Pianos have been around for hundreds of years, and even before that, we had piano-like instruments like the harpsichord and other stringed instruments. However, these primitive devices have come a long way to where we are today, especially when it comes to cost! The most expensive pianos today can reach up into the millions of dollars for luxury or one-of-a-kind models, after all.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most expensive pianos of all time. We’ll also delve into specific information about the piano, such as how it came to be, some of the most famous pianists of all time, and fun piano facts you might not have heard before.
About the Piano
Did you know that the piano as we know it has only been around for some three hundred years or so? The first piano was seen in 1709 when it was exhibited by the man who invented it, Bartolomeo di Francesco Cristofori. He called it the “gravicembalo col piano e forte.” This mouthful was eventually shortened to fortepiano or pianoforte, and eventually, it just became known as a piano.
However, before the piano could finally emerge, we went through a few different instruments first. You’ve probably heard of (or listened to the unmistakable sound of) the harpsichord, which was the primary precursor to the piano. Some of the precursors to the harpsichord were:
- The dulcimer
- The clavichord
- The clavecin
- The spinet
- The gravicembalo
Famous Pianists of History
You’ve probably heard the names Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin before at some point, but these were just a few of the most famous piano (and, sometimes, other instruments) players of history.
However, we have many talented pianists and musicians still alive (some very young) today. Lang Lang, a famous Chinese pianist, is one that we mention later in this article. Lang Lang was only born in 1982, and he has had a profound impact on the classical music scene.
Similarly, Martha Argerich, a female pianist born in 1941, is still living today. She’s often considered one of the greatest living pianists of our era, and her name is known worldwide.
Other notable pianists of today that are masters of their craft include:
- Vladimir Ashkenazy
- Stephen Hough
- Murray Perahia
- Mitsuko Ushida
Piano Fun Facts
Pianos are complicated instruments with a rich history, so unless you’re already an expert on the devices, there are probably a few facts about the piano that you never knew! If you’re interested in learning more, check out the following questions and fun facts:
- Did you know that the piano has over 12,000 parts, 10,000 of which move?
- There is some debate on whether the piano is considered a string instrument, a percussion instrument, or both.
- Steinway & Sons is widely considered one of the best piano builders globally, and they have been making pianos since 1853.
- When pianos were first invented, they were very expensive, so they became an item for only the rich and wealthy for a while.
- One of Bartolomeo di Francesco Cristofori’s original pianos still survives today and is on display in New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- While many people call piano keys “ivories” as an endearing slang term, piano keys are no longer made of ivory.
- The largest pianos can play the entire orchestral range of musical notes, all in one instrument.
- Each string on a piano holds up to 175 pounds of tension, but some concert grand pianos can hold up to 30 tons of tension across all of their strings.
Most Expensive Pianos In the World
Now that you're all caught up on your piano facts, let's talk about some of the most expensive pianos around the world.
1. Most Expensive Piano – The ‘As Time Goes By’ Piano
Price: $3,400,000
#Casablanca premiered 72 yrs ago today. That famous piano just sold at auction for $3.4 mill. http://t.co/iUtnGxmO7R pic.twitter.com/os1Ts6Rzca
— AFI (@AmericanFilm) November 26, 2014
The ‘As Time Goes By’ piano was one of two pianos featured in the movie Casablanca (1942). The more expensive one of the two, affectionately dubbed the ‘As Time Goes By’ piano, was sold at auction for a whopping $3.4 million in 2014, making it the most expensive piano in the world as well as one of the most expensive pianos of all time (so far).
Surprisingly, the ‘As Time Goes By’ piano is a miniaturized upright piano – like the other Casablanca piano, it has only 58 keys instead of the usual 88. Rather than coming from the size and luxury of the piano itself, this piano’s value likely comes from its sentimentality; it plays crucial and recurring roles in the movie, including one as a hiding place for transit papers. The piano is thought to have been manufactured by Kohler & Campbell.
2. Heintzman Crystal Piano
Price: $3,220,000
The Crystal Piano! Designed by Heintzman Pianos this instrument was played for the first time in front of an audience at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games by pianist Lang Lang. The piano features a transparent design and is called the Crystal Piano. It was sold for $3.22 million. pic.twitter.com/GxGgej94TH
— Forté Music School Toledo (@ForteMusic419) May 14, 2018
The Heintzman & Co Crystal Piano is a one-of-a-kind concert piano that played in concert only a single time. This piano was crafted for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was then played by the famous pianist Lang Lang for millions of spectators. Despite the name, however, the Crystal Piano is made of acrylic, not crystal.
After its performance, the Heintzman Crystal Piano was auctioned to an anonymous buyer where, ostensibly, it remains to this day. To this day, it’s the second of the most expensive pianos we’ve ever seen.
