What Steingraeber & Söhne does

Steingraeber & Söhne is a privately held, family-owned German piano manufacturer headquartered in Bayreuth, with continuous piano-making history dating to the 1820s and Bayreuth operations since 1852. The company designs, handcrafts, and sells grand pianos (Flügel) and upright pianos (Pianos), plus custom-finished and institutional models, all produced 100% in Bayreuth and marketed under the 'Brand of the Century' designation. Its product portfolio is differentiated by roughly a dozen proprietary innovations — including the Sordino mute, Mozart Rail, narrow keyboards (Schmale Klaviaturen), Carbon Fibre Soundboard (Kohlefaser-Resonanzboden), SFM and PS upright piano actions, Steingraeber Silent System, wheelchair-accessible pedal systems, Transducer, Acoustic Lid (Akustikdeckel), Parsifal Bells (Gralsglocken), and Curved Keyboard — which together target both professional tonal demands and accessibility use cases.

The business operates a sales-led go-to-market combining a network of authorized Steingraeber dealers with direct sales from the Bayreuth showroom and headquarters. Revenue is diversified across new piano sales, a worldwide concert rental and concert service channel, restoration and repair services, an Archive Service for provenance research (€30 per inquiry), and on-site concert ticket sales at the Kammermusiksaal and Rokokosaal venues. Customers include professional concert pianists, conservatories and music schools, private collectors, pianists with disabilities, and young musicians; flagship cultural partnerships include the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition Weimar-Bayreuth (with Franz Liszt University of Music Weimar and the City of Bayreuth) and the Oberfränkische Nachwuchskonzerte youth series (with Mozartgesellschaft Bayreuth). The 11–50 employee firm remains under family control across six generations, with Udo and Cordelia Schmidt-Steingraeber currently heading the business.

Name

Steingraeber & Söhne

Legal name

Steingraeber & Söhne Piano- und Flügelfabrik KG

Website

https://steingraeber.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1852

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Steingraeber & Söhne is a family-owned German piano manufacturer headquartered in Bayreuth, handcrafting grand and upright pianos and proprietary innovations such as carbon fibre soundboards and accessibility pedal systems for professional pianists, music institutions, and private collectors worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Acoustic Piano Manufacturing

NAICS

Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140)

SIC

Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro primary industry

Musical Instrument Retail (Guitars, Keyboards, Drums, Band/Orchestra) (CRALAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Instrument Repair, Maintenance & Luthier Services (CRALAEAF), Instrument Rentals & Leasing (Band/Orchestra Programs) (CRALAEAG)

Keywords

• Acoustic grand pianos
• Upright piano manufacturing
• Concert piano building
• Piano restoration services
• Musical instrument craftsmanship

Headquarters

HQ city

Bayreuth

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. New Piano Sales: Sale of newly manufactured grand pianos and upright pianos, the primary revenue stream. Premium pricing reflecting handcrafted quality and 100% Bayreuth manufacture.
2. Concert Rental: Worldwide concert piano rental service providing instruments for performances and recordings globally.
3. Restoration and Repair: Expert restoration and repair services for Steingraeber pianos and other instruments in their Bayreuth workshop.
4. Archive Service: Historical research service tracing the provenance and history of Steingraeber pianos. Fee of 30 euros per inquiry.
5. Concert Tickets: Revenue from ticket sales for concerts held at the Steingraeber venue (Kammermusiksaal, Rokokosaal).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Steingraeber & Söhne is a family-owned piano manufacturer, founded in 1852 and headquartered in Bayreuth, Germany, that handcrafts concert grand pianos, salon grands, and upright pianos. The firm also operates a Piano Archive/Museum, offers piano restoration and maintenance services, provides concert piano rental to professional artists, and runs concert hall programming.

