The Old World – Grotrian-Steinweg | Music and Marketing

To make the name of his piano manufactory more popular, Grotrian-Steinweg presented his instruments at dozens of exhibitions worldwide and won numerous awards – for example at the Brunswick Trade Exhibition 1877, on the world exhibition in Melbourne 1880 (AUS), the Royal Mining Engineering Jubilee Exhibition in Newcastle 1887 (GB) and on the Chicago World’s Fair 1893 (USA). The company's prestigious clientele included Queen Marie of Hanover (1818-1907), Prince Albrecht of Prussia (1809–1872), Duke Wilhelm of Brunswick and Lüneburg (1806-1884), the last Tsarina of Russia Alexandra Fjodorowna (1872–1918), as well as members of the Persian court. Grotrian-Steinweg also endeavored to be awarded the title of purveyor to the court and received one of the last of these “privileges” in 1960 from King Constantine of Greece (1940-2023). 

Grotrian-Steinweg set up a concert hall at No.18 Breite Straße, Braunschweig, in order to introduce the instruments to the public – and therefore potential buyers – through music. Together with committed citizens of the city, the company also founded the “Subscription Concert Society”, which brought numerous renowned guest soloists to Braunschweig for events. In 1954, the first “Grotrian-Steinweg Piano Playing Competition” for children and young people took place, which served as a model for the well-known “Jugend musiziert” competition and still exists today. 

Grotrian-Steinweg sold their instruments world wide in steadily increasing numbers: In 1920, the first branch opened in London; after the First World War, the company gained a foothold in the US. Later, new markets were tapped: South Africa, South America and Asia. After 1990, the territory of the former Soviet Union was added. Today, Grotrian-Steinweg produce uprights and grand pianos for 70 nations.