Supplement of Czech Business and Trade...Czech Music Museum The tradition of musical instrument...

1/2006

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Czech Musical Instruments1/2006

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Rich Tradition ofMusical InstrumentMaking in Bohemia

The manufacture of musicalinstruments has a rich traditionin the Czech Lands. Thistradition dates back to the 16thand 17th centuries, mainly inplaces of concentrated musicalculture, specifically in the royalcity of Prague and in othercentres. Here, in addition to theItalian violin making families ofAmati, Guarner, and Stradivari,the German v iol in makingschool began to develop,represented primarily by JakobSteiner instruments. The

greatest concentration of violin makers was in the Krušné hory(Ore Mountains) region, mainly in Kraslice and Luby near Cheb,where a violin making school was founded in 1873. Thistradition was continued by other firms in Luby, such as AkordKvint, s.r.o., and Ars Music, s.r.o., the manufacturers of concertand semi-master instruments and Europe’s largest manufacturerof stringed and plucked instruments, STRUNAL s.r.o.

Violins Were Followed by Wind InstrumentsThe popularity of brass instruments goes back a long way inBohemia, proof of which is provided by manuscripts and muralpaintings. French horns first came to Bohemia after 1680, whenthey were imported from France by Count F. A. Sporck.

Shortly after that, workshops were set up in Bohemia tomanufacture the instruments. In Prague, their productionstarted in the latter half of the 18th century. The developmentand production of brass and woodwind instruments progressedconcurrently with the needs of emerging compositions forclassical orchestras. At the end of the 18th century, both brassand woodwind instruments were being manufactured in thecountry. The early 19th century saw the beginning of factoryproduction, alongside family production and the making ofmaster instruments. In 1864, a private school was founded inKraslice, fostering future makers of tools needed in themanufacture of musical instruments. In 1882, it was turned intoa school run by the state. Today’s successor of this uniqueschool is the Secondary Vocational School for MusicalInstrument Makers. In the latter part of the 19th century, windinstrument making was influenced by two schools educatingfuture mouthpiece instrument makers. The manufacture ofinstruments in Kraslice for export was based on the experienceof both schools. The French school was represented by AdolpheSax and the Austrian school by Václav František Červený. Thecentres of the historical manufacture of wind instruments inBohemia and Moravia were Kraslice, Prague, Hradec Králové,and Brno. Today, the tradition of wind instrument making inBrno is upheld by the firm Josef Lídl, founded in 1892, which

INTRODUCTION

CZECH MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Supplement of:Czech Business and Trade 01-02/2006

MK ČR E 6379This bi-monthly magazine is published by the Ministry of Industry and Trade ofthe Czech Republic in cooperation with the Confederation of Industry of theCzech Republic six times a year in English, German, French, Spanish, and Russian,as a supplement to the economic bi-monthly issued in English (Czech Businessand Trade), German (Wirtschaft und Handel in der Tschechischen Republik),French (Industrie et commerce tchèques), Spanish (Empresas y negocios en la Re-pública Checa), and Russian (óe¯cÍafl Úop„o‚Îfl Ë Ôe‰ÔËÌËÏaÚeÎ¸cÚ‚o).Managing Editor: Jana VápeníkováEditor: Naďa VávrováGraphic Design: Helena Dvořáková, Miloslav BucvanAddress: PP Agency, s.r.o., Myslíkova 25110 00 Praha 1, Czech RepublicPhone: +(420) 221 406 623, 221 406 626Fax: +(420) 224 934 383E-mail: [email protected]/engDeadline: 30/11/2005Attitudes expressed by the authors of articles in this magazine are notnecessarily consistent with the viewpoint of the Publisher.

PP Agency Company with the ISO 9001 certified quality management system for publishingservices

CONTENTS:INTRODUCTION

3 Rich Tradition of Musical Instrument Making in Bohemia

ANALYSIS5 A High Musical Culture – Reflecting the Traditional Manufacture

of Musical Instruments in the Czech Republic6 The Association of Musical Instrument Makers Supports Not Only

Czech Manufacturers7 Churches in Many Countries Resound to Music Played

on Czech-made Organs

EDUCATION8 Czech Schools for Musical Instrument Makers

INVESTMENT10 The "Clusters" Programme Will Strengthen the Competitiveness

of Musical Instrument Manufacturers

ENTREPRISE12 Garage Guitars Conquer World Markets

WE ARE INTRODUCING14 Blue Violin by a Czech Violin Maker

CZECH TOP15 PETROF – Grand and Upright Pianos of World Quality16 Europe’s Largest Manufacturer of Stringed Instruments Is Building

on a Rich Tradition17 Drums of Unique Appearance and Sound18 Even Bill Clinton Plays an AMATI Saxophone

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT20 From the Tones of Organ Pipes to the Sound of Stradivarius Violins21 Fifty Years of PETROF Piano Development Departmernt

SURVEY22 Survey of Important Firms Producing Musical Instruments

INFORMATION26 Exhibitions and Trade Fairs in the Czech Republic in 200626 Important Contacts

PRESENTATION OF COMPANIES:2 BOHEMIA PIANO s.r.o.19 AMATI – DENAK, spol. s r.o.27 Obecní dům28 PETROF, spol. s r.o.

České hudební nástroje, s.r.o., G+W, výroba hudebních nástrojůa pomůcek, HSBF, s.r.o.

František Němeček

František Němeček, Acting Secretary of the Association of Musical Instrument Makers, e-mail: [email protected],

www.hnn.cz/avhn.htm

4INTRODUCTION

Czech Musical Instruments 1/2006

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became known pr imar i ly for i tsproduction of French horns and otherbrass instruments. At the beginning ofthe 20th century, in 1913, there were 9 factories in Kraslice, which, in total,employed 3 700 people in themanufacture of musical instruments,including home-made instruments. 90 % of output was exported.

Inventions in Musical InstrumentMaking in the Czech Lands

In 1844, V.F. Červený was granted thefirst imperial privilege for the realisationof his invention, the manufacture ofa new type of horn, called the "cornon",intended pr imar i ly for mountedplatoons. One year later he filed a patentapplication for a B-double bass, andanother the following year for his best-known invention, the "Tonwechsel-maschine" horn, which was immediatelycopied by a l l brass instrumentmanufacturers. Every year, V.F. Červenýintroduced something new, and at worldexhibitions, for example in New York,London, and Munich, he was awardeddistinctions and gained new outlets. Atthese exhibitions, his new instruments,such as the "soundhorn", "baroxyton"and "descant horn", were especiallyvalued by military bands. His otherinventions and patents include the altohorn, army trombone, falcon horn, thebugle, and the primhorn, as well as the"walzenventile" patent. V. F. Červenýcreated 24 new musical instruments. Hisinventions improved the sound andmechanical propert ies of windinstruments especially. His patents applyto percussion instruments also, forexample today’s shape of the triangle isalso the result of his design. Thefollowers of these traditions in themanufacture of wind instruments areAMATI-DENAK s.r.o. in Kraslice, togetherwith the firm’s factory in Hradec Králové,which makes the instruments under theV. F. Červený trademark. Another firmwhich upholds this tradition is theMoravian firm J. Lídl, s.r.o.

Piano Building Also Has a Traditionin Bohemia

Historically the first names of pianomakers in Bohemia and Moravia fromthe early 19th century are those of Reiss,Rott, Zelenka, Kolb, and Buchta of Brno.

In the latter half of the 19th century, inaddit ion to Prague’s Ulr ich andJiříkovský, there were piano making firmsin Hradec Králové, namely Petrof andLhota. In 1864, Antonín Petrof built hisf irst piano in his father’s joineryworkshop, and in 1874 he started hisown production on the outskirts of thetown. This is where his first piano with

English action was made in 1875, theyear when factory production wasintroduced there. In 1898, AntonínPetrof was honoured with the title of"Imper ia l and Royal P ianoManufacturer". At the beginning of the20th century the firm had 250 workersand had accomplished great technicaland business success. Petrof took overthe factories of A. H. Lhota and Vanickýin Hradec Králové, Kalles in Litomyšl, andalso his uncle’s firm Heitzmann & Sohn inVienna. Proof of the commercial successof A. Petrof were the gold medalsawarded to the at exhibitions in Linz,Graz, Timisoara, Vienna, and on manyother occasions.

After the First World War, the businessfurther expanded under themanagement of the founder’s sons, Jan,Antonín, and Vladimír. PETROFestablished a position for itself onmarkets all over Europe, in America,Afr ica, China, Egypt, Japan, andAustralia.

The company tradition has been takenup by the third Petrof generation – thesons Dimitri, Edward, and Eugene.

After 1989, following the complicated

economic and political development, thefirm became a state corporation, andlater, following privatisation, it turnedinto a joint stock company, and finallyinto a limited liability company. It isheaded by a representative of the fifthgeneration of Petrofs.

Czech Music MuseumThe tradition of musical instrumentmanufacture in Bohemia is illustrated byunique instrument collections on displayin the Czech Music Museum, whichhouses some 2 800 pieces. Among itsgems are, for example, a bass recorderand a hunter’s oboe dating from around1820. A rare collection comprises a setof famous late Renaissance instrumentsof the so-called Rožmberk band acquiredin1862. It comprises five pommers andfive unique shawms, which, like otherpieces, are hard to find anywhere else inthe world. Other valuable historicalinstruments displayed in the museuminclude a hammer piano dating from theend of the 18th century, a pedal harpmade around the year 1900, and manyother valuable pieces.

