1953 | 1966 | 1967 | 1970 | 1981 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 2000
1953 - Centenary
The difficult start was made and the production had normalized Demand had again grown considerably and was far exceeding the production.
There was reason to celebrate. Many well-wishing friends sent their congratulations, among them well-known pianists, composers and conductors as well as personalities of the public and cultural life.
Igor Markevitsch, conductor of the Paris Philharmonic wrote "Blüthner pianos are made of a quality that can rarely be found".
Franz Konwitschny, conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus congratulated, "artists from all over the world know what they owe to Blüthner, and have chosen the instrument for life". |
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1966 - Ingbert Blüthner -Haessler takes over
| In 1966, after the death of Rudolf , his son Ingbert Blüthner -Haessler, great grandson to Julius Blüthner, took over the management of the firm. He had to continue to restore the lost image due to the War by following the philosophy of Blüthner, "Quality above everything". The presence of Blüthner in the world market improved again. It is due to Ingbert that Blüthner is to this day a family owned business. |
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1967 - A Grand Piano for Wilhelm Kempff
| This celebrated pianist was a great admirer of the Blüthner instruments. When he received his instrument he wrote, "Blüthner is a well-respected name in the world. The sound of my Blüthner is of unrivalled beauty; the action works precisely. For the pianist it is the essence of perfection". |
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1970 - A New Building
The difficult time had been overcome and production of the instruments had stabilised. The demand was far larger than the production and for some special instruments a year's waiting period was not unusual.
A new building was erected to increase the production capacity of the factory. This permitted the implementation of new production methods in the polishing and spraying departments. 140 people now worked with Blüthner. |
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1981 - Fifth Gold Medal at the Leipzig Fair
| In the past, various Blüthner instruments had received a gold medal at the Leipzig Fair. In 1981 the concert grand was given this important recognition and a concert to celebrate the occasion staged to give the flag ship of Blüthner the chance to show its merits. |
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1989 - Fall of the Wall and Free Economy
| After many years of restricted marketing, the fall of the wall opened completely new horizons but demanded many activities. The network of distribution had to be reestablished, new materials had to be appraised and the production process reorganised The foremost task in this difficult time however was the re-privatisation of the firm. On the 30th September 1990 Ingbert Blüthner-Haessler was again owner and had to steer the factory through the heavy waters of the first years. |
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1990 - Doing as Julius Blüthner did
To conquer the world, it was necessary to expand the sales activities to the export markets. Many trips throughout the world were necessary to revive old business contacts and to establish new relations. Today Blüthner has its own distribution network in the USA and successful organisations in other countries. There is hardly a city where Blüthner is not represented. On the concert stage, Blüthner finds an ever-increasing acceptance and artists use it as their favoured instrument.
Alexander Paley wrote, "Blüthner is my preferred instrument. I love its sensitive response to my intentions. It opens to my whole spectrum of interpretation and does not leave anything to be desired". |
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1991 - Knut Blüthner Obtains his Diploma as a Master Piano Maker
| Knut Blüthner had to learn the trade from the beginning and went through all departments of production. With his father he started to design instruments He passed as a master in pianomaking . Today he is in charge of production and all technical aspects. |
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1995 - Dr. Christian Blüthner -Haessler
| Having grown up with the conscience to carry out his special responsibilities as a Blüthner, Christian returned to the factory after having finished his studies in medicine and economics. He is today in charge of the sales and finances of the company. |
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1996 - New Factory
| Now firmly established, the Blüthner company decided to have a new factory to meet the growing demand for their instruments. The factory was built in Störmthal, a suburb of Leipzig, 20 minutes away from the centre. Visitors will be disappointed if they are looking for modern machinery and mass production. Traditional craftsmanship still prevails. |
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2000 - Impressionen einer Werksbesichtigung
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