Shigeru Kawai

Background

Kawai’s origins are rather modest but are built on the innovation of Koichi Kawai, an instrument technician who, after attempting to assemble an upright piano from imported components, developed a full piano action, which would go onto be patented.

Employed in the piano industry, which itself was going through changes in the 1920s, Kawai decided to create his own company. The Kawai Musical Instrument Research Laboratory started in 1927 in Hamamatsu, Japan, with the goal of developing the world’s most impressive piano. Although skills, materials, and distribution were challenges at first, the company pushed on through and, by the 1950s, were manufacturing over 1,500 pianos annually.

As the next stage of development, Shigeru Kawai took over from this father, pioneering innovations in piano manufacturing and striving to blend the quality of hand craftsmanship and advanced technology with factory processes. Another advancement, Kawai sought to bring music education to the masses during the second half of the 20th century and created a series of music schools and a center for piano service technicians. By the 1960s, Kawai began to expand globally, setting up locations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and other parts of Asia.

Types of Kawai Pianos

Among piano technologies, Kawai transformed tone, responsiveness, and durability, introducing aluminum action rails, hard-finish decks, and the use of lightweight-yet-strong ABS composites and carbon fiber.

Kawai further sought to blend the feel and action of an acoustic with digital technology. Over more recent decades, this vision has resulted in a hybrid piano merging these aspects, as well as digital pianos constructed with wooden keys and soundboards.

Today, Kawai’s line of pianos spans:

• Grand pianos: These concert hall-level models exemplify the peak of piano construction. Kawai manufactures both grand pianos, measuring up to nine feet in length, and baby grands, about five feet long and ideal for getting these expansive tones at home.
• Upright pianos: Including studio and console-height models, Kawai upright pianos strive for compact convenience without compromising tone and action.
• Digital pianos: Since introducing their first electric models, Kawai has sought to mimic an acoustic’s tonality with modern advances. To mirror these developments, Kawai crafts digital pianos alongside its latest acoustic instruments.
• Hybrid: Kawai has paved the way with its hybrid pianos, which combine grand- or upright-style action with the latest digital technologies sampling acoustic tones.

Find Kawai Pianos at Alamo Music Center

We’re the premier piano dealer for the San Antonio and Austin areas, carrying new and used acoustic and digital Kawai pianos. Browse our selection today based on your performance and practicing needs. We offer multiple financing and layaway options, including 12- to 48-month no-interest financing at times.