ARTS & CULTURE
New collection from Edelweiss
F ulbourn-based piano maker Edelweiss continues to break the world’s first multicoloured Elmer the Elephant piano! Much like the cheerful patchwork character, who celebrates his 30th anniversary this year, the Elmer piano rejects the idea of blending in, and instead wears its rainbow of colours with pride. The Elmer is just one of a collection of five new customisable self-playing pianos that are available to buy in Harrods and made by a team of artisans, technicians and craftsmen here in Cambridgeshire. The company has got many fans in high places: celebrities including Sia, Lady Gaga and Claudia Schiffer have tinkled the ivories on these gorgeous creations. Unlike conventional uprights and grands, the pianos fuse music and magic in one individually customisable work of art thanks to a hidden iPod, which is pre- programmed with 400 songs and a bank of precision electronic solenoids. the mould with its most dazzling collection to date – which includes
“Gone are the days of just black pianos – our new collection is the perfect way to find your true colours,” says Edelweiss head of design, Mark Norman. “When we were kids, we loved the story of Elmer, so we’ve brought some of the ideas in the book to life in our latest design. People want to break out of the traditional muted colours mould and find something different.” Times have been tough for the piano market of late – sales have dropped in the last 40 years from around 30,000 per year in the eighties to just 4,000 today, but we think this local company could herald a new era with its innovative approach. Harrods seems to agree, making the Edelweiss the first piano it’s chosen to sell since closing its piano department in 2013. “If you want a piano, you go to a piano shop; if you want to express yourself with furniture, you go to a furniture shop. Now you can get both in one unique piece,” says Norman. “It’s the perfect show-stopping centrepiece – even if you don’t play.” edelweisscollection.com
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