The Restoration of Prince Albert’s Erard Grand Piano

In 1854, England’s Queen Victoria purchased a grand piano from the famous French instrument maker Sebastien Erard’s piano establishment in London. It was a gift to her husband Prince Albert, to use at Scotland’s Balmoral Castle. This talk, led by expert piano technician Ken Eschete, focuses on the restoration of this beautiful piano at the Smithsonian Institution, and focuses on two conservation elements that brought the piano from Scotland to the Smithsonian Hall of Musical Instruments, where it was meticulously restored.