The Pramberger Story...

It is impossible to look at or play a Young Chang Platinum Series piano and not see Joe Pramberger’s handiwork.

The Pramberger story actually begins over 250 years ago and spans 7 generations.  Around 1750, the Pramberger family immigrates to Vienna from Germany (Mozart wasn’t born until 1756 in Austria). Joseph Johann Pramberger was born in 1779.

During this timeframe, 3 major events are converging.

1. The world’s great composers are reaching their prime (Mozart, Beethoven, and Haydn to name a few).

2. Major innovations such as the development of the piano action and other structural innovations are invented. The popularity and complexity of classical music places a demand on builders to produce better sounding pianos that are more structurally stable, reliable, and responsive. 

3. More modern architectural advancements provide for larger concert halls with better acoustics and  increased seating capacity.

Below is a condensed timeline that chronicles the rich heritage of the Pramberger Family and how this legacy converges with Steinway & Sons and eventually Young Chang.

1800,   Joseph Johann Pramberger becomes an employee of  Michael Schweighofer, a Viennese piano builder, and 10 years later becomes a full partner. The name changes to Schweighofer & Pramberger.

1811,   Johann Pramberger Jr. is born.  He studies under his father and eventually takes over the family business.  From 1821 to 1824, he invents the Violoncellton and the Sirenion. 

1824,   Pramberger receives patents relating to strings and soundboard design.

1839    Pramberger gains attention at the Viennese exposition.

1853,   Steinway & Sons is established in Astoria, NY.

1867,   The Pramberger is awarded the Bronze Metal at the Paris Exposition. 

It is interesting to note that the Pramberger Piano Company was awarded patents and designing new innovations before Steinway & Sons was established.

1873,   Pramberger receives medal for Technical Excellence in Vienna.

1909,   Anton Pramberger is born.

1913,   Pramberger family members, (aunts, uncles, and cousins) begin work at Steinway & Sons, NY.

1950,   Anton Pramberger family immigrates to New York City.  Anton joins Steinway & Sons.

1958,   Joseph J. Pramberger (son of Anton) begins work at Steinway & Sons.

1975,   Joseph J. Pramberger awarded patent related to piano action design.

1987,   After 29 years of service, Joseph J. Pramberger retires from Steinway & Sons and establishes Pramberger Pianos, Ltd, in New York City.

Joseph Pramberger served Steinway & Sons as a Design and Project Engineer, Vice-President of Manufacturing, and Chairman of the International Technical Exchange Group.  He also spoke perfect German.

Pramberger Pianos, Ltd, in New York City specialized in the restoration and rebuilding of fine pianos and in consulting services.  Joe Pramberger had close connections and influential relationships with every major piano builder in the world. He is regarded to this day as being one of the most respected piano design engineers of the last century. That is an incredible achievement considering all the great piano builders of the last 100 years.

One of his first clients was Yamaha. He was immediately commissioned to redesign Yamaha’s CFIII.  This piano had failed to capture the respect and admiration of concert artists. The piano was perceived to be thin in tone and dynamically shallow.  Joe made sweeping changes, and the piano then became the CFIIIS. Since this piano underwent its makeover, it has gained the approval of many classical and pop artists, as well as a number of orchestras. 

The next significant client was Baldwin. Their SD10 was in need of a major renovation.  The SD10 had not seen much in the way of improvements for many decades and was declining in popularity. Joe refined many of the SD10 features, updated the design and brought the SD10 back to the forefront of concert grand pianos. 

The most recent entry into the Pramberger legacy is the technical advancements and innovations Joe Pramberger brought to Young Chang. He began his work at Young Chang in 1995.  At this point, Young Chang became the world’s largest piano builder but faced a dilemma. Young Chang had a reputation of being a Yamaha clone. There is certainly no shame in that. Yamaha played an integral part in Young Chang’s creation.  That is a well documented story. However, Young Chang was not content with being a Yamaha knock-off.  It was time for Young Chang to emerge on its own merits as a respected piano builder. Joe Pramberger is just what Young Chang needed. This alliance also provided Joe with the opportunity to fulfill his lifelong goal.

Joe Pramberger was commissioned by Young Chang to do something he had always wanted to do--create an entire line of Pramberger pianos fashioned after everything Joe had learned as an engineer and inventor.  He wanted to take all of those years of experience at Steinway & Sons and merge the Pramberger legacy into a piano that would make his ancestors and posterity proud.

There was also a unique father/son connection between Joe and his father Anton.  Many of those close to Joe felt that his drive and ambitions were motivated largely by his father and mentor. Anton was a master Artisan in the tradition as an Old World European craftsman.  Anton remembers his grandfather handing down closely held family secrets of fine woodworking. Anton spent 25 years at Steinway & Sons as a pattern maker designing the complex equipment and machinery used to build fine pianos. Joe and his father worked together at Pramberger Pianos, LTD., specializing in the restoration and rebuilding fine world-class pianos. To say that the piano building was their life would be an understatement.

One of Joe’s favorite stories was the time he was asked to restore Horowitz’s favorite piano, a Steinway D he called his “Beauty”.  Joe was given the task of restoring this great piano after many years of usage. .  He had to refurbish this piano without changing the sound.  In his words, he had to make the piano newer and better without changing the sound Horowitz loved. This seems to be an almost impossible task since restoration usually involves making major changes, alterations, and replacement of parts. Joe took measurements, readings, and spent a great deal of time thinking through the process. He began the task knowing that he had only one shot at getting it right.

When the day came, the great Maestro sat at the piano and played a sonata.  He then turned to a very anxious Joe Pramberger and said “job well done”. There are few piano experts that could have performed this task.  Imagine the ramifications if he had been unsuccessful. 

Even though Joe Pramberger’s expertise centered on the piano’s sound board and action, his philosophy of blending the “Art & Instrument” allowed him to pull together all the piano’s components in harmony to produce a piano unmatched in tone and response.

If you have come to the conclusion that a Joseph Pramberger designed piano is a “Steinway-ized Yamaha, you have clearly missed the point. You have failed to understand the passion and heritage of this man. What Joe accomplished by designing for Young Chang was to bring to bear everything he believed into a piano line which bears his namesake. This was his crowning achievement and continues to be his legacy even though he is gone.

Joe Pramberger’s design philosophy was a blending of:

1. Vision of sound.  He designed pianos not by collecting features of other pianos, but to design for sound.

2. Design the piano to accomplish that goal

3. Have a production facility that could execute the design.  That takes enormous resources.

4. A passion for making great pianos that have “soul” and to build pianos that truly connect with the player and become an extension of the artist’s thoughts.

He also felt that the company building his designs needed to have the capacity to maintain the high manufacturing integrity to produce a consistent piano to his specifications. Of all the piano manufacturers in the world, Young Chang is uniquely qualified to faithfully produce Joe Pramberger’s vision of blending “Art and Instrument”.

In conclusion, Young Chang is committed to building these great pianos in the Pramberger tradition.  Although it is impossible to replace Joe, his legacy lives on in his designs. His vision is evident in every Young Chang YP Series piano.  The commitment to faithfully build these pianos to his designs is in place. The production facilities to execute the designs are working to this end each day. His passion is felt through the sound and touch of these pianos.