Handcrafted grand and upright pianos from Leipzig – since 1853, including restoration and individual refinements.
Julius Blüthner Pianofortefabrik GmbH
Großpösna near Leipzig (Dechwitzer Straße 12) · DENew on Amplifa
About Blüthner
Since its founding on 18 November 1853, Julius Blüthner Pianofortefabrik GmbH has been building grand and upright pianos in Leipzig, today at its site in Großpösna near Leipzig. Production is largely carried out by hand under the supervision of the owner family, which runs the company in its fourth and fifth generation. Several instrument lines are manufactured (including Classic, Suprême, Crystal, PH and Enzo Edition) as well as other brands such as Haessler, Rönisch and Irmler. The value chain includes casting the cast plate in quartz sand, processing hand-selected tonewood spruce, beech, maple, oak and highly compressed hardwood, veneering and lacquering work as well as assembly and tuning. In addition to new instruments, the company offers piano restoration and individual bespoke designs through the Blüthner Design Suite. The instruments are distributed through more than 50 showrooms worldwide.
- Site
- Großpösna near Leipzig
- Processes
- Piano/instrument manufacturing (grand and upright pianos, handcrafted), Casting of plates (frames) in quartz sand using traditional methods, Lacquering/spraying of the plate (sprayed and decorated), Gluing of wooden components (pinblock made of 14 cross-laminated hardwood layers,, Veneering work (e.g. rosewood veneer on instruments), Piano Restoration (restoration of upright and grand pianos), Piano/grand piano manufacturing, Piano Restoration (restoration)
- Materials
- Tonewood spruce (soundboard, hand-selected, from high mountain regions of Austria), Beech (solid, inlay for back posts), European maple wood (bass and treble bridge), Oak (action frame), Cast iron (cast plate), Rosewood (veneer), Hardwood, highly compressed (pinblock), Tonewood spruce (soundboard)
- Founded
- 1853
- Industries
- Piano and musical instrument manufacturing
- 01
Material selection (tonewood spruce, beech, maple, oak)
- 02
Casting of the plate in quartz sand
- 03
Two-year outdoor seasoning of the cast frame
- 04
Gluing and woodwork (back structure, bridge, pinblock)
- 05
Veneering and lacquering work
- 06
Assembly of the action and keyboard
- 07
Tuning and final inspection
- 08
Restoration and refinement according to customer requirements
Materials and Processes
Tonewood spruce (soundboard)
Hand-selected from high mountain regions of Austria, with straight grain and at least seven annual rings per centimetre.
Beech (solid)
Solid inlay of the back posts for stability and robustness against climatic influences.
European maple wood
Material for the bass and treble bridge for transferring string vibrations to the soundboard.
Oak
Material for the stable frame of the piano action.
Cast iron
Cast plate, cast in quartz sand, must withstand forces of almost 20 tonnes.
Rosewood (veneer)
Historically used, among others, for imperial instruments in Empire style.
Highly compressed hardwood (pinblock)
14 cross-laminated layers secure the tuning pins on all sides and ensure tuning stability.
Locations
Großpösna near Leipzig
DEProduction and administration
- Lot size
- Individual production / handcrafted instruments
- Materials
- Tonewood spruce, beech, maple, oak, cast iron, rosewood veneer, hardwood
- Traditional quartz sand casting system for cast plates
- Craftsmanship gluing, veneering and lacquering systems
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piano/instrument manufacturing (grand and upright pianos, handcrafted)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Spruce (tonewood), Beech, Maple wood, Oak, Cast iron, Rosewood (veneer), Hardwood |
| Casting of plates (frames) in quartz sand using traditional methodsCasting | – | – | – | – | Cast iron |
| Lacquering/spraying of the plate (sprayed and decorated)Surface | – | – | – | – | Cast iron, Wood |
| Gluing of wooden components (pinblock made of 14 cross-laminated hardwood layers,Joining | – | – | – | – | Hardwood, Beech, Maple wood |
| Veneering work (e.g. rosewood veneer on instruments)Surface | – | – | – | – | Rosewood |
| Piano Restoration (restoration of upright and grand pianos)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Reference customers
History
- 1853
Founding of the pianoforte factory by Julius Blüthner in Leipzig on 18 November 1853.
- 1868
Establishment of an international sales network; appointment as purveyor to several European royal houses, including Queen Victoria and Tsar Nicholas II.
- 1876
Gold medal for the aliquot construction (fourth string) at the World Exhibition in Philadelphia.
- 1900
Blüthner instruments in use by composers such as Debussy, Rachmaninoff and Mahler.
- 2024
Over 170 years of piano making; the fourth and fifth generation of the family leads the company.
- 2025
Blüthner as exclusive instrument partner of the International Bach Piano Competition in Leipzig (13–21 March 2025); recital at Carnegie Hall on a Blüthner.