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Unique violins deposited in the Czech Museum of Music

For more, see: www.nm.cz/ceske-muzeum-hudby/ hudebni-nastroje.php

5ANALYSIS


A High Musical Culture – Reflecting theTraditional Manufacture of Musical Instrumentsin the Czech Republic

Miloslav Žďárek, Ministry of Industry and Trade, e-mail: [email protected], www.mpo.cz

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Sales of own products and services, in current prices, between 2000 and 2004

(million EUR) 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004*NACE 36.3 77.7 78.8 78.2 69.7 62.4

Number of persons employed, between 2000 and 2004

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004*NACE 36.3 3 965 4 644 4 188 3 923 3 533

Development of trade in products, in current prices, between 2000 and 2004

Export total(million EUR) 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004SCP ** 36.3 66.3 67.1 62.8 56.1 50.3

* NACE – Statistical classification of economic activities** SCP – Standard classification of productsSource: Czech Statistical Office

Situation in the musical instruments sector (NACE 36.3)

Musical instruments are among thetraditional and successful sectors of theCzech manufacturing industry. Althoughthe volume of their production and theireconomic importance for the industry aresmall, musical instruments take muchcredit for the high standard of thepeople’s musical culture and theycontribute significantly to promoting theCzech Republic in the world.

Czech professional performing artistsand orchestras, such as the CzechPhilharmonic (www.philharmonic.cz), arelooked upon as being among theworld’s best orchestras and many of theirmembers are playing Czech-mademusical instruments.

Representation of the Sector in theCzech Republic

Practically all types of musical instrumentsare made in the CR, such as string andkeyboard instruments, keyboard pipeorgans, including reed organs, accordionsand mouth organs, wind and percussioninstruments, including electronicinstruments, music boxes, signallingmusical instruments, metronomes, tuningforks, strings, and parts for these musicalinstruments.

According to the latest statistics, thereare in the CR 57 musical instrumentmanufacturers with fewer than 20employees, 15 small and medium-sizedenterprises with 20 to 249 employees and6 large enterprises with 250 and moreemployees. Organisationally this sector is

included in group 36.3 of theNACE statistical classificationof economic activities.

Most of the Output Goesfor Export

Exports comprise all threemain groups of musicalinstruments, i.e. keyboardinstruments (pianos andupright pianos), windinstruments (saxophones,clarinets, trumpets, etc.) andstr inged and pluckedinstruments (violins, violas,double basses, guitars, etc.).The instruments are exportedto European countries(Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland,France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece,Hungary, Italy, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia,Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,Turkey, the Ukraine), to the Americancontinent (the USA, Canada, Mexico),Asia (Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia,Singapore, Thailand), and to Australia andNew Zealand.

In 2005, 21 leading Czechmanufacturers of musical instrumentsattended the "MUSIKMESSE"international fair of musical instrumentsin Frankfurt a/Main, where they signeda number of business contracts and madenew contacts to strengthen foreigncooperation. From January to September2005, trade in musical instruments

The education of young musical instrument makers is importantfor the development of the branch

included in SCP group 36.3 scoreda turnover of EUR 43.8 million, of whichexports were worth EUR 32.7 million.

World competition on the musicalinstruments market is tremendous, inparticular due to the untiring pressure ofAsian manufacturers and their effort toassert themselves in Europe, an effortwhich has been persistent, and evensuccessful. The quality and technicalstandard of their products, however, isoften mediocre and even below standard,the same as their prices, which they useto force their way onto the market. Tothis, Czech manufacturers respond withhigh quality workmanship, design andservice. This above-average quality isa prerequisite for maintaining theircompetitiveness and good sales in comingyears.

Prospects of the SectorMaintaining and further improving theposition of Czech manufacturers ofmusical instruments on domestic andforeign markets will require greatinnovative efforts, with emphasis on top-quality design, technical construction,and aesthetic appearance. As regardssales, the expected gradual rising of theliving standard and purchasing power ofthe population is hoped to stimulate aninterest in purchasing musicalinstruments.

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6ANALYSIS


The Association of Musical Instrument MakersSupports Not Only Czech Manufacturers

František Němeček, Acting Secretary of the Association of Musical Instrument Makers of the Czech Republic, e-mail: [email protected], www.hnn.cz/avhn.htm

The Association of Musical InstrumentMakers (AVHN) came into being in 1998,in response to the need for bringingCzech musical instrument makerstogether and associating them indomestic and international organisations.

The firms that founded the Associationhave a long tradition and rank among the largest European and worldmanufacturers of musical instruments.Among others, they include PETROF, s.r.o.,AMATI-DENAK, s.r.o., and STRUNAL, s.r.o.The purpose of the association is toprotect, support, and realise the commoninterests of its members as regards theireconomic and business plans and theirtechnical problems. It strives to inspire inthem a feeling of togetherness and theawareness of the sector’s mission in thearea of musical culture. Last but not least,it represents and defends the commoninterests of its members in relation to statebodies and authorit ies, foreignassociations, and organisations. AVHN isalso a member of the Economic Chamberof the Czech Republic and theConfederation of the European MusicIndustries (CAFIM).

AVHN - an Active Member ofEuropean Organisations

As a member of CAFIM, the Associationsupports international co-operation in theframework of the EU and importantinstitutions worldwide, such as theNational Association of Music Merchants

(NAMM) in the USA. In September 2005,Zuzana Ceralová–Petrofová, President ofAVHN CR, was elected President of CAFIMfor a term of two years.

Some members of AVHN CR are alsomembers of the EUROPIANO Europe-wideunion of piano associations. The unionbrings together piano associations fromfourteen European countries, includingthe Czech Pianomakers’ Association. Theunion came into being in 1997, on theinitiative of the firms PETROF, BOHEMIAPIANO, KLIMA PIANO, PIANA Týniště, J.PORKERT and other makers of upright andgrand pianos and the componentsthereof. The Secondary Vocational Schooland Secondary Apprentice Training Centrefor Musical Instrument Makers in HradecKrálové are also associated within thePianomakers’ Association.

The Association also co-operates withvarious professional and technicalinstitutes and organisations so as to gainspecial knowledge from them to thebenefit of the entire sector.

Bohemia – the Conservatory ofEurope

Another activity of the AVHN is its supportof music playing and the promotion ofmusical education at all school levels.Currently, it is working on a projectentitled "Bohemia – the Conservatory ofEurope". The purpose of this project is tocreate conditions for the development ofactive music playing. It should begin in

nursery schools and continue inelementary and secondary schools and atuniversities. Older people are also to beinvolved, as music has a favourableinfluence on them, keeping them mentallyand physically fit as they grow old.

This project relies on co-operation withexisting institutions, such as the Academyof Performing Arts, pedagogical facultiesand conservatories, and the involvementof existing societies, such as the OrffSociety, music societies, music loverassociations, etc.

One of the aims of the project is to enterinto co-operation with the German"Akademie für Musikpädagogik" inWiesbaden and to set up an institute forEU states that would create a rationalconcept, whilst maintaining the specificnational features of amateur orchestraplaying. At the same time it would like toco-operate with leading music teachersand professional artists in organisinginternational seminars and performancecourses in EU member states.Furthermore, it aims to create conditionsfor sparking the interest of young peopleby organising national and internationalpresentations and competitions of schoolorchestras and music bands.

Separately, it wants to include in theproject the promotion and broadening ofprogrammes for educating new specialistsin the area of musical instrumentmanufacture.

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The Association of Musical Instrument Makers of the CR associates the following firms:Firm Address e-mail www

AKORD KVINT s.r.o. Chebská 378, CZ 351 37 Luby [email protected] www.akordkvint.com

AMATI-DENAK s.r.o. Dukelská 44, CZ 358 01 Kraslice [email protected] www.amati.cz

ARS MUSIC s.r.o. Chebská 5, CZ 351 37 Luby [email protected] www.akordkvint.com

BOHEMIA PIANO s.r.o. U dlouhé stěny 9, CZ 586 01 Jihlava [email protected] www.bohemiapiano.cz

DETOA s.r.o Jiřetín pod Bukovou 6, CZ 468 43 Albrechtice v J.h. [email protected] www.detoa.cz

HARMONIKAS s.r.o. Poděbradova 2506, CZ 440 01 Louny [email protected] www.harmonikas.cz

JOSEF LÍDL s.r.o. Zelný trh 10, CZ 602 00 Brno [email protected] www.lidlmusic.cz/josef

RESONANČNÍ PILA a.s. B. Němcové 170, CZ 503 51 Chlumec nad Cidlinou [email protected] www.sweb.cz/respila

STRUNAL s.r.o. Petra Bezruče 730, CZ 351 37 Luby [email protected] www.strunal.cz

ŠIBA s.r.o. Jánského 953, CZ 252 28 Černošice [email protected] www.siba.cz

PETROF s.r.o. Brněnská 207, CZ 500 06 Hradec Králové 6 [email protected] www.petrof.cz

PIANO TÝNIŠTĚ a.s. Mostecká 424, CZ 517 21 Týniště nad Orlicí [email protected] www.piana-as.cz

TEVESO s.r.o. Škroupova 441, CZ 500 02 Hradec Králové [email protected]

7ANALYSIS


Churches in Many Countries Resound to MusicPlayed on Czech-made Organs

Jana Kypúsová, Director, Secondary Art School for Organ Makers, o.p.s., Krnov, e-mail: [email protected], www.varhanysous.cz

reconstruction underwent massivedevelopment. More firms came intobeing, which concern themselves notonly with the repair and reconstructionof the instruments, but also the buildingof new organs all over the world. Manyof them have taken up a tradition oforgan building from their ancestors.

Current Boom of the SectorMore than 100 organ-building firms arecurrently registered in the CzechRepublic, employing from 1 to 50people. Among the best known areVladimír Šlajch, who specialises in therestoration of historic instruments (Plasy,Osek, Zlatá Koruna), and the firmOrgana s . r.o. Kutná Hora(www.organa.cz) devoting itself to thebuilding and restoration of organs, forexample in the Great Hal l ofPrague’s Carol inum. Other organbuilding firms are like that of JanStavinoha, who builds small newinstruments , does overhauls andreconstructions; for example in theChapel of the Holy Cross in Kroměříž,and the All Saints’ Church in Rožnov.

The Kánský-Brachtl company of Krnovhas restored the valuable organ in St.Vitus cathedral in Prague and builta new organ for the cathedral in BanskáBystrica. Another important firm isRieger-Kloss Varhany s.r.o. Krnov,making new organs for export; forexample to the USA, to the IndependentPresbyter ian Church – Savannah;Madison Street United MethodistChurch – Clarksvi l le; PresbyterianChurch, Seoul; South Korea – ChongKyo Methodist Church and Sung RakChurch; France – Ste. Maxime Church;and Slovakia – St. Parich Church. Othermanufacturers make various organcomponents and parts.

