The Toy Piano Sanctuary

          A safe haven for instrument lovers, the toy piano sanctuary rescues, restores and makes it available to the general public a number of instruments that are normally inaccessible. Starting with toy pianos and chord organs, our mission is to tell the story of these instruments and how they went from children’s toys to concert hall commodities.

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          While presenting its history and the Classical repertoire composed for Toy Pianos from 1947 to present time, we will stimulate the general public to embrace their curiosity and natural desire to touch these adorable instruments and approach music learning from a pleasure filled angle.

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          There has been a prevalent pattern in my years collecting toy pianos: everyone wants one. Everyone wants to touch them, hear them and have them. Fortunately, many composers have already incorporated these instruments into their regular repertoire writing, suggesting that there is room in our society for toy piano in music schools and orchestras, as well as toy piano ensembles and chamber music.

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          From restoration and historic preservation, to education, creation and social engagement, we then arrive at the third part of this project, working on technological development and the creation of new generations of instruments that are portable, intelligent, inclusive and affordable. We are in the unique position of having access to documents from our predecessors that detail their choices in design, marketing and use of such instruments, having these instruments physically still present with us, but in a new era with renewed fashion and purposes.