Grand and upright pianos of worldwide renown

The really great things in life need time to develop and often have small beginnings. This is also true of the SEILER pianoforte factory, which now ranks among Europe's greatest manufacturers of first-class grand and upright pianos. Back in 1849, there was no such glorious future on the horizon. And yet when Eduard Seiler began making pianos in the town of Liegnitz that year, he did so in pursuit of a great vision. He wanted to make grand and upright pianos which would not only meet the most demanding, professional requirements but would also provide the educated and culturally versed middle-classes with easy access to the world of music.

The very first piano model developed by Eduard Seiler had one special feature which has remained characteristic of all SEILER instruments to this very day - namely that unmistakably transparent SEILER sound. As early as 1872, SEILER was awarded a gold medal in Moscow for the outstanding quality of his instruments - and as his success grew, so did his enterprise.Following the death of his father in 1875, Johannes Seiler took over a business which already employed 120 piano-builders. More prizes and awards in Vienna, Amsterdam, Melbourne, Chicago, Berlin, and Milan helped establish SEILER as a brand-name the world over.

Johannes Seiler recognized the advantages of cross-stringing very early on. The introduction of this technique, which improved the resonance of the soundboard significantly, was yet further proof of the innovative spirit which has continued to characterize SEILER right up to the present. At the same time, Johannes Seiler introduced standardized quality inspections across the board as a means of ensuring the consistent quality of SEILER production. It was under his management that SEILER became purveyor to the court of the Queen Mother of Italy, the Empress Auguste Viktoria, and other European royal families. SEILER's success story continued under Anton Seiler-Dütz, the son-in-law of Johannes Seiler who took over the company in 1923. With a workforce of over 430, the enterprise became the "largest pianoforte factory in eastern Germany". Pianists and other musicians, among them Enrico Caruso, Arthur Nikisch, und Ruggiero Leoncavallo, used SEILER instruments in pursuit of their careers. SEILER provided the pianos required by the Bayreuth Festival, and its instruments are to be found in numerous concert halls the world over.

At the end of the Second World War, SEILER lost its factory and headquarters in Liegnitz, but not the expertise and experience acquired in the course of over 100 years of piano manufacture. In 1945, Steffen Seiler, Anton Seiler's son, risked his life to save the company's moulds for the cast-iron frames and design drawings. These enabled him to relaunch the manufacture of SEILER pianos according to the Liegnitz model, first in
Denmark and later, in 1961, in the Franconian
town of Kitzingen.

Steffen Seiler epitomized the pioneering and inventive spirit of the SEILER company like no other before him. It was under his management that the range of models was extended to include both a studio collection and even first-class concert grands. A steady stream of new patents ensured the continued development of that unmistakable, transparent SEILER sound. His patented Super Magnet Repetition Action for upright pianos proved as trendsetting as his DuoVox System was revo-- - lutionary. With this patented mute system for silent practice on either grand or upright piano and an interface to the musical potential of digital sound worlds, Steffen Seiler was the first to strike a bridge to the 21st century. It was also Steffen Seiler who was largely instrumental in creating the "Quality Association for German Pianos" as one of its founding members. Today, SEILER is the only piano manufacturer whose models all bear the quality-seal "RAL German Pianos".

This high standard, ensuring as it does the long-term tonal beauty and hence undiminished value of all SEILER instruments for music-lovers throughout the world, has become an obligation for Ursula Seiler. It is she who will be guiding the SEILER enterprise into the next millennium, dedicated to preserving and developing the unique touch, tonal volume and purity of sound of all SEILER's grand and upright pianos for the future.

The SEILER factory in Kitzingen in 1998