Organ building has its history andtradition in this country, and good caremust be given to existing instruments.That is why the Secondary Organ-bui ld ing School , o.p.s .has beenestabl i shed in Krnov to educatefollowers of the builders of this royalinstrument.

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Organ in Savannah, the USA

Organ in St. Clemens Church, Hradec Králové

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The Sound of Organ Music Arousesin People the Feeling of Something

ExtraordinaryExcellent organ-builders used to practicetheir art on the territory of the present-day Czech Republ ic , and severalvaluable historic instruments have beenpreserved to this day. For example,a unique organ can be found in theChurch of St. Maurice in Olomouc, builtby the Silesian master Michael Engler, Jr.Other wel l -preserved organs ofsubstantial value, built by Hans HeinrichMundt and Abraham Starck, areinstalled in the Church of Our Lady ofTýn in Prague and in Zlatá Koruna, southBohemia, respectively. The organ in themonastery at Teplá, by Antonín Gartner,is also historically valuable.

After the Second World War, organbuilding was concentrated especially inthe R ieger-Kloss works in Krnov(www.rieger-kloss.cz), which was partof the Československé hudební nástrojeenterprise making musical instrumentsin Hradec Králové. At that time, manyCzech-made organs were exported tothe former Soviet Union, while in thiscountry they were used mainly asconcert instruments.

After 1989, organ building, repair, and


8

Czech Schools for Musical Instrument Makers

140 Years of the School for MusicalInstrument Makers in Kraslice

The first makers of musical instrumentsprobably settled in the Kraslice area asearly as the latter half of the 16thcentury. In the middle of the 19thcentury, there were already several well-established businesses in Kraslice makingmusical instruments. The manufactoriesand later factories, which developedfrom previous workshops, saw the needfor expert help in making musicalinstruments. That is when the idea wasconceived to found a special school forthe future makers of musical instrumentsand combine it with music teaching. Thefounder of the school was Baron Richardvon Dotzauer, a highly educated manliving in Kraslice and a deputy to theImperial Reichstag in Vienna.

During its 140-year-long existence, theschool underwent a compl icateddevelopment. At the t ime of i tsfounding it focused on the artisanproduction of musical instruments andactive music teaching. At first it was

Josef Vlček, Secondary Vocational School for Musical Instrument Makers in Kraslice, e-mail: [email protected],www.spskraslice.wz.cz, Jana Kypúsová, Secondary Art School for Organ Makers in Krnov, e-mail: [email protected],

www.varhanysous.cz, Václav Kosina, Secondary Vocational School and Secondary Apprentice Training Centre for Musical Instrument and Furniture Makers in Hradec Králové, e-mail: [email protected], www.hnn.cz

EDUCATION

a Sunday school, and later, with theintroduction of special subjects, itbecame a daily school.

The present name of the school isSecondary Vocational School andSecondary Apprent ice Apprent iceTraining Centre for Musical InstrumentMakers, providing education in thefol lowing branches of study andapprentice training:

Manufacture of musical instruments– a four-year course that focuses on themanufacture, repair, and restoration ofall musical instrument Makers. Studiesare completed with the secondaryschool-leaving examination.Wind instrument technician – three-year apprentice training course aimedat the manufacture of wind

instruments. Training is completed bythe final exam and a certificate ofapprenticeship.

Art and handicraft manufacture ofmusical instruments – a four-year

apprentice training course teaching thetechnology of wind instrument making.Studies are completed with thesecondary school-leaving examination.For the entire duration of its existence,the school’s activities have been linked tomusic, be it organising the KrasliceMusic Spring Festival or holding variouscompetitions and brass band concerts oforchestras composed of school pupils.The school’s mixed choir founded thirtyyears ago by teacher Karel Malíšek, wholeads it to this day, also enjoys greatpopularity.

During its existence, the school haseducated hundreds of specialists, whowork in a number of branches, not onlyin the Czech Republic, but also in manyother countries worldwide.

The Czech Organ Making SchoolThe development of organ making hascalled for special education, as the organrepresents the combinat ion ofartisanship with knowledge of materialprocessing and music. To meet thisrequirement, a Secondary Organ MakingSchool was founded in Krnov in 1992,and developed into a beneficiarycorporation educating the makers of thisroyal instrument. Its graduates mayobtain the IES certificate allowing themto work in EU states. The study durationis four years and is completed bya secondary school-leaving examinationin artistic organ building. In recent years,students from neighbouring countries,e.g. Slovakia, came to Krnov to studyorgan making. One of the first graduatesis Tomáš Fafílek, who after completinghis studies went to work with theGerman f i rm Gb. Ober l inger inWindesheim for a year to gain practice.Since 2000, he has worked with Rieger-Kloss as an intoner, with assignments inSouth Korea, China, Taiwan, Bulgaria,Russia, and the USA. In addition to hisart of tuning and intoning, he also playsthe organ himself. In 2003 he took partin a concert tour of the USA. Anothersuccessful graduate of the school isRobert Ponča, who has founded thecompany Robert Ponča Varhany(www.ponca-organs.com). He takescredit, for example, for the restoration

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9EDUCATION


and reconstruction of organs in Brač,Croatia, and Zurich, Switzerland, and thereconstruct ion of the organ inLudgeřovice, CR.

Organ building has its history. Expertcare must be given to ex ist inginstruments, while old instruments mustbe repaired and restored, andpossibilities offered by new technologiesmust be taken advantage of. Thegraduates of the organ school, which isunique in Central Europe, are makinga contribution to all this.

School of Piano and FurnitureMaking

As in the past, the Secondary VocationalSchool and Secondary Apprentice TrainingCentre for Musical Instrument andFurniture Makers in Hradec Královécontinues today in its cooperation withPETROF s.r.o., the largest pianomanufacturer in Europe. With someexaggeration it can be said that the pianois a marvellous solitary piece of furniturewhich, in addition, can be used to playmusic. That is why this school, in additionto training future piano makers, alsoteaches handicraft production witha specialisation in woodwork, andfurniture making especially. Besidespreparing pupils in day courses, thesecondary school for musical instrumentsand furniture runs qualification coursesfor piano builders, and during the holidaysit holds woodcarving seminars, surfacefinishing and woodworking courses.

The school co-operates with importantspecialists and institutions and isa member of the Czech Piano Makers’Association, with which it organisesspecialised seminars for the othermembers.

For further education, the school isprepar ing master p iano-bui ld ingcourses and exams. Teachers andspecialists of the Czech Piano Makers’Association are convinced that the

exams will contribute towards thefurther development and improvementof the piano-making craft.

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The "Clusters" Programme Will Strengthen theCompetitiveness of Musical InstrumentManufacturers

The Programme 1.4 Clusters of theOperational Programme Industry andEnterprise is a programme in progress inthe Czech Republic since 2004 for thesupport of the development of clusterswith the help of finance from EUStructural Funds. Clusters aregeographically concentrated groups ofcompanies operating in the same line ofbusiness linked in a production chainthat generates added value as well asassociated institutions. Owing to co-operation in selected areas, businesseswithin the cluster can resolve theircommon problems, overcome variouslimitations, and gain a competitiveadvantage, something that can hardly beimitated. Two types of projects aresupported under the ClustersProgramme, which is implemented byGovernment-run CzechInvest, theInvestment and Business DevelopmentAgency: a project aimed at mapping thepotential for creating clusters and atoutl ining common strategies, anda follow-up project for the creation anddevelopment of the cluster.

One of the projects implemented underthe framework of this programme is thecreat ion of a c luster of musicalinstrument makers in the Karlovy VaryRegion. A total of 1.13 % of theeconomical ly act ive population iscurrently employed in the manufactureof musical instruments in the KarlovyVary Region. 14 businesses from thisbranch are currently involved in thisprogramme.

Co-operation Amongst Firms WillIncrease Their Competitiveness

Associat ion in a cluster and thedevelopment of common marketing andinnovation strategies are a suitable wayfor Czech exporters of musicalinstruments to challenge competitionfrom Asian countries that compete withtraditional manufacturers primarily withtheir low production costs.

In 2006, the cluster will provideservices to its members in selected areas,for which individual f i rms wouldotherwise either have to pay more than

INVESTMENT

Petra Hořínová, CzechInvest, Company Competitiveness Division, e-mail: [email protected], www.czechinvest.org, Olga Písecká, AB – AKCIMA s.r.o., e-mail: [email protected],


members of the association or theywould lose too much time ensuringindividually the activities needed for theirdevelopment. The mission of the clusteris above all to improve the marketingactivities of the member businesses, toidentify and f i l l the gaps in thesupplier/buyer chains, to strengthentheir share of the market influenced bycheap products from Asian countries,including China, and to conquer newmarkets. Common marketing projectsinclude, for instance, the creation ofcommon web s i tes, commonparticipation in important trade fairs, orcommon advertising to attract importantcustomers in the CR. Besides commonadvertising, which is the most importantarea for co-operation, these musicalinstrument makers will join in othercommon activit ies. They wil l , forinstance, co-operate in areas such aseducation, common trade, and commonresearch and development. Byintroducing new technologies intoproduction in co-operation with theUniversity of West Bohemia in Plzeň

(www.zcu.cz), and potentially with otherdevelopment workplaces, the clusterfirms can significantly improve thequality of their products and strengthenthe position of Czech firms on themarket, especially within its certainsegments.

