As part of an exclusive partnership and with effect as of next year, the Munich-based premium carmaker BMW will be supporting the international talent programme of piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons. The aim of the joint initiative between BMW and Steinway & Sons is to promote and nurture young musicians at national and international level.

With production facilities in Hamburg and New York, the world-renowned manufacturer of upright and grand pianos has partnered authorised Steinway dealers for several decades in promoting piano competitions for children and young people up to the age of 17. The competitions enjoy considerable prestige and have already brought international recognition to a number of great artists. Another key component of the company’s efforts to promote young musical talent is the International Steinway Festival, which takes place in Hamburg every two years. This festival brings together piano competition winners from the nine countries in which the competitions are currently held. The highlight of the event is the festival concert, which gives all the pianists an opportunity to showcase their skills and experience the concert environment in front of a large audience without the pressure of competition.

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To kick off this exclusive cooperation, BMW is presenting its special limited-edition BMW Individual 7 Series Composition inspired by Steinway & Sons on 11 November 2010 at the Hamburg factory of Steinway & Sons. Dr Uwe Ellinghaus, Director BMW Brand Steering and BMW Brand Management, commented: “We very much look forward to our partnership with Steinway & Sons, like BMW a premium brand with the highest quality standards and a passion for detail. The special-edition BMW Individual 7 Series Composition embodies the desire of both brands to combine aesthetics, comfort and technical perfection. With its aim to provide support for future talent, the BMW Group considers that promoting the Young Steinway Artists in this way is a perfect adjunct to its commitment to culture.”

The luxury saloons of the BMW 7 Series express the aesthetics, quality and exclusivity which both brands epitomise. A design style with a commitment to perfection is the hallmark both of vehicle production at BMW Individual and of upright and grand piano manufacturing at Steinway & Sons.

For its world premiere in Hamburg, the BMW Individual 7 Series Composition inspired by Steinway & Sons will be presented in two perfectly coordinated colour variants. Deliberately reminiscent of the piano keyboard, the colour schemes reflect the contrast between black and white. The exclusive appearance of these luxury saloons is characterised by top-quality craftsmanship and the use of exquisite materials. At the same time, the paint finish – in a choice of black or white – and upholstery and surface materials are the result of a design and build quality that is unique worldwide and has been developed specifically for this special edition. The body’s paintwork, for example, in which each coat of paint is individually smoothed and polished by hand, boasts a high-end finish comparable to that of piano lacquer. Precise highlight details, together with an audio system specially adapted to the luxury saloon’s interior, complement the sophisticated ambience and add an even more exclusive touch to this special edition. The vehicles, produced as a special limited edition by BMW Individual, are built to customer specifications and based on the normal or long-wheelbase versions of the luxury saloon.

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Cultural commitment of the BMW Group

For almost 40 years, international cultural commitment has been a key element of the BMW Group’s corporate communications. Having played a role in over 100 events worldwide, the BMW Group’s commitment in the cultural sphere has always sought to preserve absolute freedom of creative potential – as much a prerequisite for groundbreaking works of art as for pioneering innovations in a successful commercial enterprise. The BMW Group focuses its cultural involvement on contemporary art and music, as well as on architecture and design.

The long-term joint venture between Hamburg Musik GmbH and BMW was announced in 2008, long before work on the spectacular Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg’s Speicherstadt was scheduled to be completed. BMW not only committed itself to becoming the company’s first main sponsor, but also aims to be actively involved with the planning of its own creative projects.

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