Pianos have been manufactured in Europe for over three hundred years and their history makes one of the most interesting ones in the whole industry. The passion for manufacturing and creating those instruments has prevailed much danger and changes in the whole world including two of the World Wars, alterations of the political system and economical crisis. The art of manufacturing pianos has always been inextricably bonded with art and music culture, both the utilitarian one and, most importantly, the highly sophisticated one.

Composers and piano-players have always stood as a mainstay of the manufacturer’s inspirations. They have been the ones to set the trends, articulate their yearnings and desires about the quail it’s of the sound, its length, transparency, clarity and intensity. The construction of a convenient and comfortable instrument for the player has always been a crucial factor i.e. the mechanisms and the keyboards which have often been portrayed as a goal to become the extension of human fingers.

European approach binds tradition and modernity together and makes them one. Newest technologies have been implemented to discover innovations and new acoustic solutions. The art of piano-making is still a living part of art of making instruments. It relentlessly alters and enhances the subtle details of this branch.

The idea of the congress is to present the century-long changes of the construction, manufactory, and overall work with pianos; its current picture along with today’s challenges.

We wish to present to you the European heritage of keyboard instruments while referring to tradition and history. Multiple instruments will be displayed, including ones from XVIII and XIX golden centuries for piano’s history as well as more modern instruments. The congress will also include presentations of technologies used in instrument’s renovations as Poland, and especially Kalisz, have become the European power in this refurbishment branch.