The Cluster Will Increase Its Share of the World Market

One of the opportunities that the clusterwill bring on international markets is theexpected increase in demand for good-qual i ty musical instruments fromtraditional exporting countries, such asthe Czech Republic, on the part ofdemanding customers, who aredissatisfied with the quality of Asianproduct ion. Potent ia l ly promis ingmarkets for traditional Czech musicalinstruments are countries such asAustralia, Canada, Japan, and GreatBritain, which have recently increasedtheir import of certa in musicalinstruments manufactured by firmsassociated in the cluster. An importantopportunity for the cluster is the supply

Varnishing the saxophone body

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11INVESTMENT


List of members associated in the Music Industry Cluster

Firm e-mail Activity

Amati-Denak s.r.o. [email protected] Manufacture of wind instruments

Bauer Oldřich [email protected] Repair and manufacture of string instruments. [email protected] Unconventional and historical instruments

Berdych Daniel [email protected] Repair and sale of musical instruments

Dvořák Štěpán [email protected] Violin making

G + W výroba hudebních nástrojů [email protected] Manufacture and sale of children’s musical instruments

H @ K Music [email protected] Sale of musical instruments

Jaša Daniel [email protected] Repair and sale of saxophones

Jelínek Jaromír Ing. [email protected] Violin making

Organa s.r.o. [email protected] Organ building and restoring

PETROF s.r.o. [email protected] Musical instruments, Petrof, Weinbach, Rösler, [email protected] Scholze grand and upright pianos

PIANA Týniště, a.s. [email protected] Upright and grand piano cases and other wooden piano parts

Pötzl Jan [email protected] Violin making

Schneider Jan Guitar making

Zlesák Roman [email protected] Manufacture of woodwind instruments

of high-quality instruments made up intocomplete sets for customers with highdemands on quality and reliability. If thecluster makes a comprehensive offercovering a broad product range, it willhave a better chance of selling and

a greater potential to penetrate newmarkets. A common offer will make itpossible for the cluster to react moreflexibly in innovating production, asbusinesses will have a better chance torespond to market demand than if

a large number of firms were to actindividually. In the f inal analysis,a common offer of products will addressmore buyers simultaneously, and it willalso attract larger customers.

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The first musical instruments signed by Furch were made in 1981.Originally a bluegrass player, František Furch has become thesuccessful owner of a business that manufactures high-qualityguitars and mandolins. The current volume of thefirm’s production is approximately 3 500 instruments a year, 90per cent of which is exported. Instruments with the Furchtrademark are played by professionals both in the Czech Republicand in other countries, for example in Scandinavia, Germany,Japan, and Great Britain.

You made your first banjo for yourself. What exactlyprompted your decision to start a business in musical

instrument making?I made the first banjo for myself and then several guitars for myfriends and colleague musicians. The stimulus was the acuteshortage of instruments on the market and the inability to providethem. I mean instruments for high-quality performance of musicthat allow the musician to make progress. I was not the only onewho chose self-aid production, there were several names andaddresses circulating among musicians of the then Czechoslovakiawhere one could obtain a good instrument. Nevertheless, I wasone of a few to have tried to make a very modern and attractive"roundback" guitar at that time – the so-called Ovation. Thesemodels were the first to bear the Furch trademark.

Can you say briefly what development your company hasundergone from the time of your first instruments up until

your broad co-operation with foreign partners today?Until 1989 I made single pieces, my workshop was in the garageof my house, and I went to work. Officially I founded the firm in1990. For the first few years I was learning, looking for suppliers,and trying to overcome the "teething troubles" of the guitarsthemselves and the technology I used, as the production ofmusical instruments is a non-standard process in terms oftechnical equipment, materials, the parameters of glues, varnishesetc. For instance, the development of production technology is infact a never-ending process. When I got a foot in the door of my

first foreign market, Germany, I had to face the problems of thenext stage, which involved comparing with rivals and buildinga position. In the end we saw that our products compared wellwith renowned trademarks. This again accelerated thedevelopment of the tools and technologies. A breakthrough camein 2000, when I visited the factory of an important rival in theUSA. That was a great impetus for me, and an inspiration.I decided to change the entire production technology, and focusedon problems which until then appeared insolvable.

Which materials and parts do you use in production?What, in your opinion, is the most important key to

making a high-quality instrument?The material range is relatively broad and is based, toa considerable extent, on well tried and tested models. Pastcenturies and decades have put to the test various combinationsof woods and materials, which prove that a good-qualityinstrument must fit within the established limits. We useconventional materials, i.e. resonance spruce and cedar for theupper resonance boards, mahogany, rosewood, and maple for thesides and the back resonance boards, rosewood and ebony for thebridges, fingerboards, etc. In the past we have occasionally madeinstruments from African padauk and ziricote in small series. Weare also considering the use of alternative woods of Europeanorigin and the testing of their sound properties and overallusability in our category of instruments.

The high quality of the material, painstaking preparation, andexcellent workmanship are important in order to achieve goodresults. All this requires profound interest in the work as such.

A problem in recent years has been the boom of Asian, specificallyChinese, products, imported to Europe under various fictitious or

12

Garage Guitars Conquer World Markets

ENTREPRISE


František Furch

Guitar from the Furch workshop

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13ENTREPRISE


real trademarks. Those engaged in thispractice are not the manufacturers, butmarketing entities, sheer businessmen withno feeling for the product, people onlyconcerned with charts, red and black figures,the purses of amateur musicians and theirown bank accounts. The customer is nota partner for them, but prey. This is not a wayto be followed. Quality would die out,people would not understand what qualityis, they would not want it, because theywould forget that it ever existed and how todistinguish it.

Which of your instruments are most indemand in foreign countries?

This differs by the market. There is nounequivocal answer, but in terms of thenumber of instruments sold, the greatestdemand is for the Durango series. Favouritemodels in Japan include Furch Millennium,Furch Vintage Bluegrass, a new item whichgained immediate popularity. The Germanmarket prefers smaller guitars. This is due tothe popularity of individual music styles,which require specific playing and soundproperties depending, among other things, on the size of thebody of the guitar.

The Czech market, on the other hand, demands guitars withlarger bodies, as in the CR there is a broad bluegrass scene andbluegrass is the music of powerful basses.

Do you also engage in development? Could you tell usabout any new or rare items from your production?

Perhaps the greatest rarity and, at the same time, a new item isthe Durango series mentioned above. Its special feature is itsunusually strong back resonant board without ribs, slightlycompressed, abut the same as in jazz guitars. This constructionlends the instrument great compression and a characteristicpowerful sound. Although the basic model of the Durango seriesbelongs to the low-end category, it is popular even withprofessionals, purely for its raw powerful sound. Another item weplan to place on the market in 2006 is the Anniversary model tomark the 25th anniversary of the firm’s founding.

Do you co-operate with foreign companies?If what you have in mind is production in our company for otherfirms, then yes, we do. We co-operate with a relatively well-known trademark that approached us with a project for thetransfer of a part of its production to the Furch factory.

Sometimes we are asked why we produce under anothertrademark, specifically under Stanford. It is a trademark whichcame into being in co-operation with our German partner as farback as in 1997 and is intended primarily for German-speakingmarkets. The point is that the German market demanded guitarsof "American" design, and our partner wanted us to adjustexisting models to suit his markets. This would make our offerrather non-transparent, and so we chose the option to builda parallel collection with an adjusted design and named itStanford.

The interview was led by Naďa Vávrová

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Completing the body of a Furch guitar


14

Blue Violin by a Czech Violin Maker

WE ARE INTRODUCINGPh

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Head of a violin from the workshop of J. B. Špidlen

international organisation associatingviolin makers and other specialists in thebranch. He is the holder of many awards,for instance in 2003, at the 10thinternational violin makers’ competitionin Cremona in Italy, he won the 1st and2nd prizes and another two prizes for the highest number of points gained in the competition for sound andworkmanship, and a special prize of thePolish Violin Makers’ Union for the best-sounding violin.

The Art of Violin Making RemainsMore than a hundred years have passedsince Jan B. Špidlen’s great-grandfathermade his first violin. Much has changedin the musical world during that time,but, as Jan B. Špidlen says, the art ofviolin making remains unchanged:"Although in comparison with the past,the community of classical music fans hasdeclined to 10 % of the total number oflovers of all music genres, of which thereis a much larger number than before, thequality of violins and the volume of violinmaking have not declined. On thecontrary, music today is much closer tothe people and, consequently, thenumber of violinists is ten times higher,so there are good opportunities for themto perform their art." The demand forgood violins is high. Evidence thereof isthe fact that a violinist must wait up totwo years to get a Špidlen violin. Špidlenworks exclusively to order and makes

four to five violins a year. Violins from hisworkshop, built according to Stradivari orGuarneri, go to leading Czech andforeign violinists. At present, the masteris working on an order for the ViennaPhilharmonic.

Špidlen obtains his many orders mainlyon various recommendations. "Of course,one must be backed by results that provethe quality. Orders for violins areobtained primarily on the basis ofpersonal contact, in that someonerecommends you," Špidlen adds.

Owner of Violin Making RecipesThere is more than just one Špidlenfamily violin making recipe, but of coursethe master will not disclose any of them."What I can say is that I make violinsfrom maple wood and spruce, and themaple wood I use comes from Bosnia,a well-known traditional area, wheretrees used for these purposes have beenfelled since Stradivari’s times. Theaccessories I use come from a foreignmanufacturer," says Špidlen. Whileworking with conventional materialsaccording to well-tried and testedrecipes, Špidlen does not avoidexperimenting. "I am currently workingon a vanguard violin project, a result ofmy innovation developed at the AmiataSummit international conference of violinmakers held in Italy in 2004. Nine violinmakers from different countries met atthe conference. The main item on theagenda was the question of whether it ispossible and whether there is any sensein building violins other than those madeto the 300-year old Stradivari model,"Špidlen explains. The outcome of hisefforts will be a violin that will drawattention not only by its vanguard designand its blue colour, but primarily thanksto its better sound. The instrument isintended for the young Czech virtuosoPavel Šporcl.

Prepared by Naďa Vávrová

Jan Baptista Špidlen is a member of thefourth generation of a famous Czechviol in making family. His great-grandfather was a violin maker of theimperial conservatory in Moscow andwas considered the best violin maker inRussia. Today, Jan B. Špidlen makesviolins for Czech and foreign masterviolinists. He is a holder of several foreignawards and is a member of a prestigiousinternational organization associatingviolin makers and other specialists in thebranch.

