Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg

Born: 1797 | Died: 1871

Piano Manufacturer

Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg started out as a carpenter and at the age of 15 became an apprentice to an organ builder in the town of Goslar, not far from Hannover. Soon he fell in love with music and became an organ player in the church.

In 1835, Steinweg made the first square piano, which he presented his bride, Juliane, at their wedding. In 1836 he built his first grand piano in his kitchen in the town of Seesen.

Because of the unstable political climate in Germany, Steinweg decided to leave Germany in 1851 for New York with four of his sons. He left one son with the company in Germany. Once in New York, he anglicized his name to Henry E. Steinway, and he and his sons worked for other piano companies until they could establish their own production under the name of Steinway & Sons in 1853. The business expanded with the inventions they made. By the 1860s Steinway was the leading piano manufacturer in America.

Steinway's long established reputation and high standard of craftsmanship set the firm apart from other makers and their success is reflected by their presence on the majority of concert stages around the world. Steinway currently provides more than 95% of the world's concert halls with their nine-foot long Model D concert grand piano.Although now under new management, Henry Ziegler Steinway, the great-grandson of the founder, still works for Steinway.

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