Wendl & Lung
Encyclopedia
Wendl & Lung is a piano
-manufacturing company based in Vienna
with piano production in China
via a partnership, widely regarded for their product.
The Wendl & Lung brand started in 1910 as a collaboration between Stefan Lung and Johann Wendl in Vienna, Austria
. From around 1930 onwards the company seems to have moved towards piano rebuilding and restoration.
Peter Veletzky, great-grandson of Stefan Lung, took over the business in 1994. In 1999 he became technical advisor to various piano manufacturers in China. This relationship was developed via the Chinese wife of Ernest Bittner, who formed a business partnership with Veletzky in 2000.
In 2003 pianos bearing the brand Wendl & Lung started to be produced in the Ningbo Hailun
Musical Instruments Co. Ltd. in Ningbo
, China, in partnership with Veletzky and Bittner. The first models were a 115cm upright piano, based on a prototype made by Veletzky, and a 122cm upright based on Hailun's existing upright model. This was commercialized to a Wendl & Lung 122cm model in August 2003. The exact level of technical input from Veletzky in the manufacture of pianos is unclear, but it seems certain that he has introduced technical innovations and improved quality control processes to the Hailun factory.
Two grand piano models were introduced in 2004: the 161cm Professional I and the 178cm Professional II. Additional grand models are expected to start commercial production in late 2007 (218 and 288cm), with further models planned. Various technical innovations, such as a double repeat mechanism and a harmonic pedal have been introduced in collaboration with other piano technicians.
Wendl & Lung distributes pianos through a network of dealers, mostly in Europe and Asia. The Hailun factory produces pianos under several different names, including Hailun and Steigerman Premium, as well as Wendl & Lung, and this may introduce some confusion into the marketing of Hailun pianos. There are technical variations between the brands, mainly down to the choice of materials and suppliers for various components.
The combination of Chinese manufacture with European brand name is common in the piano world, since it provides generally lower prices than European or American manufacture, with a reassuringly authentic-sounding name. In reality the brand name is often owned by the Chinese manufacturer, and Wendl & Lung are unusual in being a true partnership between a European company and a Chinese factory.
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
-manufacturing company based in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
with piano production in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
via a partnership, widely regarded for their product.
The Wendl & Lung brand started in 1910 as a collaboration between Stefan Lung and Johann Wendl in Vienna, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. From around 1930 onwards the company seems to have moved towards piano rebuilding and restoration.
Peter Veletzky, great-grandson of Stefan Lung, took over the business in 1994. In 1999 he became technical advisor to various piano manufacturers in China. This relationship was developed via the Chinese wife of Ernest Bittner, who formed a business partnership with Veletzky in 2000.
In 2003 pianos bearing the brand Wendl & Lung started to be produced in the Ningbo Hailun
Hailun
Hailun is a city in west-central Heilongjiang province, Northeast China. Administratively, it is a county-level city of Suihua City.-Geography:Hailun is located on the Songnen Plain, with the Lesser Khingan mountain range to the west...
Musical Instruments Co. Ltd. in Ningbo
Ningbo
Ningbo is a seaport city of northeastern Zhejiang province, Eastern China. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, the municipality has a population of 7,605,700 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 3,089,180 in the built up area made of 6 urban districts. It lies south of the Hangzhou Bay,...
, China, in partnership with Veletzky and Bittner. The first models were a 115cm upright piano, based on a prototype made by Veletzky, and a 122cm upright based on Hailun's existing upright model. This was commercialized to a Wendl & Lung 122cm model in August 2003. The exact level of technical input from Veletzky in the manufacture of pianos is unclear, but it seems certain that he has introduced technical innovations and improved quality control processes to the Hailun factory.
Two grand piano models were introduced in 2004: the 161cm Professional I and the 178cm Professional II. Additional grand models are expected to start commercial production in late 2007 (218 and 288cm), with further models planned. Various technical innovations, such as a double repeat mechanism and a harmonic pedal have been introduced in collaboration with other piano technicians.
Wendl & Lung distributes pianos through a network of dealers, mostly in Europe and Asia. The Hailun factory produces pianos under several different names, including Hailun and Steigerman Premium, as well as Wendl & Lung, and this may introduce some confusion into the marketing of Hailun pianos. There are technical variations between the brands, mainly down to the choice of materials and suppliers for various components.
The combination of Chinese manufacture with European brand name is common in the piano world, since it provides generally lower prices than European or American manufacture, with a reassuringly authentic-sounding name. In reality the brand name is often owned by the Chinese manufacturer, and Wendl & Lung are unusual in being a true partnership between a European company and a Chinese factory.