Since his early childhood, Jan BaptistaŠpidlen was surrounded by music, at firstin his father’s workshop, where he cameinto contact with stringed instrumentsand wood. He himself started playing theviol in at f ive. After complet ingelementary school, he studiedwoodcarving at a Secondary Art Schoolin Prague. He learned the rudiments ofviolin making at the International ViolinMaking School in Mittelwald, Germany,and later continued learning the craftwith his father, master violin makerPřemysl O. Špidlen.

In 1989 he went to London, where hespent a year at the prestigious J. & A.Beare restorer company. In 1988 hebecame a member of Cycle of ArtisticViolin Makers, and in the same yearmade a copy of the inlaid "Hellier" 1679Stradivari violin. In 2003 he was admittedto the Entente Internationale MaitresLuthiers et Archeties d’Art, a prestigious

Jan B. Špidlen

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15CZECH TOP


PETROF – Grand and Upright Pianos of World Quality

Today, at the beginning of the thirdmillennium, millions of people all overthe world know Czech-made PETROFgrand and upright pianos. Czech musicalinstruments bearing this trademarkresound in prestigious concert halls,recording studios, and art schools. Theycan be heard, among other places, inMilan’s La Scala, in the UNESCOheadquarters in Paris, and in the operahouse in Sydney. They were played orowned, for example, by Paul McCartney,Richard Clydermann, Count Basie, OscarPeterson, Herbie Hancock, and manyother renowned pianists.

History of the Family BusinessDuring the 140 years of its existence, thefirm has made more than 600 000 grandand upright pianos. The road it hastravelled has, however, been a windingone.

In the early days, after 1864, thefounder, Antonín Petrof, had to startliterally from scratch. Satisfaction camein 1898, when he was awarded the titleof "imperial and royal" piano supplierfor the then Austro-Hungar ianMonarchy. Thus, the foundations werelaid for the firm’s further development.It started immediately after the FirstWorld War in 1918. In the periodbetween the two wars, PETROF pianosdelighted pianists and music-lovers inremote countries such as South Africa,India, Egypt, Japan, and Australia. Themanagement of the business washanded over smoothly from generationto generation until 1948, when thiscontinuous process was interrupted forseveral decades. Finding the tornthreads and tying them together againwas a most uneasy task for the fourthand fifth generations of the Petroffamily, as the whole firm had to berebuilt into a modern, dynamicallydeveloping trade company. This is theonly way for the PETROF trademark toremain a family name in the field ofpiano-building art, and for the PETROFinstruments to carry on the tradition ofthe firm’s founder.

Petrof Holds a Leading Position inPiano Building

Despite the current stagnation on themusical instruments market, PETROF, Ph

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Jubilee PETROF model

Zuzana Ceralová-Petrofová, Acting Secretary, PETROF s.r.o., e-mail: [email protected], www.petrof.cz

with its production of 6 000 uprightpianos and 1 300 grand pianos a year,has maintained its high share on thewor ld convent ional keyboardinstrument market. In its efforts, thefirm not only draws on assets created inthe past , such as t radi t ion, theworkmanship of the piano makers, itsbusiness representation in over 60countries worldwide, but it also takesadvantage of other supporting factors.Its attention is focused primarily on thecont inuous modernisat ion of i t sproduct ion fac i l i t ies and surfacefinishing technology. It concentrates onthe quality of the resonant wood it usesand the optimisation of technologies inits processing. Equal emphasis is placedon the organisation of production. Thefirm’s production base is supported byits applied research workshop, whichspecialises in acoustics, its design anddevelopment workshops, and theserv ice department, which usesa carefully planned system of trainingservice technicians from all over theworld.

Training New SpecialistsThe training of new specialists isprovided by the Secondary VocationalSchool and Secondary ApprenticeTraining Centre for Musical Instrumentand Furniture Makers in Hradec Králové(www.hnn.cz). Co-operation with thisapprentice training centre does not endhere, but continues with the employeetraining and education system. Thesystem guarantees that there will be newpeople to whom the mastery, piano-building skill, and artisan creativity willbe passed on to, so that the tradition ofthe firm is maintained. That is why thefirm has the ability to both innovate itsproducts by means of technical andmaterial improvements, and to launchnew instruments, des igns, andtechnologies, on the market. The latestimportant event has been the filing ofa patent application for magneticallyaccelerated mechanics. ■

16

Europe’s Largest Manufacturer of StringedInstruments Is Building on a Rich Tradition

The company Strunal, spol. s r.o. isa traditional and currently the largestmanufacturer of stringed instruments inEurope. Situated in the picturesque townof Luby near Cheb in the westernmostpart of the Czech Republic, it iscontinuing the rich tradition of musicalinstrument manufacture in that region,dating back to the latter half of the 16thcentury. The production of musicalinstruments in Luby took on its industrialcharacter between the two World Wars.In its present form the works, which isbeing continually modernised, hasexisted since the late 1960s.

A Modern and Prospering FirmToday, Strunal is maximising on the skillof its violin and guitar makers andcombining i t with modern andenvironmentally friendly technologies.Emphasis is placed on the painstakingchoice of high-qual i ty resonance

material and its meticulousprocessing. The plant isfitted with equipmentfor the ful ltechnological cycle ofproduct ion, fromtrunk cutt ing todimension timberstorage, dry ingkilns, workshopsfor making partsof musicalinstruments anda s s e m b l i n g

CZECH TOP

Zdeněk Pernica, Managing Director, Strunal, spol. s r.o., e-mail: [email protected], www.strunal.cz


them, to the surface finishing of theinstruments and their final outfit andtuning. All the workshops are kept so asto meet environmental requirements,and their condition is continuouslymonitored, which also applies to surfacef in ishing. Al l these aspects area guarantee of the outstanding soundpropert ies and qual i ty of theinstruments, based on tradit ionalEuropean craftsmanship.

The Volume of Production Does NotAffect the Quality of the

InstrumentsStrunal’s annual output is approximately50 000 guitars of all shapes and sizes;more than 6 000 violins; nearly 1 000violas; up to 2 000 cellos and the samenumber of double-basses; 3 500 bows;more than 500 mandolins and banjos;cases, covers, and other accessories. Allinstruments are made in several versions,from cheaper school instruments to topquality concert models. Customers willalso appreciate the great variety of sizes,from full-size instruments to reducedsizes, from 7/8, 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4 to 1/8.The quality of these reduced-sizeinstruments is equally as high as that ofthe full-size instruments, both as regardsthe sound and workmanship, enabling

adequate tuition to children from theage of four.

Strunal Is an Important ExporterA major part of the company’s output(around 90 per cent) is intended forcustomers in other countries. Its mostimportant export territories are the USA,Canada, Germany, France, Sweden,Spain, Mexico, and Japan, and in thepast few years also Russia. Other outletsinclude territories, such as Iran, Oman,Lebanon, and Sudan. Strunal exports itsproducts to 52 countries the world over.

References from Renowned ArtistsThe traditional artisanship of highlyskilled specialists is the reason for thecontinuously growing confidence inCzech musical instruments. Guitarsmade by the company are recommendedto students by professor Jiří Jirmal; itsviolins by concert virtuoso JaroslavSvěcený. Besides ordinary production,the company presents and offers thehighlight of its programme – masterinstruments from the workshops of the Luby master craftsmen. Theseinstruments are played by renownedCzech and foreign artists, such as JakubTřasák and Václav Hudeček

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Strunal shop

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More about the company, its activities, products, and distribution channels as well as the hottest news items can be found at www.strunal.cz.

Antonio Stradivarius model

17CZECH TOP


The firm Hanuš & Heřt Drums wasestablished in 1989 by a group of joinersspecialising in demanding solid woodfurniture making. Their drumprogramme was launched in 1997. Theyhave a conventional manual workshop,where they make a limited number of"snare-drums" known for exquisiteworkmanship, which they prefer toincreasing their production and cateringfor the market.

Hand-made OriginalsThe firm currently concentrates on themanufacture of "snare-drums" made ofsolid wood. Its main concern is to createunique top-quality instruments. Everyinstrument leaving the workshop is a realhand-made original.

The most frequent materials used forthe production of wooden drum shellsare maple, oak, cherry, jarrah androsewood. All instruments are fitted withlugs and strainer designed and made bythe workshop itself. The snare hardwareis made exclusively for instruments ofthe firm Hanuš & Heřt Drums. Eachinstrument leaving the workshop isprovided with information about thesize, mater ia l used, and date ofproduction. Naturally, each instrument issigned. A special feature is woodenhoops, which come in two versions –light (made of maple) and auburn (madeof bubinga). This lends the instrumentsan original, richly wooden sound inrimshot and crosstick playing.

Technology of ProductionAll the instruments made by the firmHanuš & Heřt Drums are glued togetherfrom vertical blocks of solid wood, unlikemost drums sold on the market, whichare made of plywood. coiling. Solidwood and the minimum quantity of glueused enhance the real "musicalproperties" of the material. Afterthorough manual finishing and grinding,the instrument is saturated with specialoil and stained to the required shade.The surface finishing is absolutelyunique, as all instruments are treatedexclus ive ly by natural mater ia l ,specifically the highest quality Thaishellac.

On the outer side, the shellac is appliedby the traditional, but very demanding,method of French polishing. During thisprocess, the instrument is ground manytimes with special abrasive oil and

pumice. By this technology, severalhundred very thin layers of resin areapplied to the surface of the instrument.The perfect shellac polish on the outsideand inside of the instrument lends ita unique look and sound. Before the lastlayer of polish, the instrument is boredto accommodate the lugs.

All instruments are fitted with woodenhoops. To ensure high resistance, thehoops are made by gluing togetherfifteen layers of plywood and onemassive amaranth band under highpressure.

The Firm’s Production andPhilosophy

The firm makes dozens of snare drumsa year. It produces a limited number (ofapproximately four complete drum setsof solid wood) to order. Both snaredrums and sets are made for drummersof symphonic orchestras and rock bands,in such places as Australia, California,Greece, Spain, and Norway. Thephilosophy of the firm Hanuš & HeřtDrums has always been to make really

or ig inal instruments of uniqueappearance and sound. Professionalmusicians in other countries andespecia l ly in the Czech Republ icappreciate the appearance and soundproperties of this make of drum, itssensitivity, excellent projection, andbeautiful and unusual sound in crosstickand rimshot playing.

