Utah’s long-running Steinway partnership is getting a major shakeup. After more than a century with Daynes Music as its local dealer, Steinway & Sons has tapped a new Utah partner and plans to open a Steinway Piano Gallery in Holladay in May. The move ends a relationship that reaches back to the 19th century and follows Daynes’ decision this spring to close its Midvale showroom. Now local teachers, university music departments and longtime customers are trying to gauge what the switch will mean for access to high-end pianos and reliable service.
Steinway taps a Holladay showroom
Steinway has confirmed that a new Utah dealer is in place and that a Steinway Piano Gallery in Holladay is expected to open in May, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. The timing lines up with Daynes’ recent decision to close its Midvale showroom and sell off remaining stock. For now, Steinway has not released specifics on who will staff the Holladay gallery or the exact address, leaving some of the practical details still to be filled in.
An end to a 150-year relationship
Daynes Music traces its history to the 1860s and has been Utah’s Steinway dealer since 1873, according to local reporting. KSL has chronicled the company’s long run and its role in supplying instruments for colleges, concert halls, and generations of piano students. As the family-run business prepared to close, it shifted into liquidation mode, posting closing-sale details and inventory listings on its own website. Daynes Music Co. invited buyers to book private appointments before throwing open the doors for a public sale weekend.
Institutions and teachers weigh the change
Colleges and music programs that have long relied on Daynes for concert and classroom pianos, including the University of Utah and other state schools, will now have to reassess where they source instruments and technical support, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. Teachers told local reporters that access to concert-quality instruments is not a luxury but a necessity for auditions, juries and recitals. The incoming Holladay gallery will be under pressure to show how quickly it can rebuild those institutional relationships and match Daynes’ long-established service footprint.
What a Steinway gallery brings
Steinway Piano Galleries typically run as full-service showrooms that offer new Steinway, Boston, and Essex models along with restoration work, tuning, institutional support, and, increasingly, the Spirio high‑resolution player piano, according to Steinway’s own gallery descriptions. Steinway Piano Gallery materials emphasize that these locations are meant to support schools, concert venues and serious students, not just walk-in retail. If the Holladay gallery opens on schedule, it could keep some of that infrastructure in place for Utah’s piano community, even if the deeper community ties will take time to rebuild.
What customers should know
Daynes’ closing sale has given Utah buyers a rare shot at showroom Steinways and other grand pianos, with private appointment days and a public sale date laid out on the company’s website. Daynes Music Co. has urged interested customers to work directly with its team on purchase logistics while inventory is still available. Piano owners who will need ongoing tuning, warranty help or Spirio support are being advised to watch for formal service and technical announcements from the new Holladay gallery once it opens.
For the moment, Utah’s piano scene is in a transitional period. Daynes’ legacy remains a significant chapter in the state’s musical history, and the forthcoming Steinway Piano Gallery in Holladay will be judged on how well it fills the void. We will update this space as Steinway, the new dealer or Daynes representatives share more details about the handoff and the Holladay opening.
