5 minutes with ... Bruce Stevens.(Interview)

Bruce A. Stevens has been president of Steinway & Sons since 1985. Prior to that, he was director of international marketing for the Polaroid Corporation. Stevens was raised in a musical family and studied French horn, trumpet, drums and piano. A graduate of the prestigious Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Stevens and his wife, Terry, live in Winchester, Massachusetts.

Steinways are universally revered for their quality. What sets them apart?

The philosophy of the company is what makes us considerably different. We believe in crafting the finest instrument possible. Accordingly, we are steadfast about our specifications, the materials used and a handcrafting process. In fact, the Steinway System is considered to be the "modern piano," and all companies will have bits and pieces of it. However, we are the only company that adheres to the complete system.

What is the principal driving force behind your initiatives as president?

Without question, we are totally committed to our Customer Satisfaction Initiative (CSI). Everyone in the company is focused on providing the best possible customer service, and this is what drives everything we do. In short, we always have the customer in mind and, as a result, we are constantly striving to improve our beautiful instruments.

I applaud your involvement in teacher organizations and music advocacy. How would you assess the state of the arts today?

I'm reasonably optimistic. I think parents value music education for their children. We see an increase in the number of people giving major financial gifts to schools of music, and many more people are deciding that they want to participate in making music. The momentum is in our favor. For example, Steinway & Sons has been sponsoring the MTNA Young Artist Piano Competition for several years. We are impressed and encouraged by the fine young people we've seen enter the competition. This bodes well for our industry.