive landscape of the Bogatyr Gates in Kyiv, the subject of the famous final movement of “Pictures at an Exhibition,” known as “The Great Gate of Kyiv.”
As of 2026, this piano has been listed for sale at $2.5 million.
Bechstein
In 2013, to celebrate its 160th anniversary, the C. Bechstein piano company designed a sumptuous piano model named the Louis XV.
It was a recreation of an instrument made for the court of Queen Victoria, which has since been lost.
This modern piano boasts a gilded case decorated with carvings and paintings inspired by the Rococo style of artist Antoine Watteau.
A team of highly skilled artisans banded together to create this extraordinary reproduction, and it took a full three years to design and craft.
However, the Bechstein Louis XV has not been without controversy. The piano’s keys, like the original inspiration, are made of ivory – a material banned for sale in many countries, due to its connections with poaching.
At the time of its construction, it was sent to China. Today it is in the Potsdam Palace in Germany.
Casablanca
The classic 1942 film Casablanca takes place in a nightclub owned by Rick Blaine (played by Humphrey Bogart).
Rick’s Café Américain is teeming with refugees – as well as the government officials who are seeking to arrest or kill them.
Blaine has chosen the piano’s interior as a hiding place for important papers, called letters of transit, that will allow their carriers to move easily through war-torn Europe.
Blaine’s ex, Ilsa Lund (played by Ingrid Bergman), visits the cafe. She is wistful and still in love with him. She encourages the house pianist Sam to “Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By.'” He agrees, reluctantly.
In November 2014, the piano used in this pivotal scene was sold by Bonhams in New York for $3.4 million as part of a sale of movie memorabilia.
The owner’s identity is unknown, but the price they paid is the highest ever for a piano at auction.
The most expensive pianos in the world are worth far more than their materials or craftsmanship alone. Each one has an unforgettable story.
Whether you’re a pianist, a music lover, or simply someone who appreciates an extraordinary object, these are pianos that reward a second look – or listen.
