In a letter to editor of New York Times, dated with this day, Steinway & Sons’ president Bruce Stevens addresses the issues raised by Edward Rothstein in his recent article: “The quality of today’s Steinway pianos, far from being in decline, is in fact universally acclaimed. For example, 93 percent of all piano soloists performing with major orchestras in North America during the 1994 – 1995 season played exclusively on Steinways. The instruments they are playing were manufactured not in previous decades but within the last five years. Similarly, virtually all the finalists in the world’s major piano competitions insist on playing on today’s Steinway.”