Century-old Steinway makes a grand return to Trail
Published 5:30 am Thursday, October 1, 2026
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After more than two years away, the Bailey Theatre’s century-old Steinway grand piano came home last Friday.
Eight movers carefully eased the instrument back through the doors on Cedar Avenue and into the historic venue in downtown Trail.
The circa-1926 piano had spent its long absence at Verhnjak Pianos in Surrey, where the team rebuilt its action and tone, carried out structural repairs, and refinished it from top to bottom.
Amelia Ewart, executive director of the Trail and District Arts Council, had teased one final detail before the piano’s reveal later in the day, telling the Trail Times there was “a surprise under the lid.”
That surprise turned out to be a striking cherry-red finish on the underside of the lid.
Beyond the beauty of the restoration, the Steinway’s return holds a deeper significance for Ewart.
“It’s quite emotional, actually,” she said.
“This piano is a very big part of our history. We’re so proud to have been able to restore it to its original glory so that it can be played for another hundred years.”
The Steinway has been at the heart of Trail’s musical life for generations.
For more than 80 years it has accompanied both professional concerts and student performances, including the Kootenay Music Festival.
Canadian pianist Hagood Hardy once called it the best piano in any concert venue in Western Canada, a memory still treasured by longtime arts council leader Raymond Masleck.
That reputation will soon be heard again.
On Oct. 29, when the Rick Lingard Band opens this season’s Jazz at the Griff series, Juno Award-winning pianist David Restivo will be the first to play the restored Steinway in public.
For Ewart, putting an instrument of this calibre back into the hands of professionals is only part of the story.
“The Steinway is a bit of magic, it makes the most amateur player sound elevated,” she said, adding that she considers herself “an amateur amateur.”
“It is an absolute joy.”
She is equally keen about what the piano will mean for younger musicians.
“I believe it will be an exciting experience for students to perform their recital pieces on,” she said.
“A piano like this is meant to be played, and we look forward to all opportunities to have it showcased.”
Bringing the instrument back to that standard was no small feat.
Final costs are still being tallied, but the project is approaching $90,000.
“Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, we are very close to our fundraising goal,” Ewart said.
Donations are still being accepted.
Among supporters were Masleck and his wife Linda, who contributed $3,000 to the Grand Again campaign. Masleck has long described the Steinway as “a musical gem” worth preserving for future generations.
While the Steinway was away, a Brodmann piano donated by the Trail-Castlegar branch of the B.C. Registered Music Teachers’ Association kept music sounding through the Bailey.
With the grand piano home again, the arts council is already planning a public event to formally celebrate its return.
Details will be announced soon.
For now, the Steinway sits ready on the stage: restored, waiting, and prepared to make music for a second century.