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Drums of Unique Appearance and Sound

Erik Hanuš, Hanuš & Heřt, e-mail: [email protected], www.hanushert.com

Small drums made from palisander, maple, androsewood

Drums made from palisander and maple wood

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Even Bill Clinton Plays an AMATI Saxophone

The long tradition of woodwind music inthe Czech Republic has been linked forcenturies with the manufacture of windinstruments.

The manufacture of wind instrumentsat AMATI-Denak is concentrated inKraslice and Hradec Králové. Thisproduction has had a very long traditionin both towns following, however,a completely different histor ica ldevelopment in each. While in the caseof Kraslice (located near the Germanborder) the determining factor has beenthe German inf luence andtoday’s factory came into being after theSecond World War by the merger ofwhat remained of the former smallmostly German firms. The currentproduction in Hradec Králové is thedirect continuation of the firm V. F.Červený, which to this day draws on theheritage of its brilliant founder, Czechinventor Václav František Červený.

Rich Production ProgrammeIn range of production, AMATI-Denak isthe largest European manufacturer ofwind instruments. The range of rotaryvalve instruments from the V. F. Červenýfactory, too, is unique. In terms of thevolume of production, AMATI-Denak isone of three largest manufacturers inEurope.

In the category of woodwindinstruments, the AMATI Kras l icetrademark includes clarinets of both theFrench and German systems, double-reed instruments, such as the bassoonand contrabassoon, saxophones(soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone),flutes and the full range of piston valvebrass instruments from the cornet to thesousaphone. Made in Kraslice under V. F. Červený trademark are rotary valvetrumpets, flugelhorns, and French horns.All the instruments are made from top-qual i ty mater ia ls , us ing moderntechnologies and are marked forexcellent workmanship.

The accessories programme, too, isrich. It includes, for example, a full rangeof cases, stands for wind and stringedinstruments, cymbals, mouthpieces, andsheet holders.

Several New Items Each YearEach year, AMATI launches several newitems on the market. In 2004, it wasa new master trumpet developed by thewell-known trumpet designer Tomomi

CZECH TOP

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Output control of flutes in the AMATI workshop

Kato. The characteristic features of thisnew model are the completely newdesign of the bel l and theunconventional design of the wholetrumpet. This year, a professional model"Amati B trumpet", was developed inco-operation with the renowned jazztrumpet player Laco Deczi.

The range of medium backgroundpiston valve instruments was enlargedwith the addition of a new series oforchestra models with a large number ofnew sound and technical improvements,for example a more compact structure ofthe mechanism allowing for the freepassage of air, valves made of stainlesssteel alloy and, last but not least, a newmodern design of many parts.

Flutes and saxophones, too, underwentthorough technical, sound, and designinnovations. The instruments are theresult of wide-ranging developmentaimed at introducing medium sized bandinstruments that stand between studentand master models.

Foreign TradeMost of the output of AMATI-Denakgoes for export. The firm exportsapproximately 86 per cent of its

production, which is sold to more than50 countries of all continents. We haveno shops of our own abroad, so we co-operate with wholesale companies,which represent us in all these states. Anexception is the USA, where we have ourown branch (Amati USA, Inc.). Before1990, our sales to foreign countries wererealized central ly by Musicexport,a company that handled the export ofproducts for all Czech manufacturers ofmusical instruments. After 1989, thiscompany was dissolved and todayAMATI-Denak exports its productsthrough its own export department.

Saxophone for Bill ClintonOne of the famous personalities owninga musical instrument with the AMATItrademark is the former US president Bill Clinton, who received a tenorsaxophone from the former Czechpresident Václav Havel as a gift duringhis visit to the Czech Republic. BillClinton, who is an ardent saxophoneplayer, p layed i t impromptu andafterwards praised the quality of thetrademark AMATI.

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Ladislava Vázlerová, AMATI-Denak s.r.o., e-mail: [email protected], www.amati.cz

● Clarinets

● Saxophones

● Flutes

● Bassoons

● Piston and rotary valve brass

instruments

● Valve trombones

● Signal instruments

● Accessories

AMATI - Denak, s.r.o., Dukelská 44, 358 25 Kraslice, Czech Republicphone: +420 352 686 531, fax: +420 352 686 951, e-mail: [email protected], http://www.amati-denak.cz

LONG TRADITION We have a

in the production of a wide range of WOODWIND AND BRASSMUSIC INSTRUMENTS

20

From the Tones of Organ Pipes to the Sound of Stradivarius Violins

In the Czech Republic, the research ofmusical instruments has a traditiongoing back to the early 20th century,when physicist Čeněk Strouhal describedwhat is called "edge tones" in organpipes. The modern history of thisresearch is linked with three workplaces,whose different orientation and at thesame time close co-operation madepossible efficient concentration ofimportant activities in this area.

Research Workplaces and the Centreof Music Acoustics

The oldest workplace for the research ofmusical instruments is the Basic ResearchDepartment of the firm Petrof a.s.(www.petrof.cz) in Hradec Králové.Another workplace is the Sound Studioof the Music Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague(www.hamu.cz/zvuk) . The thirdworkplace used to be the Laboratory ofMusical Acoustics and Psychoacousticsof the Sound and Picture ResearchInstitute. When this institute had beenclosed down, the laboratory’s researchworkers went over to the Sound Studio,whose Musical Acoustics ResearchCentre (www.hamu.cz/marc) is currentlyworking on a five-year grant project.This project is focusing on the researchof the timbre and quality of the sound ofconventional musical instruments. Itspartners are the firms Soning Praha a.s.(www.soning.cz), a prestigious firm inthe area of room acoustics, RudolphFiedler s.r.o. (www.rudolphfiedler.com),a successful manufacturer and exporterof stringed instruments, and OrganaKutná Hora s.r.o. (www.organa.cz),a f i rm with a long tradit ion ofmanufacturing pipe organs.

Research and Its AimsMethodologically, the research is basedon two completely different types ofinstruments. The first is the violin,whose nature allows the player toinfluence the character of the tone tothe maximum degree. At the same timeit is an instrument with a defined soundideal – the Stradivarius violin. The otherinstrument is the organ, where theplayer’s part in creating the tone in thepipe is minimal, but which allowsa broad variation of the timbre of theresulting sound reflecting the acousticproperties of the space. Unlike theviolin, the sound ideal of the organ hasundergone cons iderable changesdepending on concrete cu l tura l ,technical, and social conditions. Theresearch project of musical instrumentshas two aims. The first is establishingthe general laws of creating the timbreof the sound from the point of view ofits generation, transfer, and perception,and finding an unequivocally validrelationship between the measuredobject ive parameters and the i rsubjective reflection. The other aim isascertaining the influence of themater ia l , des ign, and product iontechnology used in making theinstrument, on their sound quality andfinding possibilities of innovation.

Technical Support of ResearchThe research of musical instrumentsrequires special equipment, for examplefor the artificial excitation of the tone ofstring and wind instruments and formeasuring the properties of their parts,especially their frequency characteristics.An original method, later patented, wasdeveloped in the Sound Studio in 1987to test the qual i ty of c lar inetmouthpieces, based on the correlation

of the resonancefrequency of themouthpiece and itssubjective evaluation. Inthe case of violins, thefrequency character-istics, together withinterferograms, i .e.pictures "visualising"the shape of thevibrations of the violinplates and corpus on

certain resonance frequencies, describethe influence of the material and designof the instrument. For the purpose ofvisualising and analysing the vibration ofmusical instruments, the Sound Studio ofthe Music Faculty is fitted with uniquelaser equipment.

Practical Application of ResearchResults

The research workers of the SoundStudio have developed an originalmethod of organ sound documentation,which they have used in practice ona number of rare historic instruments.They used it, for example, to evaluatethe restoration of the famous Mundtorgan in Prague’s Church of Our Lady ofTyn. The subjective assessment of thequality of the sound is based on listeningtests, which are carried out in definedconditions and the results of which areprocessed by special statistical methods.The studio researchers also worked outa subjective method of organ pipe soundevaluation for 11 European organ-building firms within the framework ofan EU project. The research of musicalinstruments is not only intended formanufacturers and restorers, but it alsoprovides objective documentation ofinstruments, for example to museums,while bringing valuable information tomusic recording firms and the musiciansthemselves.

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RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Václav Syrový, Music Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts, e-mail: [email protected], www.hamu.cz


Interferographs of the vibrations of the top andbottom violin boards

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Frequency characteristics of the Stradivarius violinPhot

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21RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT


Musical instruments as we know themtoday have undergone a centuries-longdevelopment. Every generation ofmusical instrument makers has soughtways of improving them. Thedevelopment of grand and uprightpianos and of the people surroundingthem, too, has gone the way of changefrom manual work to industr ia lproduction.

F i f ty years of research anddevelopment at PETROF represent onlya short time in the history of theseefforts, and yet it is a period whichshould not escape attention.

In the early days, at the very beginningof artisan production, the founder of thefirm, Antonín Petrof, realised his owntechnical ideas in order to solveproblems concerning the design ofPETROF pianos. There followed a periodwhen all changes and latest ideas in thebranch were introduced by him or withthe help of his assistants. The artisans’technical sk i l l was passed fromgeneration to another; an importantchange came after nationalisation, whenthis natural process was severed. Allpiano manufacturers in the thenCzechoslovakia were merged, and thesituation and need arose to deal with thechange from manual work to industrialproduction and to unify design andtechnologies so as to allow higherproduction volumes that would meet thegreat demand after the Second WorldWar. At the same time it was necessaryto classify construction and designelements to suit the range of differenttrademarks in use.

The Beginning of the IndependentDevelopment Centre

The "Piano Factory", a Nat ionalCorporation at that time, decided toestablish a development department,which was opened in Hradec Králové in1954. Its task after 1954 was to createa range of new grand and upright pianomodels of the PETROF, WEINBACH,FÖRSTER, RÖSLER, and SCHOLZEtrademarks.

