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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 2023
- Virginals by Annibale or Ferrante Rossi c. 1580-90 - Adopted by Ms R. Bailey
- Zenti Harpsichord, 1622 £400
- Ruckers Harpsichord, 1636 - Adopted by Mrs C. Rolls in memory of Rev’d. T. Rolls
- Virginals by John Player, 1664 - Adopted by Mr Peter Gillman
- Italian Virginals, c. 1680 (loaned) £300
- Spinet by Tisserand and Slade c. 1690-1700 (loaned) £300
- Harpsichord by Ferdinand Weber, 1746 - Adopted by anonymous donor
- Spanish or Portuguese clavichord, c.1750-75 £400
- Snetzler Organ, 1759 £400
- Zumpe Piano, 1769 £400
- Piano by Ferdinand Weber, 1774 £400
- Zumpe/JC Bach Piano, 1777-78 - Adopted by Miss A. Hennegan
- Spinet by Ferdinand Weber, 1780 - Adopted by an anonymous donor
- Harpsichord by Jacob & Abraham Kirkman, London, 1781 £500
- Deception Pier Table Piano Forte, c.1782-85 £450
- Hoffmann Clavichord, 1784 - Adopted by Mr Christoper Gold
- Marie Antoinette’s Piano, c.1786-7 - Adopted by Lady Lipworth
- Square Pianoforte by Longman & Broderip, c. 1789 £350
- Grand piano by ‘pupil’ of Stein, c.1795 £600
- Hancock Piano, ‘Warranted by Mr Dibdin’, c.1790 £350
- Small Piano Forte by Christopher Ganer, 1790-95 £300
- Southwell Square Piano, c. 1793-94 - Adopted by Mr Christopher Goode
- Piano by John Bland, 1794 £350
- Haydn’s Longman&Broderip piano, c.1794-5 - Adopted by Mrs S. Pursley
- Square Pianoforte John Broadwood & Sons, London, 1795 £250
- Napoleon's Erard, 1810 (loaned) - Adopted by Dr A Gunning
- Anton Walter Piano, 1815 £600
- Broadwood Piano signed by Cramer, 1816 £450
- Grand Piano by Conrad Graf, Vienna, c. 1819-20 - Adopted by Mr M Drury
- Nanette Streicher grand piano, 1823 - Adopted by Kingston and District Chamber Music Society
- Mahler’s Piano, 1836 - Adopted by Mr S Dennison
- Jane Stirling’s Erard piano, 1843 £900
- Elgar’s Broadwood piano, 1844 - Adopted by the Elgar Society
- Erard piano, signed by Thalberg, 1845 £450
- Broadwood, 1847, played by Chopin - Adopted by Lady Lipworth
- Chopin’s Pleyel piano, 1848 - Adopted by the Chopin Society
- Bizet’s composing table piano, 1855 - Adopted by Mr Peter Brown
- Steinway Grand Piano, 1864 £700
- Royál' by J. Becker, c.1886-7, belonged to Sir Percy Hull £650
- Grand Piano by Steinway, Model 'O', 1904, played on by Grieg, Elgar, Strauss and Debussy - Adopted by Mr S Dennison
- Grand Piano by Steinway, 1920, owned by Vaughan Williams £800
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.