3. Steinway & Sons ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’
Price: $2,500,000
‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ is both a showcase piano and the name of a composition by Modest Mussorgsky of Russia. The artist behind the piece, Paul Wyse, took a Steinway Model D piano and customized it with various paints and additions, using the musical composition for inspiration.
Today, the piano resides in the Steinway Vault, where it’s still for sale. If you have a cool $2.5 million to spend, this unique piano can be yours.
4. Steinway & Sons Fibonacci
Price: $2,400,000
The Fibonacci grand piano is another work of art from Steinway & Sons that’s available for purchase today. The Fibonacci piano was made to commemorate the milestone of Steinway’s 600,000th piano, and it uses the unmistakable Fibonacci sequence (or golden ratio) in its design to represent the evolution and eternal pursuit of perfection.
The piano took over 6,000 hours of work and four years to make. As a one-of-a-kind commemorative piano, the Fibonacci is priced steeply – it can be yours for just $2.4 million.
5. Steinway Model Z Belonging to John Lennon
Price: $2,370,000
While this piano is just a simple Steinway Model Z, it managed to sell for £1,450,000 because of its celebrity history: this upright piano was owned by John Lennon and used to compose the hit song “Imagine.” The piano was put up for auction in the year 2000 when George Michael purchased it for the incredible sum.
Eventually, after recording some music of his own on the piano, George Michael donated it back to The Beatles Story Museum in Liverpool. Today, the piano occasionally tours around the world as well.
It was the second piece of Beatles memorabilia to sell for over $2,000,000 in recent years. A Ringo Starr owned drum set sold at auction for $2.1 Million in 2015 placing atop the list of most expensive drum sets in the world.
6. Steinway & Sons Red Pops for (RED) Parlor Grand
Price: $1,925,000
This special edition Steinway Parlor Grand was inspired by Bono, a singer from the band U2. Bono wanted to commission a piano that would bring awareness to (RED). The proceeds from its auction were donated to fight disease in Africa.
Stewart Rahr ended up winning the auction with his bid of more than $1.9 million. All told, the auction ended up raising more than $26 million for charity, and the event cemented the Red Pops piano as one of the most expensive auction pianos of all time.
7. Steinway & Sons Sound of Harmony Concert Grand
Price: $1,630,000
This incredible piano (also, unsurprisingly, from Steinway & Sons) was commissioned for a Chinese collector named Guo Qingxiang, and it took Steinway & Sons three years to build.
The design on this show piano is all wood inlay, and it was created to mimic the work of Chinese artist Shi Qi. Almost 40 different types of wood veneers went into the production of this piano. The piano is said to be worth more than $1.6 million.
8. Galaxy Piano
Price: $1,360,000
This unique piano from Galaxy Instruments is undoubtedly one of the strangest pianos ever made. The Galaxy Piano, of which only five were ever made, was crafted from fiberglass, plated with gold, and given an automatic lid and curved piano keys to make it truly stand out.
This might seem counterintuitive to playing the Galaxy Piano, and that’s because it is! Mark Murphy, the sales and marketing director for Galaxy Piano, said himself that they consider them a “luxury item,” not just an instrument.
While the value is set at $1.36 million above, that value could go up if one of these pianos goes up for auction again. The Galaxy Piano also has an auto-play system that can be controlled via an iPad.
9. Bösendorfer Kuhn Grand Piano
Price: $1,200,000
The Kuhn Grand Piano from Bösendorfer, with its unmistakable black lacquer and shining diamonds, is surely one of the most unmistakable one-of-a-kind pianos out there today. The Kuhn was actually a collaboration between Bösendorfer and John Kuhn, an acclaimed artist and glass sculptor.
The Bösendorfer Kuhn took more than a year to craft and required 100,000 hand-cut lead crystals to complete. While it was originally appraised at $1.2 million, it was later put on the market for $800k.
Most Expensive Pianos 10-21
10. C. Bechstein Sphinx
Price: $1,200,000
The C. Bechstein Sphinx Grand Piano is actually a reproduction of the original 130-year-old C. Bechstein Sphinx piano. However, despite its non-original status, the Sphinx was crafted with incredible intricacy and detail – sticking as close to the original pictures of the Sphinx as possible.
As such, today’s price for the replica C. Bechstein Sphinx is just over one million dollars. The replica itself took 32 months and 1800 hours of work to make.
11. Steinway & Sons Alma-Tadema
Price: $1,200,000
Rounding out our list of Steinway pianos, this Alma-Tadema is another replica of an ancient piano. The original was a Steinway D-274 crafted by Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema in 1887. It went to auction several times throughout history, but most recently, it sold for just over one million in 1997.
Eventually, a replica Alma-Tadema was painstakingly crafted by Steinway & Sons to honor the original. It currently acts as a display piece and has been available for viewing in places like the Tallahassee Automobile Museum in Florida.
