Steinway Model D Concert Grand Piano

1928 Steinway Grand Model D in an ebony finish. Serial number 255564. 8' 11" Long 61 3/4" Wide

This instrument was the personal piano of concert pianist Toba Brill. A graduate of Curtis Institute of Music, she was a student of Rudolf Serkin.

From the family: This piano has just about as much beauty and romance to it as, well, Mom did. Our mom, Toba Brill Winer was a child prodigy, touring the country from the age of 10, playing with major orchestras and entering Curtis Institute as one of its youngest students—studying there with Rudolf Serkin and the great Chopin specialist Mieczyslaw Horszowski.

Mom always had wild stories about the colorful, legendary classical music figures she knew and worked with. We grew up listening to her playing virtuosically through her favorite Chopin Etudes.

This piano—the sound of which one piano expert recently likened to Horowitz’s famed No. CD503 Steinway, has its own story. Discovered by Mom while playing down a line of pianos, she instantly fell in love with it. It belonged to the Hollywood star Franchot Tone (also Mr. Joan Crawford). Tone went to hear Mom give a concert—and when she married our Dad shortly thereafter, Tone gave it to her as a wedding present. Mom found our family apartment by first asking to see the building elevators, and it was brought upstairs riding on top of two simultaneous elevator cabs. (Those were the days. To get it out, recently, we had to hire a crane and block off the street).

It’s a beautiful instrument, and we’re hoping this piano will make its way to a wonderful new place where it will flourish.

If you know someone, or an institution who might be interested, please pass this along!