Jul 24 2008
The Piano
In the years since World War II, piano manufacturing has shifted from Europe and America to Asia. Of the 480,000 pianos produced worldwide last year, 430,000 were made in Asia.
China has rapidly emerged as the major player, producing 375,000 instruments last year. In terms of craftsmanship and tonal quality, mass-produced Chinese pianos do not come close to matching their handmade European counterparts, but they are vastly cheaper. A Chinese grand piano can cost less than $10,000; Bluthner’s least expensive grand goes for about $64,000.