C. Bechstein Pianoforte AG Berlin / C. Bechstein Europe
C. Bechstein is once again an illustrious brand. The C. Bechstein Pianoforte AG company is a German manufacturer of top-quality acoustic uprights and grands. Founded in Berlin in 1853, the Bechstein business has developed a full range of pianos — for all budgets — that meet the requirements of professional pianists, musical institutions and private music lovers alike.
The instruments are marketed via an exclusive worldwide dealer network and by the fourteen German C. Bechstein Centers. While C. Bechstein Pianoforte AG has its headquarters in Berlin and operates a production site with R&D department in Seifhennersdorf, Saxony, its subsidiary C. Bechstein Europe is based in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic. Together, the two companies employ 350 people, making them Europe’s largest manufacturer of upright and grand pianos.
C. Bechstein Europe benefits from the expertise developed over a century and a half at C. Bechstein Germany. The company was founded in 2006, after the takeover of a traditional piano-manufacturing facility that was modernized with the investment of EUR 15 million. The availability of both excellent manufacturing conditions and an experienced, highly qualified staff have placed W.Hoffmann among the rare European brands that sell well throughout the world, including Asia, and still boast growth potential.
C. Bechstein philosophy
C. Bechstein: world-renowned, top-segment upright and grand pianos, the epitome of outstanding and sumptuous sound, instruments that have been fascinating generations of great pianists and music lovers for more than one and a half centuries.
C. Bechstein Pianoforte AG is one of Europe’s major manufacturers of high-end upright and grand pianos. Today, Bechstein boasts its sixth generation of piano makers, engineers, and tone specialists, as well as specialists in finishing, wood-working and metal-working, all of them contributing to the further development of the company that Carl Bechstein founded in Berlin in 1853. This visionary piano-maker succeeded from the outset in producing fine instruments with a singing voice that fascinated the great pianists of his time.
The expertise required to create pianos with outstanding sound is a heritage that lives on at the Seifhennersdorf production site. A team of 150 top craftspeople and technicians, old and young, are fascinated by the unique qualities of the Bechstein brand and pass on their skills and knowledge to each succeeding generation. The expertise gained from tradition, experience and the latest research into materials and innovative processing technology goes into continuosly refining the instruments, improving the action assembly and the famous Bechstein sound.
Specialist for replicas and new models
Thanks to its comprehensive piano-making expertise, C. Bechstein can make impressive replicas of sumptuous vintage pianos. In 2014, it replicated the gilt grand piano once delivered to Queen Victoria. Two more replicas followed the next year: the legendary Sphinx grand, which took 1600 working hours to build, and the C. Bechstein B 2012 Sterling, a parlor grand with pure silver ornamentation made by Robbe & Berking, Europe’s leading silversmith. C. Bechstein appreciates making unique specimens for those who love music and have a taste for the extraordinary.
Leading company for apprenticeships
C. Bechstein constantly endeavors to capture the imagination of young people the world over for the piano-making profession, and to offer them top-level training. We are the world's leading company when it comes to training professionals capable of making first-quality upright and grand pianos.
The expertise advantage
C. Bechstein invests continuously in further training, modernization of manufacturing conditions and improvement of materials. It also constantly increases the in-house production depth to become more independent from suppliers and obtain parts of impeccable quality. This development is one of a kind in the piano-making industry, as most other manufacturers tend to merely acquire and assemble third-party parts.
