Yamaha is the world’s largest piano manufacturer and a benchmark for both beginner and professional pianists. The quality of its pianos, along with the diversity of its range, makes it one of the most well-known and highly regarded brands.
In 1887, Torakusu Yamaha founded Yamaha Organ Manufacturing in Hamamatsu, Japan, a company that would later become Yamaha Corporation.
In 1900, after spending a year in the United States learning the craft of piano making, Torakusu Yamaha returned to Japan. The company then began selling its first upright pianos, followed two years later by its first grand pianos.
In 1904, the company won the Grand Prix at the St. Louis World’s Fair. Building on this success, Yamaha continued to diversify by manufacturing other instruments such as harmonicas, xylophones, and more.
In 1930, Yamaha established the world’s first acoustic research laboratory dedicated to pianos, and twenty years later produced its first concert grand piano (model FC).
In 1965, Etorre Tallone, technician to Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, collaborated with Yamaha on the development of a new concert grand piano. In 1967, the CF concert grand piano and the Conservatory Series grand pianos were unveiled at the Frankfurt Musikmesse.
In 1968, Sviatoslav Richter performed on the CF concert grand piano at the Menton Festival, marking the beginning of a strong collaboration.
In the late 1960s, György Cziffra and Chick Corea discovered the CF concert grand piano. Both artists would thereafter perform exclusively on Yamaha pianos.
In 1978, Yamaha introduced the new CFII concert grand piano.
In 1980, the Yamaha Piano Technical Academy was established.
In 1981, Yamaha began collaborating with Glenn Gould, who recorded his famous Goldberg Variations on the CFII concert grand piano.
In 1983, the CFIII concert grand piano was introduced and became the official piano of the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition. In 1984, the Yamaha CFIII concert grand piano also became the official piano of the International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition.
In 1986, Yamaha acquired Kemble & Co. in the United Kingdom and introduced the Disklavier™ concept. The CFIII concert grand piano became the official piano of numerous international competitions, including the Tchaikovsky Competition and competitions in Japan (Hamamatsu).
In 1987, Yamaha opened Artist Relations Centers in major cities around the world, including Paris. Two years later, Yamaha organized the first French piano distribution network.
In 1991, Yamaha introduced the CFIIIS concert grand piano and produced its five-millionth piano. Technical piano training programs were also launched in France.
In 1993, Yamaha invented the world’s first Silent™ piano.
In 2008, Yamaha acquired Bösendorfer in Vienna and created the Yamaha Piano Technician Guild.
In 2010, Yamaha introduced the new CFX concert grand piano. This model was acclaimed by the majority of pianists and triumphed at the 16th International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw.
In 2012, the Yamaha Group celebrated its 125th anniversary.
