From 1995 to 2001, the Stuart &Sons concert grand pianos Nos.1 to 11 were built by Wayne Stuart in partnership with the engineering and research facilities of Newcastle University,New South Wales,under the deanship of Robert Constable. 42 Robert Constable has kept a detailed archive 43 documenting his processes and discussions with Wayne Stuart as they worked to produce of the first Stuart pianos. If published, this archive could be of great value in its demonstration of how the support of research departments in the tertiary education system can contribute significantly to the creation and promotion of creative and homegrown initiatives. In 2001, a new partnership between Albert Investments Pty Ltd and Stuart and Sons Terra Australis Pty. Ltd. was created for the continued development and production of Stuart pianos. The Alberts group is a vibrant publishing, recording and philanthropic organisation, with a long history of support for artistic initiatives in the Australian music industry. These unique partnerships have enabled Wayne Stuart to continue his creative developments of modern piano design and to produce the largest number of pianos ever handcrafted by an individual Australian maker.44
Stuart Piano Recording 1996-2015
Since 1996to the date of this writing in 2015, there have been over fifty recordings commercially released featuring the Stuart & Sons piano 45. In many of these recordings the Stuart piano sound portrays the sounds of Australian contemporary composition and improvisation, music that is fundamentally influenced by vertical musical concepts of the 20th century previously outlined.The comment below by Australia’s leading contemporary music pianist Zubin Kanga importantly supports Wayne Stuart’s impetus to produce a piano sound of enhanced clarity which enables a clearer audible representation of the complex harmonic and dynamic layering requirements of modern music.
The ability to layer different sounds, both in different registers and different
colours in the same register is one of the most distinctive features of the Stuart [piano}.
I find this feature is particularly useful in contemporary music, where definition
of layers and maintenance of different layers of colour are vital to the works. 46
– Zubin Kanga, Australian Pianist
In the first five yearsof recording between 1996 and 2001,eight of the thirteen Stuart & Sons piano CD releases, were produced by Belinda Webster on her Tall Poppies recording label.
The Stuart piano is one of the best things that has happened to Australian music
for many years!It sounds great, looks great, and it is such a proud moment for
Australia that an instrument which may change the face of piano sound, world wide,
has originated from this country.As a recording instrument, the piano is to die for.
It has such a magnificent range of colours and dynamics. A stunning sound! It is an
instrument perfectly suited to the pianist who is open-minded, willing to believe that
42 3Ward, The Beethoven Obsession, 62.
43Robert Constable email emendation (July2016), of interview with author April 2015.
44 33Stuart & Sons Handcrafted Pianos, accessed 18th Feb 2013.
45See Appendix 1, for the list of Stuart & Sons recordings, composers and pianists.
46Zubin Kanga, email interview with author, 21stAugust, 2012.
