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The Cobbe Collection of Historic Keyboard Instruments
Includes the largest group of instruments owned or played by famous composers to be seen together anywhere in the world.
What is especially magical is that the collection is maintained in playing order to allow artists and audiences to experience the sounds that inspired composers. We are most grateful to the generous donors who have contributed to our Adopt an Instrument scheme.
We are especially grateful to The Chopin Society, London, for their generous undertaking to adopt Chopin’s piano for fifteen years and to The Elgar Society for their continuing adoption of Elgar’s piano.
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Keeping instruments in playing order is an expensive business. We feel that it is vital that The Cobbe Collection Trust continues with this ideal, support us and donate today.
Adopt
Adopt an Instrument invites you to underwrite the maintenance and tuning of a particular instrument for one or more years.
Donations for Annual Maintenance during 2021
- Zenti Harpsichord, 1622 400
- Ruckers Harpsichord, 1636 - Mrs C. Rolls in memory of Rev’d. T. Rolls
- Virginals by John Player, 1664 - Adopted by Mr Peter Gillman
- Snetzler Organ, 1759 £200
- Zumpe Piano, 1769 - Adopted by Miss A. Hennegan
- Spanish or Portuguese clavichord £400
- Zumpe/JC Bach Piano, 1777-78 - Adopted by Mr Christopher Goode
- Spinet by Ferdinand Weber, 1780 - Adopted by an anonymous donor
- Southwell half-moon table piano, c.1782-85 £350
- Hoffmann Clavichord, 1784 - Adopted by Mr Christoper Gold
- Marie Antoinette’s Piano, c.1786 £450
- Hancock Piano, ‘Warranted by Mr Dibdin’, c.1790 - by Mrs P. Grayburn
- Grand piano by ‘pupil’ of Stein, c.1790 £500
- Southwell Square Piano, c. 1793-94 £250
- Piano by John Bland, 1794 £350
- Anton Walter Piano, 1815 - Adopted by Mr Christopher Harman
- Broadwood Piano signed by Cramer, 1816 £450
- Conrad Graf piano, 1819-20 - by Kenneth Watters and Robin Wilkinson
- Nanette Streicher grand piano,1823 £350
- Mahler’s Piano, 1836 £350
- Jane Stirling’s Erard piano, 1843 £400
- Elgar’s Broadwood piano, 1848 - Adopted by the Elgar Society
- Erard piano, signed by Thalberg, 1845 £450
- Chopin’s Pleyel piano, 1848 - Adopted by the Chopin Society
- Broadwood, 1847, played by Chopin £400
- Steinway Grand Piano, 1864 £700
- Bizet’s composing table piano, 1855 £250
- Haydn’s Longman&Broderip piano, c.1794 - by Lady Lipworth, CBE
- Harpsichord by Ferdinand Weber, 1746 - Adopted by anonymous donor
- Piano by Ferdinand Weber, 1774 £350
- Harpsichord by Jacob & Abraham Kirkman, London, 1781 £450
- Grand piano by J. Becker, St Petersburg, c.1879 £650
If you should decide to take part in this scheme, your adopted instrument will be displayed to the public with a notice stating that you have supported its maintenance and you will receive a complimentary pair of tickets to a concert of your choice (subject to availability).
Your name will appear as the adopter of the instrument in the succeeding published list of concerts and in the programme of any concert in which it is used.