Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ( Japanese 株式会社 河 合 楽 器 製作 所 Kabushiki-gaisha Kawai Gakki Seishakusho , TYO: 7952) is a Japanese musical instrument company founded in August 1927 [1] . The company is best known for its pianos , pianos and digital pianos , being one of the world's leading manufacturers of these instruments, the second largest in the world in terms of production. It is widely believed that the sound of a Kawai piano is sharper and brighter than that of European and American instruments, but still softer than that of the piano of the largest Japanese manufacturer - Yamaha [2] . Since the 1970s, plastic parts and composite materials have been used in Kawai pianos instead of a series of wooden parts. Headquarters - in Hamamatsu , Shizuoka Prefecture .
| Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type of | kabusiki |
| Exchange listing | |
| Base | 1927 |
| Founders | Koichi Kawai |
| Location |  Japan : Hamamatsu , Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Key figures | Shigeru Kawai, Hirotaka Kawai |
| Industry | |
| Products | musical instruments |
| Turnover | $ 1 billion (2013) |
| Number of employees | 2812 (2013) |
| Site | kawai.co.jp |
Content
History
Koichi Kawai, the founder of the company, was born in Hamamatsu in 1886. From childhood he was fond of mechanics and invention. His father was making carts. In his early teens, Koichi got a job at the Thorakusu Yamaha factory [2] , where foreign models were produced at that time. While still a young man, he became a prominent member of the engineering department there, proved to be a talented inventor, received many patents, developed his own, first in the history of Japan, working piano model.
In 1927, Koichi Kawai, having gathered seven like-minded people, founded his own company with the goal of creating and producing Japanese piano models that would not be inferior to Western models or surpass them.
After the death of Koichi Kawai in 1955, his son, Shigeru Kawai, became the president of the company at age 33. He was determined to remain faithful to the ideals of his father. He foresaw a rapid increase in demand in the music industry, and therefore significantly expanded production. He also founded several music organizations. He later developed his own line of piano models, which he gave his name to - Shigeru Kawai Grand Piano - and described as “his personal legacy in the world of piano”. Shigeru Kawai was president of Kawai from 1955 to 1989, a member of the board of directors from 1990 to 2002, and a consultant to the company until his death in 2006 at the age of 84.
In 1989, Hirotaka Kawai, the founder’s grandson, became president. Under his leadership, the company invested tens of millions of dollars to introduce advanced robotics into the manufacturing process. He opened Kawai plants around the world, under his leadership there was a significant expansion of the lineup. Today, Kawai supplies tools to more than 80 countries [1] .
Pianos Kawai
For 2013, Kawai launches piano models from 6'1 "to 9'0":
- EX Concert Grand Piano - Length 9'0 "
- GX-7 BLAK Semi-Concert Grand Piano - Length 7'6 "
- GX-6 BLAK Artist Grand Piano - Length 7'0 "
- GX-5 BLAK Artist Grand Piano - Length 6'7 "
- GX-3 BLAK Professional Grand Piano - Length 6'2 "
- GX-2 BLAK Classic Grand Piano - Length 5'11 "
- GX-1 BLAK Baby Grand Piano - Length 5'5 "
- GE-30 Grand Piano - Length 5'5 "
- GM-12 Grand Piano - Length 5'0 "
- GM-10K Grand Piano - Length 5'0 "
- CR-40A Crystal Grand Piano - Length 6'1 "
- CR-30 Crystal Grand Piano - Length 6'1 "
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 History of Kawai Musical Instruments. Archived on October 15, 2014.
- ↑ 1 2 Guide to the Piano World: Part Two by Kendall Ross Bean
See also
- Steinway & sons
- Bösendorfer
- Yamaha