Hailun USA, a brand of Vienna International announces ther winners of the Test the Best...Win a Piano contest.  All winners will receive a brand new HU1 upright piano.  The Hailun HU-1 is the unrivaled 48 professional upright piano. It stands out for its clear, colorful tone, with seamless transitions of sound in all registers of the piano. The powerful and well-balanced sound offers the best instrument playing experience for beginners as well as advanced students. Its lines are elegant by design. The HU-1 beautifies any home surroundings while its sturdy construction makes it the perfect mid-size institutional or studio instrument. This piano comes in an ebony polish finish while the legs and the fallboard come in an elegant mahogany detailing. Finishes: Ebony Polish, Mahogany Polish, Walnut Polish.  more

• Carole Newton-St Albert, CA.
• The Philpot Family-Central Utah, USA
• Martha Kostiuk Hoolier-Washington State, USA
• Caled Orthner-Regina, Saskatchewan, CA
• The Mann Family-Antioch, IL

The Mann Family

“We’ve never won anything,” said Mike and Wendy Mann, of Antioch, IL. “We’re the type who can’t even win scratch-offs. We were totally in shock when we received the phone call.” Yet, winning became very real when they surprised their two groggy daughters by bringing them into Family Piano Co. at 8 a.m. the day before Christmas Eve. The two girls had huge, joyous grins when they realized their whole family was getting a brand new Hailun piano.

Mackenzie Mann, 8, had been playing violin passionately for about a year and a half, when her parents looked into supporting her music talent with an acoustic piano. They were impressed with the quality of the Hailun piano, but were considering starting with a more modest used instrument and trading up later. Now, with such a nice NEW piano, Mike Mann, a local police officer, is planning to re-start piano lessons himself. He had a very modest piano as a child, but did not stick with lessons. Mackenzie’s younger sister Sophia, 5, and their mom Wendy, are also excited about starting lessons on the fabulous Hailun HU-1 piano. Hailun has not only helped the Manns have a very exciting Christmas 2011, but also involve the entire young family in music for the long haul.

Family Piano Co. is proud to have sponsored this "Test the Best...Win a Piano" contest, and thank the more than forty families who participated. Congratulations again to the Mann family!

Caleb Orthner

Dennis Weist Piano from Regina announces that Caleb Orthner won the contest Test the best...Win a Piano

Caleb Orthner began taking piano lessons at 5 years of age. He has faithfully practiced his assigned pieces while working on a very average mid-size upright piano. After a decade of lessons he has become quite proficient at the piano. Now was certainly the time to upgrade the instrument he practiced on at home.

The Orthners from Regina, Saskatchewan Canada were one of over a hundred families that took the time to Test the Best and give the new Hailun Upright piano a careful inspection through the Dennis Weist Piano Hailun dealership.  In particular Caleb said he appreciated the piano action, describing it as very responsive, giving him great control over the dynamic range. He was profoundly impressed by the beautiful piano.

Music is not Caleb’s only passion. He is a well rounded young man. He enjoys sports as well, although these endeavours sometimes conflict with each other. Last year, just before a piano recital he broke his arm playing baseball. This might have stopped some, but Caleb managed to play. He gave a good performance of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata while playing with a cast on his right arm.    

Witnessing this kind of determination and commitment to his music, we know that this Hailun Piano is going to be very well used and deeply appreciated. Congratulations Caleb. We look forward to hearing much more from you!

The Philpot Family

Brigham and Karmel Larson recently expanded their Central Utah piano shop in August of 2011, doubling their shop space and adding a piano gallery and store front.  Among those at the grand opening were Morgan and Natalie Philpot and their 5 children.  The grand opening was also the launch of the Test the Best-Win a Free Piano promotion for Brigham Larson Pianos.  Natalie entered and hoped.  Then, 4 months and hundreds of entrants later, the drawing was held and Natalie was the lucky winner! 

The "Philpot Phamily" was all smiles as the piano was delivered to them as an early Christmas gift.  Natalie is a devoted mother who loves to share music with her children and was over joyed at the surprise.  She said that she has never won anything before in her life.  Congratulations Natalie!  Morgan, her husband, may not have so much time to play his new piano as he is running for governor of the State of Utah.  At he already received an impressive gift!  To learn more about the Morgan Philpot Phamily (Family), click here.

Martha Kostiuk-Hollier

Northwest Pianos from Bellevue, Washington reports that Martha Kostiuk-Hollier a former Soprano with the Bolshoi Opera Theatre in Moscow won the Test the Best...Win a Piano Promotions. She will be putting the Hailun to good use in her voice studio at Bowling Studios in Bremerton, Washington.  "I can't believe it" exclaimed Martha as she heard her name called..."I just can't believe it!. " 

The gift is a one-in-a-million coloratura soprano voice, which — along with her training and natural instincts — made her a prized soloist with the Bolshoi Opera Theater in her native Russia for more than two decades. 

Born in Ukraine in the small village of Ozeriany, Martha Kostiuk attended public school where her teachers recognized the quality of her voice and where she first received special training. She attended the Conservatory of Music in Lvov, Ukraine, receiving a Diploma with Honors in 1975 with degrees in opera, chamber vocalist, and teacher of voice.

Before her graduation she was chosen to compete in auditions for the Moscow Bolshoi Opera. She was one of just four chosen out of 180 competing and became a leading soloist with the Theater.   She performed there for 21 years, and lists in her repertoire many leading lyrical and coloratura soprano parts including Rossina’s Barber of Seville, Verdi’s Violetta in La Traviata and Oscar in Un Ballo in Maschera and Gilda in Rigoletto.  Her extensive repertoire also includes Russian operas by Glinka, Rimski-Korsakoff, and Tchaikovsky as well as operas by Mozart, Gounod, Meyerbeer, and Massenet.  

She has traveled widely with the opera company appearing in concert halls and opera houses over the world.  Martha Hollier is proud to say that she has performed in 22 foreign countries during her singing career. Australia, Morocco, Finland, Turkey, Hungary, Czech Republic,  Bulgaria, and Italy are among those countries.  To see and listen to Ms. Kostiuk-Hollier in her famous rendition of Verdi's Song of the Oscar from the Masked Ball,  Click here.