Petrof

Czech piano manufacturer

This article is about the Czech piano manufacturer. For other uses, see Petrof (disambiguation).

Petrof

Industry| Musical instruments
Founded| 1864
Founder| Antonín Petrof
Headquarters| Hradec Králové, Czech Republic

Area served

| Worldwide

Key people

| Zuzana Ceralová Petrofová
Products| Grand pianos and upright pianos

Production output

| Yearly around 2,000 new grand pianos and 12,000 uprights[1]
Revenue| 202,063,000 Czech koruna (2023)

Number of employees

| about 1,000[1]
Website| petrof.com
Petrof Grand Piano at exhibition 1895 ad for Petrof pianos

Petrof is a Czech piano manufacturer founded in 1864. It is the leading European piano manufacturer, exporting to more than 60 countries.[2][3]

## History

[edit]

The company was founded in 1864 in Hradec Králové, Kingdom of Bohemia, by Antonín Petrof (d. 1915), who had apprenticed at Viennese companies such as Heintzman & Co., Friedrich Ehrbar and Schweighofer.

The owner Antonín Petrof was awarded an imperial and royal warrant of appointment to the court of Austria-Hungary.[4] In 1924 the company was exporting its pianos to Europe, Japan, China, Australia and South America.

At the World Exhibition 1934 in Brussels, the Petrof instruments won the gold medal.[5] At that time, approximately 400 people worked at their factory.

After the 1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état, the company was nationalized.

In 1991, the company was returned to the Petrof family.[6] Petrof is currently led by two sisters from the fifth generation of the Petrof family and produces annually approximately 2,000 grand pianos and 12,000 upright pianos.[7][1] Petrof is known for several innovations, such as ways to adjust the mechanics and particularly pressure point through magnetic systems.[8][9]

After 1993, the piano company G. Rösler of Česká Lípa, Bohemia was acquired.

## Notable performers

[edit]

Petrof pianos have been used by many famous musicians, including among others: Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Sviatoslav Richter, Count Basie, Richard Clayderman, Ennio Morricone, Renato Carosone and Mark Levinson.[2][10]

## Models

[edit]

### Grand pianos

[edit]

Current Grand Piano Models:[11]

* Master Series
* P 284 Mistral: 284 cm (9 ft 3+3⁄4 in)
* P 237 Monsoon: 237 cm (7 ft 9+1⁄4 in)
* P 210 Pasat: 210 cm (6 ft 10+3⁄4 in)
* Standard Series
* P 194 Storm: 194 cm (6 ft 4+1⁄2 in)
* P 173 Breeze: 173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
* P 159 Bora: 159 cm (5 ft 2+1⁄2 in)

### Upright pianos

[edit]

Current Upright Piano Models:[12]

* Highest Series
* P 135 K1: 135 cm (4 ft 5+1⁄4 in)
* P 131 M1: 131 cm (4 ft 3+1⁄2 in)
* Higher Series
* P 125 G1: 125 cm (4 ft 1+1⁄4 in)
* P 125 F1: 125 cm (4 ft 1+1⁄4 in)
* P 125 K1: 125 cm (4 ft 1+1⁄4 in)
* P 125 M1: 125 cm (4 ft 1+1⁄4 in)
* P 122 N2: 122 cm (4 ft 0 in)
* P 122 H1: 122 cm (4 ft 0 in)
* Middle Series
* P 118 P1: 118 cm (3 ft 10+1⁄2 in)
* P 118 M1: 118 cm (3 ft 10+1⁄2 in)
* P 118 S1: 118 cm (3 ft 10+1⁄2 in)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Drnek Piana - Klavíry a pianina značky PETROF". Pianos.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 23 September 2018.
2. ^ a b Northwest Pianos, Petrof
3. ^ "PETROF: Europe's largest maker of acoustic pianos". Radio Prague International. 7 December 2022.
4. ^ Handbuch des Allerhöchsten Hofes und des Hofstaates Seiner K. und K. Apostolischen Majestät., Vienna: K.k. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1917, p. 517
5. ^ NA PETROF HRAJE I PAUL MCCARTNEY - MAPA ÚSPĚCHU
6. ^ Neuveden (1998-02-28). "Petrof – Privatization". radio.cz. Český rozhlas. Archived from the original on 2013-02-10. Retrieved 2012-06-20.
7. ^ "History, PETROF, spol. s r.o." Petrof.com.
8. ^ "PETROF Company history". Petrof.cz (in German). Petrof. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-06-20.
9. ^ "From a Koeniggraetz-based workshop to all over the world", Prager Zeitung (in German), Prag: Prago Media, 2009-08-19
10. ^ Petrof famous owners and admirers
11. ^ "PETROF Grand pianos". www.petrof.com. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
12. ^ "Upright pianos". www.petrof.com. Retrieved 2020-12-11.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Petrof.

* Official site
* Jan Petrof Interview at NAMM Oral History Library (2012)
* Martin Kobza Interview at NAMM Oral History Library (2012)
* Zuzana Petrofová Interview at NAMM Oral History Library (2012)

50°11′31.75″N 15°51′3.33″E﻿ / ﻿50.1921528°N 15.8509250°E﻿ / 50.1921528; 15.8509250

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Czech Republic
* Poland