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Petrof

Industry	Musical instruments
Founded	1864
Founder	Antonín Petrof
Headquarters	Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Zuzana Ceralová Petrofová
Products	Grand pianos and upright pianos
Production output	Yearly around 1,750 new grand pianos and 12,000 uprights
Number of employees	about 1,000
Website	petrof.com

Petrof is a Czech piano manufacturer. It is the leading European piano manufacturer, exporting to more than 60 countries.

History

The company was founded in 1864 in Hradec Králové, Czech Kingdom, by Antonín Petrof (d. 1915), who had studied piano making in Vienna at renowned companies such as Heitzmann, Friedrich Ehrbar und Schweighofer.

The owner Antonín Petrof was awarded an imperial and royal warrant of appointment to the court of Austria-Hungary. In 1924 was company except for Europe exporting its pianos to Japan, China, Australia and South America.

At the World Exhibition 1934 in Brussels, the Petrof instruments won the gold medal. At that time, approximately 400 people worked at their factory.

In 1948, Petrof was nationalized, though reprivatized between 1991 and 1998. Petrof is currently led by two sisters from the fifth generation of the Petrof family and produces approximately 5000 upright pianos and 900 grand pianos . Petrof is known for several innovations, such as ways to adjust the mechanics and particularly pressure point through magnetic systems.

Petrof pianos have had many famous admirers, including among others: Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Sviatoslav Richter, Count Basie, Richard Clayderman, Ennio Morricone and Mark Levinson.

At present, Petrof pianos produce six basic models. Concert master instruments P284 Mistral, P237 Monsoon and P210 Pasat are made individually by the best experts of the company. P194 Storm, P-IV and P-V are prepared in a standard manner.

References

1. ^ Williams, John-Paul (2002). The Piano, p. 90. New York: Billboard Books. ISBN 0-8230-8151-6.
2. ^ Northwest Pianos, Petrof
3. Handbuch des Allerhöchsten Hofes und des Hofstaates Seiner K. und K. Apostolischen Majestät., Vienna: K.k. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1917, p. 517
4. NA PETROF HRAJE I PAUL MCCARTNEY - MAPA ÚSPĚCHU
5. Neuveden (1998-02-28). "Petrof – Privatization". radio.cz. Český rozhlas. Retrieved 2012-06-20. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
6. "Where can I read more about PETROF?". petrof.cz. Petrof. 2008-05-07. Retrieved 2012-06-20.
7. Lothar Martin (2009-01-26). "Economic crisis: further layoffs in piano building and glass industry". radio.cz. Český rozhlas. Retrieved 2012-06-20. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
8. "PETROF Company history". petrof.cz (in German). Petrof. Retrieved 2012-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |day=, |month=, and |deadurl= (help)
9. "From a Koeniggraetz-based workshop to all over the world" (in German), Prager Zeitung (Prag: Prago Media), 2009-08-19 
10. Petrof famous owners and admirers

External links

• Official site
• NAMM Oral History Interview Jan Petrof, Past President (2012)
• NAMM Oral History Interview Martin Kobza, Instrument Designer (2012)
• NAMM Oral History Interview Zuzana Petrofova, President (2012)

50°11′31.75″N 15°51′3.33″E / 50.1921528°N 15.8509250°E / 50.1921528; 15.8509250

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