Black. White. Infinite. Steinway’s Ultra Editions in Collaboration with Bentley Motors

Music

It’s not often that two worlds, seemingly on opposite ends of the spectrum, collide in an utterly inevitable way once the layers are peeled back. But in Hamburg, inside the sacred halls of the Steinway & Sons factory, that’s exactly what happened.

I was invited to witness a launch that few saw coming but made perfect sense once revealed. The evening unfolded with a quiet grandeur: Riesling in hand, a three-course dinner meticulously plated, and The Piano Brothers delivering enchanting renditions of Adele and Mary Poppins. The precision was exquisite, the energy electric.

Then came the moment: two pianos, both extraordinary in form and presence, the Ultra Black and Ultra White Limited Editions.

At first glance, they seemed like opposing forces. But together, they told a story of balance, reflection, and transcendence. The black piano, deep and commanding, mirrored the emotional complexity of life on earth. The white, pure and ethereal felt like ascension, a glimpse of something beyond. Together, they played not just notes, but philosophy.

Steinway Reimagined

Crafted in Steinway’s Hamburg factory, only 52 instruments will ever exist, 26 Ultra Black and 26 Ultra White, divided between 18 Model B and 8 Model D concert grands. Each piano is a study in precision and restraint.

The Ultra Black is finished entirely in Jet Black, from the soundboard to the cast-iron plate in Liquid Black Yellow. Even the keyboard is monochrome, every key a shade of shadow. The engraved Steinway logo is the only mark of identity, quiet, confident, and impossibly refined.

The Ultra White offers the perfect counterpoint: luminous in Pure White, with chrome metal fittings and a sculptural high-gloss plate. Its design radiates clarity, minimal yet magnetic. Together, they feel like night and day distilled into sound.

Bentley x Steinway: A Symphony of Craft and Speed

The unveiling marked a collaboration that felt both unexpected and entirely natural: Steinway & Sons and Bentley Motors.

To celebrate the occasion, Bentley presented a Flying Spur Speed finished in Arctic White with a Piano Black veneer interior, a mirror to the Ultra editions’ visual dialogue. Both brands share an obsession with detail, precision, and craftsmanship that transcends function. Piano Black, a signature finish for both houses, became the symbolic bridge between sound and speed, heritage and innovation.

This partnership was more than a gesture; it was an exchange of mastery. From veneering to design philosophy, the two marques showcased how engineering and artistry can coexist seamlessly.

Technology in Harmony

Every Ultra Edition comes equipped with SPIRIO | r, Steinway’s cutting-edge high-resolution player piano system. It captures every nuance of touch and pedal, not as a recording but as a living, breathing performance. Through SPIRIOCAST, a concert in Hamburg could be heard live, note for note, on a Steinway thousands of miles away.

It is craftsmanship meeting code, and proof that innovation can still sound timeless.

The Sound of Legacy

Only 52 of these instruments will exist, destined for homes, galleries, and stages where beauty and precision are worshipped equally. They are pianos, yes, but also sculptures, heirlooms, and works of design art.

As the final notes of Coldplay's Viva la Vida lingered through the factory and the glow of the Ultra White piano reflected against its obsidian twin, it became clear. Steinway and Bentley haven’t just built instruments and automobiles. They’ve composed a duet between legacy and the future.

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Imagery courtesy of Steinway & Sons

Words by Jheanelle Feanny