Enticed by American history and classical piano music? Father-daughter duo Gene Korolev and Katherine Banyasz uniquely fuse both subject matters by freezing in time a bit of history and bringing to life a taste of music through their family-owned piano business.
Piano Solutions XXI – “a piano restoration company for the 21st country” – restores and rebuilds grand pianos, performs custom piano design, and provides a variety of expert piano services, including tuning and regulation.
One of the pair’s most recent projects, titled New York Serenade, is on display in the lobby of the InterContinental at 2151 Avenue of the Stars in Century City and is a prime example of the company’s piano restoration work.
New York Serenade, a Steinway & Sons piano, took a year to complete and is both an artistic and musical encompassment of New York during the jazz age.
Not only is the instrument itself vintage, every aspect of its innovative custom design intentionally represents the Big Apple during the Gatsby era with its big bands and classy jazz music.
Korolev, who has been in the restoration business since age 17, is the president and master rebuilder of Piano Solutions XXI and has technologically advanced the piano restoration process with some of his own inventions.
He explained the concept behind this one-of-a-kind piano that he and his daughter collaborated on.
“The piano is encrusted with 164,000 cubic zirconia stones,” Korolev said. “The idea was to create something that was luxurious, an instrument that not only plays music but tells a story. This one was made specifically with America in the time of the jazz age in mind, because that era emphasizes America well.”
The specific details adorned on the piano design is telling of the time, attention, and meticulousness that the duo channeled into the making of this restoration project.
As a result, New York Serenade boasts multi-dimensional imagery of the Big Apple on its piano lid, music stand, and piano bench. Even the legs of the piano have been designed to look like skyscrapers.
Banyasz, who was the mastermind behind the elaborate images, weighed in on the stand-out components of New York Serenade.
“The piano depicts Grand Central Station, Central Park, and the Brooklyn Bridge, some of the most signature parts of the city,” Banyasz said. “Steinway Hall, and the Cotton Club, a jazz club, are also portrayed.”
Also prominent within the design is the skyline of New York, which is displayed on the piano lid, as well as overlapping dancing figures and the moon shining over the city. The color blue is also a dominant theme, set to represent the Hudson River. The piano is finished with a polyester gloss for preservative purposes.
“Everything was important in embodying the feel of New York,” Banyasz explained. “This piano is a geometric and floral pattern, a revival of art deco. I’m glad that my dad likes to move forward and push technologies. He not only restores but re-customizes.”
The city of New York played a vital role in conveying Banyasz’s and Korolev’s message to the public through their work of art.
The father-daughter duo sought to revive the classic image of New York, with Korolev describing the city as a “symbol of America, where immigrants first go,” and Banyasz expressing similar sentiments about her objective.
“I want this piano to give people hope and good feelings,” Banyasz said. “This really displays a nice image of America, as a place of opportunity, achievement, and success. I want the public to receive good energy from this.”
Though Korolev and Banyasz are knowledgeable about the instrument in general, Piano Solutions XXI specializes in Steinway & Sons pianos. The base price to design and build custom pianos with cubic zirconia is approximately $450,000.
For more information, visit pianosxxi.com or phone 818.503.0800.
