This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Gershwinrb (talk | contribs) at 04:16, 12 May 2006 (→History: a little more, incomplete at this point). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 04:16, 12 May 2006 by Gershwinrb (talk | contribs) (→History: a little more, incomplete at this point)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Baldwin Piano is the largest US based manufacturer of keyboard instrumentsl, most notably piano. The company is currently part of the Gibson Guitar Corporation and manufactures instruments under the Baldwin, Chickering, Wurlitzer, and Hamilton names. 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 Cincinatti, 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, now known as D.H. Baldwin & Company, in 1873, and under his leadership, the Baldwin Company became the largest piano dealer in the American Midwest by the 1890's.
In 1889-1890, Baldwin vowed to build "the best piano that could be built", and subesequently formed two production companies: Hamilton Organ, which built reed organs, and the Baldwin Piano Company, whichmade 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 and the company to Wulsin, who immediately began shifting the company's focus from retail to manufacturing.
Notable Baldwin artists
- Clay Aiken
- Dave Brubek
- Richard Carpenter
- Charles Dutoit
- Ben Folds
- Lukas Foss
- Philip Glass
- Roland Hanna
- Liberace
- Keith Lockhart
- Jesus Lopez-Cobos
- Marian McPartland
- Patrick Moraz
- Seiji Ozawa
- Luciano Pavarotti
- Steve Reich
- Carly Simon
- Stephen Sondheim
- 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