Young pianists performing in this year's ChildAid charity concert will get to play on three Steinway grand pianos, including one that costs $298,000.

Concert organisers The Business Times and The Straits Times announced a tie-up with Steinway Gallery on Friday that sees the latter loaning two Steinway Model B pianos for three years - from this year to 2014.

It will also provide a $298,000 Steinway concert grand piano Model D at a highly subsidised rate for this year's concert.

Ms Celine Goh, general manager of Steinway Gallery, said she picked the Model D from six units "for its evenness, pristine sound quality and a very distinctive maturity in tone".

Mr Alvin Tay, editor of The Business Times and chairman of the organising committee for ChildAid 2012, said: "As ChildAid is also a showcase of excellence and talent, the sponsorship is a fitting piece to our collaboration, and will boost our effort to nurture and reach out to young pianists."

Three contestants of the recent South-east Asia Steinway regional finals will also be performing at this year's ChildAid concert.

They are grand prize winner Hsieh Wei Ting, 16, from Taiwan, and Nguyen Le Binh Anh from Vietnam and Gun Chaikittiwatana from Thailand, both 15.

ChildAid, in its eighth year, is in aid of The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund and The Business Times Budding Artists Fund.

This year's concert on Dec 7 and Dec 8 at Marina Bay Sands will feature more than 200 performers. Last year's concert raised $1.88 million.

PRISCILLA GOY