| Many people are not familiar with the history of this | | | | was one of the most popular breakthrough models. |
| famous piano manufacturer, but it's a fascinating one. | | | | Once Kurt Grotrian passed on, his two sons, Erwin and |
| This German company is still going strong and | | | | Helmut, continued with the family traditions. Like their |
| consumers have come to expect top quality from | | | | father and uncle before them, the two men continued |
| them. | | | | to discover new methods of building and improving on |
| An Idea is Seeded | | | | existing technology. |
| Friedrich Grotrian of Grotrian Pianos, got his start quite | | | | World War II |
| innocently in Moscow where he worked at a piano | | | | The war destroyed most factories in Germany and |
| manufacturing company. After 25 years of selling | | | | the Grotrian company ceased production. It was very |
| pianos, Grotrian headed back to his homeland, | | | | nearly the end of the piano company, but they did |
| Germany, where he became a partner in a fairly small | | | | finally manage to resurrect the company in 1948 and |
| manufacturer in the 1950's and continued to work and | | | | began to produce once more. |
| live in Germany. | | | | By 1974, the company was under the hand of yet |
| Friedrich died in 1860, passing his portion of the | | | | another generation of Grotrians and Knut Grotrian (son |
| company on to his son, Wilhelm. Just five years later, | | | | of Helmut) was ready to lead the manufacturer into |
| Wilhelm and the Grotrian-Steinweg family took full | | | | the future. The business moved to a factory in |
| proprietorship of the business. | | | | Braunschweig, Germany and from this vantage point, |
| Quality Production Yields Results | | | | continued to excel in the production of modern pianos. |
| Because Grotrian-Steinweg was such a conscientious | | | | They brought the business into the modern world, |
| company, offering top quality instruments, it wasn't long | | | | inventing new methods of production and putting them |
| before even the most elite in society found it | | | | to use. |
| necessary to own one of their pianos. | | | | With over 170 years of garnered experience, Grotrian |
| Royal families purchased Grotrian pianos, awards | | | | pianos are among the finest made, using the latest in |
| were given and famous musicians and composers | | | | instrument building technology to create near perfect |
| were found to use the top notch instruments. The | | | | sound and flawless build. There's a good reason these |
| family keeps a record book which details the awards | | | | pianos have been so famous and managed to live |
| and thanks given them over the generations. | | | | through the ages so well - you can even purchase a |
| New Blood | | | | Toronto used piano and it is still truly impressive. The |
| In 1885, Willi and Kurt Grotrian entered the family | | | | classic look and angelic sound combine to create the |
| business and these two young men were key in | | | | most sought after pianos in the nation. |
| moving the business forward into the next century. | | | | Grotrian piano company has gone through six |
| They patented a huge number of the piano inventions | | | | generations and increased the world of music's general |
| that were discovered at the turn of the century and | | | | knowledge greatly with their patents and inventions. |
| made great advancements in the world of music. | | | | New methods of building instruments have been |
| The pianos turned out at this point by the Grotrian | | | | designed specifically by this family which, unlike most |
| piano company were far ahead of their time, with | | | | other piano manufacturers, has kept the company in |
| freely vibrating soundboard and a design that allowed | | | | the family since the beginning. There's little doubt that |
| them to take the form of the more compact upright | | | | Friedrich would be proud of how his descendants have |
| piano without compromising on sound. Their model 120 | | | | handled business. |