INDEPENDENT NEWS

Auckland music icon turns to 4th generation

Published: Wed 23 Aug 2006 01:01 PM
Auckland music icon turns to 4th generation
Lewis Eady Ltd, the institution that has supplied Aucklanders with musical instruments for well over a century, has a new owner, John Eady. John, the great grandson to founder Lewis Eady, has taken over the conducting of the various music related interests the family has from his father John (Senior).
At the time the music business was founded in 1884, Sir Robert Stout was the Prime Minister of New Zealand, the first overseas tour by a New Zealand rugby team happened, the first Steinway Model D concert grand piano was developed and Franz Liszt wrote Valse Oubliée no.4.
Today Lewis Eady’s sell top quality pianos, acoustic musical instruments and print music from their showroom in Remuera. The company manages a music school, runs a wholesale division, supplies performance-level grand pianos to institutions around New Zealand, sponsors and supports the growth of music generally, through such events as the Lewis Eady Auckland Junior Music Competition which it has organized and run for over 24 years.
Great grandfather Lewis would be proud to know that a great grandson – another John Lewis Eady has taken up his mantle to extend the legend of Lewis Eady Ltd further into the future. As a musician himself (dipRCM London) John is well placed to steer the company for many more years of outstanding service in the name of Lewis Eady Ltd.
“Now is an important time for the company” said John (Jnr) “and a humbling time for me. As the oldest family owned and operated music business in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the oldest in the world, I certainly do feel that there is a responsibility to continue the tradition, of customer service which the public expect us to maintain. However, these are exciting times for New Zealand music, and we plan to keep ahead of them for the next century or so.”
During the passage of its 122 year history, the company has been generous to Auckland. It has given four grand pianos to the city of Auckland including one new concert grand piano and several upright pianos to the Town Hall, two baby grands to smaller centres, and a magnificent old pre- 1880’s grand to the Auckland Museum. The company started the music section at the Auckland Central Library and has over the years given thousands of music books to the Lewis Eady Music Library – as it was known then. It has sponsored and financed orchestras and organised music competitions for senior and junior schools to this day.
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