Sunset Boulevard's Musichead Gallery and Shigeru Kawai
In the heart of Hollywood’s legendary Sunset Boulevard, where the neon glow of the Sunset Strip meets serious musical artistry, lies one of Los Angeles’ most extraordinary cultural sanctuaries. Musichead Gallery, nestled in the historic Valdez Guitar Factory building at 7420 Sunset Boulevard, has quietly become the epicenter where two of music’s most coveted luxury markets converge in an unprecedented partnership. Since Sam Milgrom founded this pioneering space in 1998 as America’s first gallery devoted exclusively to music photography, it has evolved into something far more profound—a curated universe where million-dollar photographs of David Bowie, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane now share intimate space with a magnificent Shigeru Kawai grand piano. This collaboration between Musichead and Kawai transforms the gallery into LA’s most exclusive musical sanctuary, where visitors can witness firsthand the intersection of visual and auditory artistry at their absolute pinnacle.
The centerpiece of this extraordinary partnership is the handcrafted Shigeru Kawai grand piano now on permanent display, one of fewer than 300 produced annually by Japan’s Master Piano Artisans using techniques passed down through generations. Visitors to Musichead Gallery can now experience something truly rare: the opportunity to see, touch, and hear an instrument that represents the apex of piano craftsmanship, surrounded by the world’s most captivating and authentic music photography. The piano’s distinctive Konsei Katagi rim design and carbon fiber Millennium III action create a striking visual counterpoint to Baron Wolman’s original Woodstock photographs, Storm Thorgerson’s iconic album covers, and rare prints from over 80 world-renowned photographers in Musichead’s rotating collection.This philosophical alignment between two heritage brands have built their reputations on rejecting mass production in favor of artisanal mastery and authentic storytelling.
Photography by Nils Timm