 In 1988, Steinway made its 500,000th piano.Designed by artist Wendell Castle, it carries inscriptions of the names of the 832 pianists and 90 ensembles on the Steinway Artist roster of 1987, including Van Cliburn, Vladimir Horowitz and Billy Joel.Six years later the company launched "C. F. Theodore Steinway Academy for Concert Technicians", known simply as "Steinway Academy", at Steinway's factory in Hamburg, Germany.