Narrow Piano Keys: “Kleiner Klavier”
Collaboration between
Het Muziekinstrumentenfonds (NL)
Kluge Klavierturen (DE)
Maene Atelier (BE)
In 2026, Het Muziekinstrumentenfonds (The Dutch Musical Instruments Foundation) commissioned a piano keyboard with narrow 6.0-inch octave piano keys from Maene Atelier and Kluge Klavierturen to be installed in a Steinway A piano. This piano will be on personal loan for Hilda Huang beginning in January 2027.
The Muziekinstrumentenfonds has raised over 23,000 Euros (as of November 2026) towards this project and the crowdfunding campaign remains live.
Timeline
November 2025: Hilda submits request for piano instrument modification to Het Muziekinstrumentenfonds
March 2026: Hilda and Frits Schutte, Head of Instrument Collection at the Muziekinstrumentenfonds visits the Maene Atelier in Ruislede, BE to discuss the project with Wolf Leye of Maene Pianos and to try the recipient Steinway A piano.
September 2026: Fundraising underway. Het Muziekinstrumentenfonds has raised over 20,000 Euros towards the keyboard cost from Kluge Klavierturen, cost of installation and preparation at Maene Atelier, and additional cost for a new set of strings from Maene for the piano.
November 2026: Hilda and Frits visit Maene Atelier in Ruislede one last time to test weighting and regulation. Rauwkost Film (Rotterdam) interviews the team and gathers footage and images of the building materials and process.
December 2026: Hilda presents the piano at PianoFest 2026, an amateur piano festival held annually at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, offering a public opportunity to try the piano for the first time in the Netherlands.
February 2027: Documentary about Narrow Keys by Rauwkost Film (Rotterdam) to premiere at the Muziekgebouw Amsterdam
Relevant Links:
General Project Description:
https://www.muziekinstrumentenfonds.nl/en/support/special-projects/innovative-keyboard
Fundraising round 1: A Modified Keyboard for Small Hands
https://www.muziekinstrumentenfonds.nl/en/support/special-projects/innovative-keyboard
Fundraising round 2: A Major Steinway Overhaul
https://www.muziekinstrumentenfonds.nl/en/support/special-projects/steinway-overhaul
Magazine article in Het Muziekinstrumentenfonds 2026 Magazine:
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