Pearl River Pianos

After 60 years of craftsmanship—combined with the largest, state-of-the-art factory—Pearl River has arguably become the ’World’s Best Selling Piano.’

GP160 Grand Piano

Aluminum action rail ~ Mortised spruce beams ~ Vertically laminated maple w/solid maple cap, hand notched bridges ~ Slow close fallboard ~ 19 ply maple pinblock ~ Sand cast CNC processed iron plate ~ All spruce laminated soundboard ~ German Roeslau wire ~ Nickel plated, cut-thread tuning pins ~ Warranty: 10 year parts and labor

EU122 48" Upright Piano

European Series Solid Brass Hardware German Röslau Strings Pearl River Hammers with Imported German Felt Pearl River

EU131 Upright Piano

European Series Solid Brass Hardware German Röslau Strings Pearl River Hammers with Reinforced German White Felt Pearl

featured models

Original Piano Maker(s)

Since its inception, the Chinese Government owned the company. In c. 2012, Pearl River went public.

Date Established
1956

Original Location(s)
Guangzhou, China

Benefits & Features

“World’s Best-Selling Piano Manufacturer, Sold In Over 100 Countries”
Grand piano rims made of walnut, permitting a lower tension scale design (for warm, rich tones and longer sustain)
100% close-grained spruce soundboards, tapered to improve flexibility
“Seasoned” woods acclimatized to ensure reliability, reducing swelling & contracting
Wet sand cast plates on all models, providing incredible strength to support string tension
Cut-thread tuning pins for greater precision in tuning
Vertically laminated maple bridges & multi-ply rock maple pin-blocks

Notable Dates

1980s — Pearl River obtains import/export rights.
1992 — Tong Zhi Cheng (born c. 1942) appointed Chairman of the Board; originally hired in 1958, he is one of the longest-term employees of Pearl River.
1995 — Joint venture with Yamaha to produce low-end Yamaha uprights.
1996 — Pearl River ends affiliation with Yamaha.
1999 — Pearl River acquires Ritmüller.
2000 — Pearl River begins manufacturing Ritmüller pianos.
2005 — Joint venture with Steinway & Sons to create Essex pianos, manufactured in Guangzhou.
c. 2007 — Pearl River becomes the largest piano factory in the world.
2009 — Through the work of designer Lothar Thomma, Ritmüller becomes reinvigorated as a high-end piano in North America, along with Kayserburg in other parts of the world.
c. 2012 — Built state-of-the-art, 1.2 million sq. ft. factory.
2013 — The Kayserburg Artist Piano introduced; they are hand-made pianos designed under Stephen Mohler, a protégé of Lothar Thomma.
2015 — MMR Dealers’ Choice Award, Acoustic Piano Line of the Year.
2016 — MMR Dealers’ Choice Award, Acoustic Piano Line of the Year.