Premium pianos, high-end brands eye Chinese market

Global Business

Premium pianos, high-end brands eye Chinese market

It’s no mystery why Steinway and Sons and other high-end piano companies are seeking more opportunities in China. 

While the piano’s popularity seems to be declining in the west, Chinese parents are willing to spend big on luxury instruments for their children.

CCTV’s Xia Ruixue reports.

Like tens of millions of Chinese mothers, Hou Jian tries to give her child the best she can afford. When her six-year-old son decided to learn piano, she bought him a Steinway. Many enthusiasts consider this brand to be the finest, and the price tag shows it.

Steinway entered the Chinese market in 1999. More than 90 percent of the company’s sales were to music conservatories and concert halls in the early years. But today, its pianos are reaching many Chinese homes.

Chinese parents are willing to invest in their children. They don’t hesitate to pay for expensive piano classes. And besides Steinway, they also buy other high-end piano brands. 

Statistics show the wane of piano-playing in the West, and many piano stores have closed in recent years. But these high-end piano brands have found new opportunities in China and its 40 million children.