Petrof

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

Petrof
IndustryMusical instruments
Founded1864
FounderAntonín Petrof
HeadquartersHradec Králové, Czech Republic
Area served
Worldwide
Key peopleZuzana Ceralová Petrofová
ProductsGrand and upright pianos
Production output
Yearly around 100 new grand pianos and 500 uprights
Revenue202,063,000 Czech koruna (2023) Edit this on Wikidata
Number of employees
c. 110
Websitepetrof.com
Petrof Grand Piano at exhibition
1895 ad for Petrof pianos

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

History

The company was founded in 1864 in Hradec Králové, Empor Österreich, by Antonín Petrof (d. 1915), who had apprenticed at Wenes 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. In 1924 the company was exporting its pianos to Europe, Japan, China, Australia and South America.

At the World Exhibition 1934 in Brussels,[clarification needed] the Petrof instruments won the gold medal. 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. Petrof is currently led by two sisters from the fifth generation of the Petrof family and produces annually approximately 100 grand pianos and 500 upright pianos. Petrof is known for several innovations, such as ways to adjust the mechanics and particularly pressure point through magnetic systems.

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

Notable performers

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.

Models

Grand pianos

Current grand piano models:

Upright pianos

Current upright piano models:

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Drnek Piana – Klavíry a pianina značky Petrof". Pianos.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  2. 1 2 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" [Paul McCartney plays at Petrof – a map of success] [dead link]
  6. ↑ Neuveden (28 February 1998). "Petrof – Privatisierung" (in German). Czech Radio. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  7. ↑ "History, Petrof, spol. s r.o." Petrof.com.
  8. ↑ "Petrof Company history". Petrof.cz (in German). Petrof. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  9. ↑ "From a Koeniggraetz-based workshop to all over the world", Prager Zeitung (in German), Prague: Prago Media, 19 August 2009[clarification needed]
  10. ↑ Petrof famous owners and admirers
  11. ↑ "Petrof Grand pianos". petrof.com. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  12. ↑ "Upright pianos". www.petrof.com. Retrieved 11 December 2020.