12. Blüthner Lucid EXO
Price: $960,000
The Blüthner Lucid EXO is one of the most unique piano offerings on this list because, surprisingly, this is the first piano that you can currently order for production. Blüthner created the EXO line of pianos using the latest 3D printing technology, allowing for incredibly complex shapes and designs.
Blüthner’s bespoke Lucid line is available in all different finishes and designs, but the EXO tops out the line’s price tags at nearly a million dollars.
13. Kawai Crystal Grand
Price: $920,000
The Kawai Crystal grand piano is a relatively new offering that comes from Japan. Like the Heintzman Crystal Piano, this grand piano is encased in acrylic, allowing you to see the inside as it’s played. While this model is slightly less than the Crystal Piano, it still comes with a hefty price tag.
Fortunately, Kawai is actively manufacturing the Crystal Grand, meaning you can pick one up today. After its creation in 2017, the piano was showcased at various locations worldwide in 2018, and it’s highly customizable as per the client’s requests. That million-dollar price tag is the starting cost – without customizations!
14. Fazioli Aria by NYT Line
Price: $795,000
The Fazioli Aria by NYT Line is a one-of-a-kind collector’s piano, much like the others on this list, but unlike many of the others, this one is a modern wonder, not an antique. The Aria grand piano is a modern engineering feat that sold for $795k to a private collector.
The Aria was designed with flight in mind, as its name suggests, and it first presented in Milan in 2016. The piano is almost more sculpture than instrument. It’s meant to double as both an art piece and a piano, which may help explain its hefty price tag.
15. Bösendorfer Opus 50
Price: $750,000
The Bösendorfer Opus 50 is not a replica, but a tribute to both the history of neoclassical Vienna and the history of Bösendorfer. The Imperial model grand piano was inspired by several neoclassical instruments from the 1867 World Exhibition in Paris.
Today, the Bösendorfer Opus 50 is available for purchase as a collector’s item, but at a steep price.
16. Fazioli M. Liminal by NYT Line
Price: $695,000
The Fazioli M. Liminal looks very similar to the Fazioli Aria we looked at earlier, and with good reason – both pianos were designed by the same individual by the name of Philippe Gendre. However, the M. Liminal invokes waves and dolphins, not the sleek, airy motions of the Aria.
Like the Aria, the M. Liminal functions both as a piano and as a work of art. However, unlike the Aria, while the M. Liminal is a limited edition piece, this grand piano is still available for custom order (for now).
17. Marilyn Monroe’s Baby Grand
Price: $670,000
You’ve probably guessed that, from the name of this piano, it once belonged to Marilyn Monroe – and you’d be right. Like John Lennon’s piano that we looked at before, this baby grand piano is old, worn, and not particularly fancy, but it’s noteworthy because of who owned it.
This piano once belonged to Marilyn’s mother, Gladys, and an unknown American manufacturer created it. It was eventually purchased for just under $670k by Mariah Carey, with whom it now resides.
18. The ‘Tiny Piano’
Price: $602,500
The ‘Tiny Piano’ is the companion piano to the other Casablanca piano (the ‘As Time Goes By’ piano) we looked at before. However, this piano didn’t play as important a role in the movie, and so it sold for much less.
Still, this miniaturized upright piano auctioned for a decent sum when it was first sold in 1988, but it only hit the 600k mark when hit the market again in 2012.
19. Fazioli Gold Leaf
Price: $535,000
The Fazioli Gold Leaf piano, as the name suggests, is an F228 grand piano that’s completely encased in – you guessed it – gold leaf! Fazioli created this unique piano as an homage to “the golden standard” and the recurrence as gold as a symbol of immortality.
This piano is as unique as it is beautiful, and it was last for sale in Vancouver in 2017 for just over half a million dollars.
20. Blüthner Supreme (Special Edition With 24k Gold Inlay)
Price: $420,000
Blüthner is an impressive creator of high-quality pianos. While many of them come in below the half a million mark, these models can reach much higher with special customizations. One, a Blüthner Supreme with special gold inlay customizations, reached above the $400k mark for a single customer.
Blüthner sells many different pianos models, many of which can be personalized to the customer’s liking. While there’s nothing historically unique about this piano, its personalization is what makes it unique and desirable. What makes this different from so many others on the most expensive pianos list is the use of expensive materials as opposed to its rarity.
21. Erard La Mort du Cygne
Price: $409,000
The La Mort du Cygne, or Death of the Swan, is an antique piano created by the piano maker Erard. Four of these pianos were created in total, one of which is on display in the Museum of France. Another is on display in the Virginia Fine Arts Museum.
This wooden half-tail piano was carved not by Erard, but by a cabinetmaker by the name of Louis Majorelle. With the help of another artist, he created the gorgeous inlaid wood art pieces of this piano.
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