Estonia Piano Factory
Encyclopedia
The Estonia Piano Factory was founded in 1950 by Ernst Hiis in Tallinn
, Estonia
. The majority of Estonia pianos are now sold in the United States.
The company languished after the fall of the Soviet Union
in 1991, and in 1993 the factory was privatized to its managers. After the factory's decline in the early 1990s with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the firm was revived by Indrek Laul, who invested in the company and introduced its products to the United States
. In 1995 it was sold to Indrek Laul (at that time a doctoral piano student at the Juilliard School
in New York
), who took over control of the company.
Since that time the company has exerted efforts to redesign and bring Estonia grand pianos to a world-class, professional level. Components and materials are now imported where appropriate, such as German Renner actions and hammers. In 2003 a new factory building was completed and opened.
Concert pianist Marc-André Hamelin
, after choosing an Estonia piano for himself, commented, "The level of craftsmanship in the Estonia piano can only inspire the highest respect and I have no doubt that this piano will continue to prove essential to sensitive musicians."
. Four models are currently (as of May 2010) offered for sale:
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. The majority of Estonia pianos are now sold in the United States.
History
Ernst Hiis formed his own company, E. A. Ihse, in 1903. In 1915, he sold his business and worked for other companies. In 1923, he became the leading expert and manager of the Astron piano company. The second world war stopped production of pianos in Estonia. The factories were destroyed. Only Ernst Hiis continued his grand piano production. In 1950, by the order of Joseph Stalin, based on The Peoples' Furniture Factory, the Tallinn Piano Factory was established, and the new piano was called Estonia.In April 1951, the first Estonia piano was presented to the State Board. From 1950 to 1990 the company was state-owned and made two grand piano models (190 cm and 273 cm) for distribution throughout the Soviet Union.The company languished after the fall of the Soviet Union
History of the Soviet Union (1985-1991)
The history of the Soviet Union from 1982 through 1991, spans the period from Leonid Brezhnev's death and funeral until the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Due to the years of Soviet military buildup at the expense of domestic development, economic growth stagnated...
in 1991, and in 1993 the factory was privatized to its managers. After the factory's decline in the early 1990s with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the firm was revived by Indrek Laul, who invested in the company and introduced its products to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 1995 it was sold to Indrek Laul (at that time a doctoral piano student at the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
), who took over control of the company.
Since that time the company has exerted efforts to redesign and bring Estonia grand pianos to a world-class, professional level. Components and materials are now imported where appropriate, such as German Renner actions and hammers. In 2003 a new factory building was completed and opened.
Characteristics
Although the Estonia pianos manufactured in the early 1990s were plagued by manufacturing defects, those made since about 2002 have demonstrated remarkable quality and a unique, sweet singing tone. Additional improvements made in the years 2003-2005 have placed the Estonia grand pianos in the highest or second highest tier of quality, based upon the ranking system in Pianobuyer. Pianobuyer is a recognized reference in the piano industry.Concert pianist Marc-André Hamelin
Marc-André Hamelin
Marc-André Hamelin, OC, CQ, is a French Canadian virtuoso pianist and composer.Born in Montreal, Quebec, Marc-André Hamelin began his piano studies at the age of five. His father, a pharmacist by trade who was also a pianist, introduced him to the works of Alkan, Godowsky, and Sorabji when he was...
, after choosing an Estonia piano for himself, commented, "The level of craftsmanship in the Estonia piano can only inspire the highest respect and I have no doubt that this piano will continue to prove essential to sensitive musicians."
Models
Estonia pianos are performance quality acoustic grand pianos manufactured in the Republic of EstoniaEstonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. Four models are currently (as of May 2010) offered for sale:
- the L168 Studio Grand (168 cm, 5'6"),
- the L190 Parlour Grand (190 cm, 6'3"),
- the L225 Semi-Concert Grand (225 cm, 7'4") and
- the L274 Concert Grand (274 cm, 9'0").
External links
- Estonia's pianos increasingly symbolic of post-Soviet transformation. Deutsche WelleDeutsche WelleDeutsche Welle or DW, is Germany's international broadcaster. The service is aimed at the overseas market. It broadcasts news and information on shortwave, Internet and satellite radio on 98.7 DZFE in 30 languages . It has a satellite television service , that is available in four languages, and...
, 19-08-2011.