Article about Petrof Pianos in The Music Trades (December 2010)

Productive Factory Combined With Rich Tradition Yields Beautiful Instruments With Distinctive Tonal Character

Czech-based Petrof Piano boasts an illustrious 146-year history, and a modern, vertically integrated plant. This unusual blend of technology and tradition is reflected in a line of pianos that combine elegant veneer work and mellow European tone quality with advanced features like a highly responsive magnetically balanced action. In a market dominated by Asian-made instruments that have a similar look and feel, Petrof has developed a fiercely loyal global following with its distinctive tone and touch. Zuzana Ceralova Petrofova, who currently heads the company founded by her great-great grandfather, describes Petrof piano as “warm” and “romantic,” adding, “they are a reflection of the rich Czech musical tradition.” The fact that they are also a compelling value helps explain why they have found ready buyers in 70 countries worldwide.

The global acceptance of Petrof pianos is a tribute to the courage and unswerving dedication of the Petrof family. Piano company histories typically make for tame reading with the occasional family spat providing the only drama. Not so with Petrof. In 1857, the ambitious Antonin Petrof left the family furniture shop in Hradec Kralove (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) to sign on as an apprentice with a Viennese piano builder. Six years later, after mastering the trade, he returned home and converted his father’s furniture shop into a small piano factory. Demonstrating a keen strategic vision, he consistently adapted his company to a changing marketplace. By the early 1880s, as the traditional square piano was going out of style, Antonin had the foresight to tool up to produce a line of upright pianos. He was also early to recognize the importance of economies of scale, and by 1890, was increasing production volumes through an aggressive export drive. At the time of his death in 1915, Petrof was one of Europe’s largest piano makers, and the company was the official piano supplier to the Austro-Hungarian empire.

Over the next 70 years, however, the Petrof family faced and overcame a succession of unimaginable challenges. With Europe ravaged during World War I, the piano market was acutely constrained between 1914 and 1918. There was a rebound in the ’20s, fueled by the popularity of the player piano, that ended abruptly in 1929 with the start of the Great Depression. From there things only got worse. The Czech Republic was annexed by Hitler in 1938 and then seized by communists at the close of World War II. Soon after taking power, the communist party confiscated the Petrof company and banished the family from management. I

t was only in 1991, after the Berlin Wall was torn down and communism collapsed throughout Eastern Europe, that the Petrof family was able to reacquire the family business. Zuzana Petrof left a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry to lead the company. “Piano making is the tradition in our family and I will not give it up,” she says.

Like every other piano maker worldwide, Petrof has seen its U.S. sales decline in the face of a difficult economic climate. However, the company has largely offset the lost sales with gains in Russia and other Eastern European markets. As a result, its factory, with 200 employees, continues to run at near capacity, producing 2,000 instruments per year.

To adapt to a more competitive market, Zuzana Petrof has established a wholly owned U.S. distribution subsidiary, Petrof USA, to provide more competitive pricing. The company has also instroduced a completely redesigned product line, the Master Series. From the 9' Mistral concert grand to the Bora, the Master Series showcases the skills of Petrof’s piano craftsmen. Impeccably finished, the instruments feature a duplex scale, individually secured treble strings for greater resonance, an ebony capped treble bridge for brighter tone, and highly figured wood veneers. They are also equipped with Petrof’s patented magnetic action, which offers extremely fast repetition with exceptional control. Zuzana Petrof explains, “The Master Series provides a halo effect for the entire Petrof line. From the standpoint of tone, cosmetics, or touch, they compare favorably with anything manufactured in Europe today.” Simultaneously, Petrof has introduced the Scholze and Weinbach product lines to address more price-sensitive market segments. “Petrof has the most competitive product line in its history right now,” she adds. “We are addressing all important price points with instruments that really have a ‘soul’ and will appeal to any type of customer.”

source: www.musictrades.com

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