The f i rst task was to bui lda department where designers andhighly skilled workers would ensure thatinstruments to be made would haveoutstanding acoustic properties, an

improved design, and better tonequalities.

New Instrument PrototypesSince its founding, the DevelopmentDepartment has made approx. 250grand and upright piano prototypes.Currently the department is working onthe construction of prototypes of newinstruments. They are for examplecompleting the model of piano P VI, andare preparing the P 210 prototype forthe NAMM show 2006. A new technicalitem is the magnetically accelerated

action (MAA) for pianos (a patentapplication has been filed). Other novelfeatures are the production of uniqueinstruments, such as the Jubilee Pianowith its unusual design, the Pianobarwith illumination and seats for ninepersons, the tree-shaped multicolouredpiano for children, the assembly ofelectronic add-ons for grand and uprightpianos, and the construction of masterconcert instruments, such as theP I Mistral.

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Fifty Years of PETROF Piano DevelopmentDepartment

Otakar Friedrischek, PETROF Advertising Department, e-mail: [email protected], www.petrof.cz

Piano from the PETROF workshop

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Survey of Important Firms Producing MusicalInstruments

Akord Kvint, spol. s r.o.

Chebská 378, 351 37 Luby u Chebu, phone: +420 354 560 093, fax: +420 354 596 195, e-mail: [email protected],www.akordkvint.com

SURVEY

Turnover: CZK 10 million – approx. EUR 313 479Number of employees: 10Contact person: Mr Josef Holiš, e-mail: [email protected]: 96 %, e.g. Japan, Netherlands, China, Canada, USA,Spain, Sweden, New Zealand, Belgium, Russia, Thailand, Estonia,Ireland

Akord Kvint, s.r.o. is a private Czech company, a manufacturer ofexceptional concert and master violins, violas, and cellos. Thecompany was founded in 1991 in Luby, a small town witha violin-making tradition that dates back to the middle of the16th century. The owners of the company, recognized specialistsin the branch, have been successful in attracting both renownedand young talented violin makers, most of them real masters,and in creating the most professional team in the CzechRepublic. All violins, violas, and cellos manufactured in AkordKvint workshops are suitable for professional players, as well asfor those with music as a hobby, who wish to own anoutstanding, high-quality, and valuable instrument. The masterviolin makers manufacture violins and violas in seven series ofdifferent quality and cellos in five different quality series. Eachinstrument comes in all the different sizes and in the Stradivariand Guarneri model category.

Your musical instruments are marked for their excellentsound properties. What materials, parts and complements

are they made from? How are they certified and protectedagainst plagiarism?

All the materials, parts, and complements come from renownedsources in Germany, Austria, and France. The materials we useinclude high-quality resonant spruce, Bosnia maple with deepgrain, ebony, rosewood and boxtree parts, top-quality Thomastikand Larsen strings, etc. In addition to the material and parts, weuse our own natural spirit varnishes, which, together with theworkmanship of our violinmakers, are the key to thefirm’s success. The master and concert instruments from ourworkshops pass a tonal test carried out by a jury composed of theprofessors of the Prague conservatory, the members of the DvořákQuartet. Our violins, violas, and cellos then go to the customerwith a certificate that guarantees the quality of the tone, tuningand finishing, certified by the signature of the above-mentionedexperts and the violin maker.

Ars Music is a part of the company. Why was it founded?In 1997, when Akord Kvint had become a successful and well-established company on a world scale, its owners decided to takeadvantage of their good knowledge and free resources, leading tothe founding of Ars Music. The philosophy of this firm is that schoolinstruments need not necessarily have to be made in mass to beaffordable to all. Ars Music manufactures and sells schoolinstruments that combine exceptional sound qualities with perfecttuning. The secret of Ars Music does not lie in the use of newtechnologies, but rather in reverting to the old ones. Theinstruments are made by small groups of violin makers under theguidance of masters. Unlike mass production, this makes it possibleto slow down the manufacturing process and attend to every detail.

AMISTAR, spol. s r.o.

U Jizby 17, 143 00 Prague 4, phone: +420 244 402 457, fax: +420 244 402 457, e-mail: [email protected], www.amistar.cz,www.resophonic-association.com, www.amistarguitars.com

Turnover: approx. CZK 4 million – approx. EUR 125 391Number of employees: 10Contact person: Mr František Javůrek, e-mail: [email protected]: 100 %, almost worldwide, e.g. USA, Japan, Europeanstates, Republic of South Africa, New Zealand

Since 1992, AMISTAR has ranked among leading worldmanufacturers of all-metal and wooden resophonic guitars andguitar accessories. It exports its products worldwide anddisplays its musical instruments regularly at world exhibitions ofmusical instruments, such as the NAMM SHOW (Los

Violin maker Josef Holpuch

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BOHEMIA PIANO, s.r.o.

U dlouhé stěny 9, 586 01 Jihlava, phone: +420 567 910 896, fax: +420 567 310 898, e-mail: [email protected],www.bohemiapiano.cz

Turnover: CZK 145 million – approx. EUR 4.5 million (for theyear 2004)Number of employees: 130Contact person: Ms Martina Bočanová, e-mail: [email protected]: 60 % Europe, 15 % North America, 12 % Asia, 8 %other countries such as Egypt, Lebanon, and Turkey

BOHEMIA PIANO, s.r.o. is a manufacturer of acoustic uprightpianos and grand pianos, building on a tradition that datesback to 1871. Its production volume (approx. 3 500 uprightpianos and 350 grand pianos a year) ranks it among theleading European manufacturers. "BOHEMIA PIANO"instruments find customers both in the Czech Republic and inother countries of nearly every continent. The companysupplies a full range of instruments, from upright pianos forbeginners to grand pianos for concert halls. The experience ofthe firm’s master piano builders, the use of first-class material,and traditional hand manufacture all serve as a guarantee ofthe high quality of "BOHEMIA" instruments. The firm alsosupplies piano accessories, stools, electronic piano systems,and digital pianos.

Your instruments are exported practically worldwide. Isthere no danger that they may be affected by

differences in climate? How do you offset the risk?The instruments suffer most if they are exposed to highhumidity, heat, or frost.To protect pianos against humidity, their wooden parts must be"tropicated", i.e. their unvarnished edges, untreated mechanicsparts, etc., must be chemically treated with special materials.This is done if the pianos are to be exported to countries suchas Southeast Asia, e.g. Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Frost must be avoided. The dispatch of the instruments tocountries such as Canada, North America, and Russia must beplanned so that delivery is made in months when there is nodanger of extreme frost. If it is, nevertheless, necessary todeliver the instrument during the winter months, it must beplaced in a "thermo-container" and delivery must be directwithout undue unloading or preferably by air. Customers from

countries with extreme humidity or drought are recommendedto have special driers or humidifiers fitted permanently in theinstrument.

Which special instruments can be found in yourproduction range? Which new items did you launch on

the market in 2005 and what have you prepared for2006?

The method of piano construction is in itself something special.Each master piano-maker is personally responsible for

Empire model

Angeles/Anaheim, California, USA) and the MusikMesse(Frankfurt, Germany), as well as at regional exhibitions, festivals,and workshops in Europe.

A special feature of your instruments is their interestingdesign. Is this a way to distinguish them from other

makes?The design and general appearance of our instruments is basedon the original invention of Jan Dopjera (DOBRO). Amistar iscontinuously developing new models and innovating theirdesign and sound properties. The design of the instruments isnot only linked to the quality of the sound, but also to thecharacter of the sound of all-metal resophonic guitars.

Practically all your products are exported. Could youmention your most important orders and name any

renowned musicians that own AMISTAR instruments?All our orders are important. What we value most are, forinstance, orders for important exhibitions and festivals. InOctober 2005 it was the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Memphis(USA) with AMISTAR as one of the festival’s main sponsors, andthe exhibition, tour of guitarist Woody Mann (New York, USA)in Japan in November 2005, and so on.

Renowned players that play AMISTAR guitars include Keith

Richards (Rolling Stones, USA), Woody Mann (NYC, USA), TokioUschida (Japan), Papa George (Great Britain), Claus Boesser-Ferrari (Germany), and many others.

"Single Cone" and "Tricone Vintage" models

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24SURVEY

Josef Lídl, spol. s r.o.

Zelný trh 10, 602 00 Brno, phone: +420 543 254 720, fax: +420 542 216 358, e-mail: [email protected], www.lidlmusic.cz/josef

Turnover: approx. CZK 18 million – approx. EUR 564 263Number of employees: 28Contact person: Mr Roman Sotolář, e-mail: [email protected] Ms Martina Jánská, e-mail: [email protected]: 80 % to the EU, USA, Canada, Japan, Korea,Australia

The company of Josef Lídl, s.r.o. was established in 1992, incontinuation of the century-long tradition of the firm JosefLídl, founded in 1892. The firm has always specialised in themanufacture of brasswind instruments, mainly trumpets,flugelhorns, and French horns, which later made up its primaryprogramme for export to countries worldwide. All Lídl productsare marked for their quality and professional workmanship.Since the very beginning, the firm has laid emphasis on handmanufacture and this tradition has survived until today. Manual

lead lining and the knocking-out of tin considerably influencesthe sound of the instrument and its durability. The pride of thecompany is the great skill of its employees.

Your trademark has a tradition of more than onehundred years. Instruments manufactured in your

workshops were known, for example, in Siberia. Whatachievements can you pride yourselves on today?

Today, Josef Lídl, spol. s r.o. specialises in the production ofbrasswind instruments, especially French horns, flugelhorns,trumpets, and tubas. These instruments are exportedpractically worldwide. In the past two years, the firm haslaunched more new items of world interest in its "compact"model series – a small F/B double French horn model with fourvalves, a small B tuba model with four valves weighing only 6kg, and a B flugelhorn with a broad body. Instruments made by

HARMONIKAS, s.r.o.

