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The Baldwin Piano Company is the largest US-based manufacturer of keyboard instruments, most notably pianos. Its CEO is Robert J. Jones.

History

The company can trace its origins back to 1857, when Dwight Hamilton Baldwin began teaching piano, organ, and violin in Cincinati, Ohio. In 1862, Baldwin started a Decker Brothers piano dealership, and in 1866 hired Lucien Wulsin as a clerk. Wulsin became a partner in the dealership, by then known as D.H. Baldwin & Company, in 1873, and under his leadership, the Baldwin Company became the largest piano dealer in the Midwestern United States by the 1890's.

In 1889-1890, Baldwin vowed to build "the best piano that could be built" , and subsequently formed two production companies: Hamilton Organ, which built reed organs, and the Baldwin Piano Company, which made pianos. The company's first piano, an upright, began selling in 1891. The company introduced its first grand piano in 1895.

Baldwin died in 1899, and left his estate to fund missionary causes. Wulsin ultimately purchased Baldwin's estate and continued the company's shift from retail to manufacturing. The company won its first major award in 1900, when their model 112 won the Grand Prix at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, the first American manufactured piano to win such an award. Baldwin manufactured pianos also won top awards at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and the 1914 Anglo-American Exposition. By 1913, business had become brisk, with Baldwin exporting to 32 different countries in addition to having retailers throughout the United States.

Baldwin, like many other manufacturers, began building player pianos in the 1920's. The models became unpopular by the end of the 1920's, which, coupled with the beginning of the Great Depression could have meant difficult times for Baldwin. Unlike many other companies, however, this did not happen due to Lucien Wulsin II's, then president of the company, creation of large reserve funds for such situations.

During World War II, the US War Production Board ordered the cessation of all US Piano manufacturing so that the factories could be used for the US war effort. Baldwin factories were used to manufacture wooden airplane parts for various aircraft such as the Aeronca PT-23 and the C-76 Caravan.

After the war ended, Baldwin resumed selling pianos, and by 1953 doubled production from their prewar capacity. In 1946, Baldwin introduced the first electronic organ, which became so successful that the company changed its name to the Baldwin Piano & Organ Company. By 1963, the company had acquired C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik and remained its owner until 1986. As even more evidence of their growth, the company built its one millionth upright in 1973.

The company is currently part of the Gibson Guitar Corporation and manufactures instruments under the Baldwin, Chickering, Wurlitzer, Hamilton, and Howard names.

Notable Baldwin artists

• Clay Aiken
• Wilhelm Backhaus
• Béla Bartók
• Dave Brubek
• Richard Carpenter
• Charles Dutoit
• Ben Folds
• Lukas Foss
• Walter Gieseking
• Philip Glass
• Roland Hanna
• José Iturbi
• Liberace
• Keith Lockhart
• Jesus Lopez-Cobos
• Marian McPartland
• Patrick Moraz
• Seiji Ozawa
• Luciano Pavarotti
• Steve Reich
• Ottorino Respighi
• Carly Simon
• Stephen Sondheim
• Igor Stravinsky
• John Williams

Current models

Baldwin grands

• Model 225E Artist Grand
• Model 226E Artist Grand
• Model 227E Artist Grand
• Model L1 Artist Grand
• Model M1 Artist Grand
• Model R1 Artist Grand
• Model SD10E Concert Grand
• Model SF10E Artist Grand

Baldwin verticals

• Baldwin Elvis Signature
• Baldwin Gibson Studio
• Baldwin Model 2000
• Baldwin Model 243E
• Baldwin Model 248E
• Baldwin Model 5000E
• Baldwin Model 6000E
• Baldwin Model 660E

Chickering grands

• Chippendale Model CH176CD
• French Provincial Model CH162F
• French Provincial Model CH176F
• Louis XVI Model CH176L
• Louis XVI Model CH189L
• Queen Anne Model CH162QA
• Traditional Model CH162
• Traditional Model CH176
• Traditional Model CH189

D.H. Baldwin Verticals

• D.H. Baldwin 560 Series
• D.H. Baldwin 570 Series

Hamilton Grands

• H391 Series
• H396 Series
• H399 Series

Hamilton Verticals

• The Hamilton H310 Series
• The Hamilton H350 Series
• The Hamilton H360 Series

Howard Grands

• H52
• H58

Wurlitzer Grands

• Model C143
• Model C153
• Model C173

ConcertMaster

• Complete Player System
• CD Player System

Source

• Crombie, David. Piano: Evolution, Design, and Performance. Hong Kong: Barnes and Noble, 2000. First printed by Balafon Books, Great Britain, 1995. (ISBN 0-7607-2026-6)

External links

• Baldwin website

• Piano manufacturers