Also provided with a modern design: Kayserburg
Times are changing. Today in China, millions of children learn to play the piano, inspired by great role models such as Yundi, Yuja Wang and Lang Lang. And Chinese piano manufacturers are keeping pace with this, especially the Pearl River Piano Group, where almost 500 pianos leave the factory every day.
With Leng Tshua and Evelyn Luo on the Ritmüller concert grand piano
At the Leipzig trade fair we met Leng Tshua, International Sales and Marketing Director at Pearl River Piano Group China, and Evelyn Luo, General Manager Pearl River Piano Group Europe GmbH with a branch in Raunschweig. This subsidiary has existed in Germany for 15 years. Both have been active in the piano industry for a good 30 years and are passionate about the new presentation of Pearl River Pianos in Europe. The company was founded in Guangzhou in 1956, and pearl river is now the largest piano manufacturer in the world. Leng Tshua: “We are proud of our production of more than 150,000 pianos annually by more than 4,000 employees. All instruments of the three brands Pearl River, Ritmüller and Kayserburg are manufactured in the new ultra-modern factory in Guangzhou, which was completed in 2018. In manufacturing, we combine traditional professional skills with advanced computer-controlled CNC machines to meet the high European standards. We also use European materials such as mechanics and hammer heads from Renner, felt from the Wurzen felt factory and strings from Röslau. In 1998, Pearl River
the first piano company in China to receive ISO 9001.” Leng Tshua: “In terms of quality, we have no concessions.
A lot has changed in the past 30 years, and we have continuously improved the quality of our products, in cooperation with renowned piano manufacturers in Japan and Germany. Today we produce pianos in a European way, with a European sound. Simply put, our goal is to produce good products at a reasonable price that everyone can afford. This is achieved by the scale of our production, that is our philosophy.”
Leng Tshua sees the great importance of music. “Music is an important part of life, books, music, art, we need that every day. For our children, too, it is therefore so important that the first contact with a piano is a positive experience. The sound must be beautiful and inviting. I’m a pianist myself, I started when I was two years old. That’s a process, music and sound is like baby food. It must have nutritional value and be of high quality, otherwise the baby will not grow. On a piano with bad sound, the children do not learn to love music. It’s like giving a child something bad, if you’re not careful, they turn away from the music. It is known that children who learn music also cope better in mathematics, and their behaviour is also influenced by music education. The new generation is our hope for the future.”
One speaks of 30 to 40 million Chinese pianists? Leng Tshua: “I would say: one and a half million young people who want to turn music into their profession. With our Kayserburg nternational Youth Piano Competition, which I promote worldwide, we have a lot of success, in addition to Europe, especially in North America, Australia, the Philippines, Ecuador and Hong Kong. The next time in 2021, most Asian countries will be represented, and exciting news is that we already have more than 100,000 participants in China this year alone. With the support of teaching communities, public schools and music schools across China, we can manage this.”
A look at the Pearl River plant in Guangzhou
Pearl River is the market leader in China, and the instruments are exported to more than 112 countries. Pearl River was one of the first to launch pianos under its own company name in the USA. Evelyn Luo: “Our instruments have been well received by piano teachers and tuners, and Pearl River has been producing in Guangzhou since 2005.”
For all three brands, Pearl River, Ritmüller and Kayserburg, Pearl River projects concert grand pianos, which are offered in specialized flagship stores throughout China, Asia and other countries in the Pacific region. Evelyn Luo: “We are now able to share our products with the whole world, starting to serve the European market with our products Ritmüller Classic Line, Ritmüller Superior Line and Ritmüller Premium Line. We now turn to the sale of Ritmüller pianos, one of the oldest German brand names for pianos in Germany. Pearl River has brought this brand back to life and introduces three instrument lines. The Ritmüller Classic Line offers a high sound quality and a wide variety of models, suitable for both professional musicians and hobby musicians. The Ritmüller Superior Line was designed by a European design team. All instruments have high-quality components, including soundboards made of selected spruce wood, Röslau strings and the best hammer felt. The Ritmüller premium range was also developed by our European and American piano makers, and we use new technologies. With these instruments, Pearl River also appeals to professional pianists.”
ERIC SCHOONES
