Nirschl
Encyclopedia
Nirschl, also known by the owner's name, Walter Nirschl, is a German
company that builds musical instruments. Nirschl is a sixth-generation builder of musical instruments. Nirschl builds brass instrument
s, including trumpet
s, trombone
s, French horns, mellophone
s, euphonium
s, and tuba
s, under the 'Meister Walter Nirschl' brand in his factory in Bavaria
and collaborates with Gemstone Musical Instruments on the W. Nirschl brass line. Nirschl's instruments are played in some of the finest orchestras in the world.
Nirschl's great-great-great-great-grandfather started making harmonica
s and later brass instrument
s in central Graslitz, Bohemia
in 1810. His grandfather, Wenzel Meinl, set up a music shop in Geretsried
in 1945, and Walter later trained at the shop with his uncle Anton Meinl. After learning the business in his uncle’s factory, Nirschl apprenticed at other factories, including American
and French
shops. Eventually he purchased the Böhm & Meinl Symphonic, a brass instrument company in Geretsried, which at the time was the only company in the world making large bore piston tuba
s in the size and style of the great American York tubas.
When J.W. York and Sons closed their factory in Grand Rapids
, Michigan
, the tooling was sent over to Böhm & Meinl where instruments continued to be made for Carl Fischer Music
, the New York music publisher who then owned the York name.
In 2002, Nirschl was hired by a company in the United Kingdom
to modernize a factory in India
, and used his company in Geretsried to build prototypes. After significant investment, the financial backers decided to get out of the music business, which left the Indian factory dormant. Gemstone Musical Instruments recognized the opportunity and partnered with Nirschl, which combined the 60 year sales and marketing traditions of the Gemeinhardt
Company with the six generations of German instrument craftsmanship. A full line of 'W. Nirschl' brass instruments is now produced in China, Brazil and India.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
company that builds musical instruments. Nirschl is a sixth-generation builder of musical instruments. Nirschl builds brass instrument
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
s, including trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s, trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
s, French horns, mellophone
Mellophone
The mellophone is a brass instrument that is typically used in place of the horn in marching bands or drum and bugle corps....
s, euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
s, and tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
s, under the 'Meister Walter Nirschl' brand in his factory in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and collaborates with Gemstone Musical Instruments on the W. Nirschl brass line. Nirschl's instruments are played in some of the finest orchestras in the world.
Nirschl's great-great-great-great-grandfather started making harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
s and later brass instrument
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
s in central Graslitz, Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
in 1810. His grandfather, Wenzel Meinl, set up a music shop in Geretsried
Geretsried
Geretsried is a town in the district Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, located in Bavaria, Germany. The town is the most populated town in the district, with 24,177 inhabitants as of 15 September 1999.-History:...
in 1945, and Walter later trained at the shop with his uncle Anton Meinl. After learning the business in his uncle’s factory, Nirschl apprenticed at other factories, including American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
shops. Eventually he purchased the Böhm & Meinl Symphonic, a brass instrument company in Geretsried, which at the time was the only company in the world making large bore piston tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
s in the size and style of the great American York tubas.
When J.W. York and Sons closed their factory in Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, the tooling was sent over to Böhm & Meinl where instruments continued to be made for Carl Fischer Music
Carl Fischer Music
Carl Fischer Music is a major publisher of sheet music based in New York City that has been in business since 1872. As one of the few remaining family-owned music publishers, it supplies educational materials to professional and beginning musicians of all ages, as well as new music works.Notable...
, the New York music publisher who then owned the York name.
In 2002, Nirschl was hired by a company in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to modernize a factory in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and used his company in Geretsried to build prototypes. After significant investment, the financial backers decided to get out of the music business, which left the Indian factory dormant. Gemstone Musical Instruments recognized the opportunity and partnered with Nirschl, which combined the 60 year sales and marketing traditions of the Gemeinhardt
Gemeinhardt
Gemeinhardt Co. is the music industry's largest manufacturer of flutes and piccolos. These musical instruments are developed by this company for all levels of musicians, beginners to professionals.History of the Gemeinhardt Company...
Company with the six generations of German instrument craftsmanship. A full line of 'W. Nirschl' brass instruments is now produced in China, Brazil and India.