Product overview

Steingraeber & Söhne is a traditional family-owned piano and grand piano manufacturer founded in 1852 and based in Bayreuth, Germany. The company operates a core product portfolio comprising two main instrument categories: Grand Pianos (Flügel) and Upright Pianos (Pianos), supplemented by Custom Finished Pianos (Sondermodelle) and Instruments for Institutions (Für Institutionen). All instruments are produced 100% in Bayreuth and carry the 'Brand of the Century' quality seal. Beyond acoustic instruments, the product ecosystem includes approximately 12 proprietary innovations and add-on modules (such as the Silent System, Carbon Fibre Soundboard, SFM and PS upright piano actions, Mozart Rail, Sordino, Transducer, and Curved Keyboard) that enhance or adapt the instruments for specific playing styles, accessibility needs, or acoustic requirements. The company also provides an extensive services layer including worldwide concert rental and technical services, professional CD recordings, repairs and restorations, and a unique Archive Service tracing piano provenance. Cultural offerings include a permanent Franz Liszt exhibition and an eila tasting center within the Steingraeber Haus complex.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Model A 192 Concert Grand Piano
• Model C 212 Concert Grand Piano
• Model E 272 Concert Grand Piano
• Model 130 Upright Piano
• Piano Restoration Service
• Concert Piano Rental Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Tonal color richness enabling musical expression
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Mozartgesellschaft BayreuthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for the Oberfränkische Nachwuchskonzerte youth concert series. Young musicians perform approximately 8-10 Saturday mornings per year at Steingraeber venue, managed in cooperation with the Mozartgesellschaft.
• Franz Liszt University of Music WeimarflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organiser of the 10th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition Weimar-Bayreuth. First rounds held in Bayreuth, with finals in Weimar. Competition features prize money totalling 25,000 euros.
• City of BayreuthflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint organiser of the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition and cultural events. The city provides significant funding alongside the Free State of Thuringia.
• Ernst BurgercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunich pianist and music writer whose collection of historical Franz Liszt photographs forms the basis of the permanent exhibition at Steingraeber Haus, opened October 2021.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mason & Hamlin: American premium piano manufacturer with over 160 years of heritage, producing handcrafted grands and uprights in a low-volume artisanal model. Comparable to Steingraeber in boutique positioning and professional artist focus.
• Blüthner: Historic Leipzig-based German premium piano maker with over 160 years of handcrafted production. Comparable to Steingraeber in heritage positioning, German craftsmanship branding, and concert artist relationships.
• C. Bechstein: German premium piano manufacturer headquartered in Berlin, producing handcrafted grand and upright pianos. Closest geographic and cultural peer to Steingraeber, competing for the same institutional and professional pianist customers across Germany and Europe.
• Bösendorfer: Austrian premium piano maker (now owned by Yamaha) specialising in handcrafted concert grands. Direct competitor in the top-tier European piano segment with comparable artisanal production model and artist-driven marketing.
• Steinway & Sons: The leading premium handcrafted piano manufacturer globally, also producing grand and upright pianos with strong artist endorsement and concert-rental operations. Closest comparable to Steingraeber in market positioning, craftsmanship emphasis, and target customer base.
• Schimmel Pianoforte: German piano manufacturer producing handcrafted grand and upright pianos, with significant domestic and European dealer networks. Comparable to Steingraeber in market segment, although operating at somewhat higher volume.
• August Förster Pianoforte: Historic German piano manufacturer (founded 1859) producing premium handcrafted pianos. Comparable heritage, German craftsmanship positioning, and artist-driven distribution approach.
• Fazioli: Italian boutique piano manufacturer focused exclusively on handcrafted concert grands. Comparable to Steingraeber in low-volume, ultra-premium positioning and innovation emphasis (e.g., longer-format instruments).

Broad incumbents

• Yamaha Corporation: Global mass-market musical instrument manufacturer also active in premium pianos (including ownership of Bösendorfer). Competes with Steingraeber broadly in the piano market with vastly greater scale, R&D resources, and global distribution.
• Kawai Musical Instruments: Japanese piano and keyboard manufacturer producing a full range of acoustic and digital pianos. Competes broadly with Steingraeber in institutional and educational markets, with significantly greater production capacity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/steingraeberpianos

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Steingraeber & Söhne