Bösendorfer

Bösendorfer

Also known as: Boesendorfer, Bosendorfer

Unclaimed

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 "Imper...

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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.

Artists Who Use Bösendorfer

Alex Turner uses 1 Bösendorfer product

Alex Turner

Guitarist · Arctic Monkeys

Matthew Bellamy uses 1 Bösendorfer product

Matthew Bellamy

Singer, Guitarist · Muse

Dr. Dre uses 1 Bösendorfer product

Dr. Dre

Rapper, Music Producer · World Class Wreckin' Cru

Hans Zimmer uses 1 Bösendorfer product

Hans Zimmer

Composer, Music Producer · Hans Zimmer, Lisa Gerrard & Klaus Badelt

Vangelis uses 1 Bösendorfer product

Vangelis

Keyboardist, Music Producer · Aphrodite's Child

Andrew Huang uses 1 Bösendorfer product

Andrew Huang

Singer, Guitarist · First Of October

Tori Amos uses 1 Bösendorfer product

Tori Amos

Singer, Keyboardist · Y Kant Tori Read

Bora Karaca uses 1 Bösendorfer product

Bora Karaca

Singer, Guitarist · Tally Hall

Roger O'Donnell uses 1 Bösendorfer product

Roger O'Donnell

Keyboardist, Music Producer · The Cure

Svetlana Sibirjakowa uses 1 Bösendorfer product

Svetlana Sibirjakowa

Guitarist · SUKI

Benmont Tench uses 1 Bösendorfer product

Benmont Tench

Keyboardist · Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Bradley Will Simpson uses 1 Bösendorfer product

Bradley Will Simpson

Singer, Guitarist · The Vamps

Dave Brubeck uses 1 Bösendorfer product

Dave Brubeck

Keyboardist, Composer · The Dave Brubeck Quartet

Community setups featuring Bösendorfer

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M

mandatorygnome

Gear IQ 210

konokami1

konokami1

Gear IQ 1251

Gear Guides featuring Bösendorfer

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