80,000 Steinway to Benefit Operation of Hope

World-renowned and groundbreaking concert pianist/composer Carter Larsen is selling his piano collection of twenty-five years to benefit the arts and humanities. Inaugurating the sale is his 1876 Steinway, representing the flagship to an unparalleled collection of the world's finest pianos. The 0,000 Steinway will be on display in the Burgundy Room at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel June 23, 2008 and auctioned through eBay, CraigsList, and OperationofHope.org starting tomorrow. The composer will perform pieces created on this piano from his revolutionary Fantasia Suite at 2:00pm.

Fifteen percent of the proceeds go to Operation of Hope after a birthday wish to change his life, Larsen explains, "I wish to spread the fortune I have received. This is a spiritual decision and my responsibility to humanity." Operation of Hope is an international organization that provides free reconstructive surgeries to individuals in Zimbabwe and Ecuador for the past twenty years. PEOPLE will run an eight-page article on this amazing organization in coming weeks. http://www.operationofhope.org/.

Larsen's one of a kind, customized, 1876 Victorian Steinway commemorates the centennial of America with a stunning New York Vintage Brazilian Rosewood case in high-gloss, representing the quintessential instrument-a hybrid of romance, fantasy and high-tech German Steinway's Renner-action sound board and strings. The piano was exhibited in the 2003 Namm Show, displayed by Chateau at the Pacific Design Center during 2004 in Los Angeles, and played on by Pierce Brosnan and Sir Anthony Hopkins who came to the composer seeking musical advice. Larsen's Steinway celebrates the 300th anniversary of the piano and the 150th anniversary of Steinway.

Steinway's artist Carter Larsen says, "This piano goes beyond its credentials. It has been a magical piano inspiring a continuous flow of creativity." Larsen is renowned as a concert pianist in Europe with over four-hundred concerts to his credit; performances include the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra as soloist with television appearances on BBC and PBS.

Larsen's pianos also have a legacy of twenty years of composition, writing for the major studios such as Fox, Paramount, PBS, BBC, and Discovery. He has composed music for over thirty prestigious films including Paramount's Star Trek, Nosferatu, Masterpiece Theatre, and the Mark of Zorro. The composer is currently scoring Martin Scorcese's new film, Something to Believe In, directed by Bonnie Palif.

Larsen is also offering a bonus to the buyer-a private performance of his magnum opus Fantasia Suite, created on his Steinway piano. "Carter Larsen's innovative artistry has universal appeal and promises to set the course for the next wave in contemporary music" says Omega Medina, ten year head of the classical Grammies, who will be present on the 23rd.

The composer just returned from a sensational tour introducing his music to China's thirty million pianists. "Fantasia Suite is about projecting and reflecting a brighter world," says Larsen whose sale will benefit nonprofits, organizations both nationally and internationally, as well as the arts and humanities. For more information visit http://www.carterlarsen.com/.