Poděbradova 2506, 440 01 Louny, phone: +420 415 627 588, fax: +420 415 652 453, e-mail: [email protected],www.harmonikas.cz

Turnover: CZK 29.3 million – approx. EUR 918 495Number of employees: 54Contact person: Mr Ladislav Titlbach, e-mail: [email protected]: 86 % – EU states, USA, China, India, Russia

The company’s chief programme is the manufacture of reeds andbellows for accordions and concertinas. 10-15 % of the turnoveris accounted for by pressing instruments and other metalworkingfixtures.

Your production concentrates on components foraccordions of world makes. How do you obtain orders?

What volume of accordion components goes to customers?Our customers are leading manufacturers of all kinds ofaccordions and concertinas. With its consistent marketing policy,high quality, prompt response to the requirements ofmanufacturers of master and professional instruments on the onehand and its prompt reaction to technical and price requirementsfor lower price category instruments on the other, HARMONIKASattracts a growing number of customers through personal contactdirectly in the firm or at music fairs.

What is the effect for your company of the CzechRepublic’s joining the EU? Has it brought you any

advantages?As about 60 % of our turnover is generated by trade with EU

states, accession to the EC has improved our ability to reactpromptly to customer requirements and we have seen a reductionin export-related paperwork.

HARMONIKAS – production of accordion components

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a particular instrument and carries out all the important workon the piano, i.e. fitting the keyboard, the mechanics, thehammers, and the dampers. Then comes the intoner and thetuner, both experienced craftsmen. With the final touches theinstrument suddenly becomes an author’s work, for the qualityof which only two specialists are personally responsible. Model185 Empire has a very interesting design. It is 185 cm long and

has rounded legs and an ornamental music stand. The new225-Smetana concert piano is a great hit. The 122R – Romanceis a very interesting model among upright pianos withattractively "twisted" legs and a decorative oval on the upperframe.

The new item for the year 2006 is the upright 121 Rhapsodypiano, which has a very modern design.

25SURVEY


PIANA Týniště, a.s.

Mostecká ul. 24, 517 21 Týniště nad Orlicí, phone: 420 494 377 150, fax: +420 494 371 512, e-mail: [email protected],www.piana-as.cz

Turnover: CZK 139 million – approx. EUR 4.3 million (for the year 2004)Number of employees: 300Contact person: Mr Milan Veselý, e-mail: [email protected]: 28 %, e.g. to Germany, Poland, France, and Italy

PIANA Týniště, a.s. is one of Europe’s largest manufacturers ofupright and grand piano cases. It manufactures music furnitureand other wooden upright and grand piano components toorder from high-quality solid wood. As a supplementary range,the company produces luxury high-gloss furniture. The ownersof the company are prominent Czech manufacturers of uprightand grand pianos (shares are held by the managers of PETROFs.r.o. and BOHEMIA PIANO s.r.o.).

The guaranteed quality of piano cases makes it possiblefor you to co-operate with most global piano

manufacturers. Whoare they? What is the

co-operation basedon?

Among Czech customers,PIANA Týniště manufac-tures upright piano casesfor PETROF, spol. s r.o.,upright and grand pianocases for Bohemia Pianos.r.o. and upright pianocases for German uprightpiano manufacturersSEILER, SCHIMMEL, C.BECHSTEIN, PLEYEL ofFrance, ROLAND of Italy,and several other smallerbusinesses. For certainforeign customers, PIANATýniště, a.s . provides

demanding surface finishing of their own semi-finishedproducts. Today, leading European upright and grand pianomanufacturers are beginning to specialise in the assembly ofinstruments and prefer to have cases made by a specialisedsupplier. It is this principle that co-operation is based on, asPIANA Týniště has many years of experience in the applicationof polyester varnish, and the quality of its work fully satisfies itscustomers.

What is your annual output? Are you planning toexpand?

In 2006 we are planning to increase our production capacity to9 000 – 10 000 upright piano cases and to approximately 500grand piano cases, an increase of approximately 20 % incomparison to 2005.

French horn from the Josef Lídl workshop

Josef Lídl are popular among professional musicians – membersof various symphony orchestras all over the world, such as theVienna Philharmonic, the London, Glasgow, Edinburgh,Barcelona, Boston, Chicago, Oslo, Tokyo, Toronto, and BBCphilharmonic orchestras. Each year, the instruments arepresented to the broad musical public all over the world at themost prestigious international exhibitions in the USA andGermany.

What, in your opinion, is the current situation of musicalinstrument manufacturers?

At present, all Czech manufacturers of musical instrumentsmust face growing competition from Asian, and especiallyChinese, manufacturers. In the past we were accustomed tocatering for a market segment of customers searching forinstruments by price, not by quality. Today, this segment hasbecome "occupied" permanently by Chinese manufacturers, sothat Czech producers are left with no other choice but toconcentrate on better quality and to seek clients amongprofessional musicians who demand high quality. As in recentyears, our manufacturers have invested into improving andmodernising their technologies. I believe they stand a goodchance of succeeding, especially with customers looking forhigh quality at a reasonable price.

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Production of a piano case from the PIANA Týniště workshop

Grand piano models


26INFORMATION

Exhibitions and Trade Fairs in the Czech Republic in 2006

MINISTRIESMinistry of Industry and Trade of the CR www.mpo.cz [email protected] of Culture of the CR www.mkcr.cz [email protected]

ASSOCIATIONS AND UNIONSAssociation of Musical Instrument Makers www.hnn.cz/avhn.htm [email protected] Pianomakers’ Association www.hnn.cz/cks.htm [email protected]*Association of Musicians and Scientists www.ahuv.cz [email protected]*Czech Association of Violin Makes www.jmc.cz/stan/vlno/Czech Musicological Society www.ff.cuni.cz [email protected]

RESEARCH ORGANISATIONS AND INSTITUTESSound Studio of the Music FacultyAcademy of Performing Arts, Prague www.hamu.cz [email protected] Research Department, Petrof a.s. www.petrof.cz [email protected]

SECONDARY ART SCHOOLS AND APPRENTICE TRAINING CENTRES – MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MANUFACTURE*Secondary school and Secondary apprentice training centre for musical instruments and furniture www.hnn.cz [email protected]*Secondary vocational school and Secondary apprentice training centre for musical instruments www.volweb.cz/spskraslice [email protected]*Secondary school for organ building www.varhanysous.cz [email protected] Workshop – Pavel Celý, s.r.o. www.cely.cz [email protected]

OTHER* Muzikus Internet portal www.muzikus.cz [email protected] and Music Internet portal www.housle.cz* Internet portal with all on music www.instrumento.cz *

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Important Contacts

Music Fair Prague 2006Exhibition of musical instruments and accessories, stage andstudio equipment21–24 Sept. 2006 – Trade Fair Palace, PragueAC Expo, MUZIKUS, e-mail: [email protected], www.huvel.cz

Official Participation of the Czech Republic inInternational Fairs and Exhibitions in Other Countries

MUSIKMESSEInternational fair of musical instruments, music software, sheetmusic and accessories31 March–3 April 2006 – Frankfurt a/M., GermanyK + M Expo, s.r.o. (agency Messe Frankfurt)e-mail: [email protected], www.musikmesse.com

Prague Music Fair Attracts Manufacturers from ManyCountriesA fair of musical instruments and accessories has been held inPrague annually since 1992, and from the very beginning, oneof the co-organisers of the event has been the MuzikusPublishing House – keeper of a long tradition. Since 2003, thefair has taken place in the reconstructed Trade Fair Palace inPrague belonging to the National Art Gallery. And so, each

September, the Palace premises, with their beautifularchitecture, form the background for music and musicalinstruments, in the same neighbourhood as collections of someof the country’s visual art treasures. The vast and diversifiedexhibition area makes it possible not only to divide the fairaccording to nomenclature and separate the different sectionsfrom each other acoustically, but also to give concerts andorganise workshops and seminars in the adjoining rooms,attracting musicians and music experts.

Success of the 2005 EventIn 2005, the accompanying programme of the Music Fair tookplace in six concert stages and two workshop roomssimultaneously. Altogether 926 performers participated in theevent’s 105 concerts and 54 workshops.

The core of the fair, however, is the exhibition of conventionaland electronic musical instruments, installation, recording andsound systems, lighting equipment, stage systems, presentationsof music publishers and, last but not least, DJ equipment.Altogether 451 trade marks of musical instruments from all overthe world were presented in 91 expositions. Besides the CzechRepublic, there were exhibitors from Poland, Hungary, Austria,Germany, and France. The 2005 fair was the largest in thehistory of the event in terms of the exhibition area and visitors,whose number totalled 12 659. Representatives of renownedfirms, not only from Europe, but also from the USA and othercountries, arrived to present their products. One of them was MrJim Marshall, the legendary British manufacturer of guitaramplifiers, who patiently signed posters and instruments for themusicians, just as he had at Musikmesse in Frankfurt and at theNAMM Show in Annaheim, USA.

For the last three years, the Music Fair has been organised bythe Muzikus Publishing House, which issues, among otherpublications, Muzikus magazine for musicians and Harmoniemagazine on classical music, together with the AC Expoexhibition organisation.

More information can be obtained at www.hudebniveletrh.cz,www.huvel.cz, and www.muzikus.cz.

The music fair attracts hundreds of visitors each year

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Leasing of representation halls for congresses, conferences, and other cultural, social, or business events

Address:Obecní důmnám. Republiky 5111 21 Praha 1Czech Republic

E-mail:[email protected]@[email protected]@obecnidum.cz

www.obecnidum.cz

Phone: +420 222 002 130 (129, 128, 132)

Fax: +420 222 002 133

COMPLETE SERVICES

Representation premises, 1st floor

Smetana HallSladkovský HallRieger HallMayor’s HallGrégr HallPalacký HallPatisserieMoravian Slovak SalonBožena Němcová SalonOriental SalonSalon No. 1Salon No. 2Dining Room No.1Dining Room No.2Dining Room No.3

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PETROF, spol. s r. o., Brněnská 207, CZ 500 06 Hradec Královétel.: +420 495 712 111, fax: +420 495 267 158, e-mail: [email protected], www.petrof.com

Supplement of Czech Business and Trade...Czech Music Museum The tradition of musical instrument...

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