Bösendorfer
Bösendorfer
Also known as: Boesendorfer, Bosendorfer
UnclaimedBösendorfer is an Austrian piano manufacturer founded in 1828 by Ignaz Bösendorfer in Vienna, where the company has built grand and upright pianos by hand for nearly two centuries. The instruments became closely tied to the Viennese classical tradition through early endorsements from Franz Liszt, who chose a Bösendorfer for an 1838 Vienna concert, and the company was awarded the title of "Imper...
Bösendorfer is an Austrian piano manufacturer founded in 1828 by Ignaz Bösendorfer in Vienna, where the company has built grand and upright pianos by hand for nearly two centuries. The instruments became closely tied to the Viennese classical tradition through early endorsements from Franz Liszt, who chose a Bösendorfer for an 1838 Vienna concert, and the company was awarded the title of "Imperial and Royal Piano Purveyor to the Court" the following year. Bösendorfer was acquired by Yamaha in 2008 but continues to manufacture in Austria.
The brand is best known for its Concert Grand 290 Imperial, an extended-range instrument with 97 keys that adds nine extra bass notes below the standard 88-key compass. The model was developed at the suggestion of composer Ferruccio Busoni to accommodate his transcriptions of Bach organ works, and pieces by Bartók, Debussy, and Ravel were later written to take advantage of its expanded register. The lineup also includes the smaller Concert Grands 230VC and 280VC, the Vienna Concert (VC) series of grands (170VC, 185VC, 214VC), the 200 and 225 grands, and the 120 and 130 upright models, alongside Disklavier reproducing systems and Silent Edition variants developed with parent company Yamaha.
Bösendorfer also produces Collector's Edition and Ultimate Design pianos featuring artistic casework, including collaborations with Audi and Porsche Design and series themed around works such as Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa." Players historically associated with the brand include Johannes Brahms, Anton Bruckner, Frédéric Chopin, Antonín Dvořák, and in the modern era jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, classical pianist Garrick Ohlsson (who dubbed it the "Rolls-Royce of pianos"), and Victor Borge.
Bösendorfer has 6 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Grand Pianos and Baby Grand Pianos. Their gear is featured by 13 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Pop, and Electronic. Notable users include Alex Turner, Matthew Bellamy, and Dr. Dre.
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