Schiedmayer, a German manufacturer of musical instruments, will celebrate its 200th year in business in Stuttgart with a special celebration at Stuttgart’s Hochschule für Musik on June 28. The company—which describes itself as the only maker of the celesta, the musical instrument invented in Paris by Victor Mustel—was established in 1809 in Stuttgart by Johann Lorenz Schiedmayer, grandson of Balthasar Schiedmayer, who built his first clavichord in 1735 in Erlangen, Germany. The celebration will feature performances of winning works chosen by this year’s Schiedmayer composition contest for works written for celesta. This year’s winning composers—who among them received a total sum of 10,000 euros—are Maximilian Gruth (for his Hypnosis for Celesta and Piano), Martin Kapeller (Hommàge à Schreker for Celesta-Harp-Harmonium and Violin), Shingo Matsuura (Time of Dewdrops for Celesta Solo), and Valery Volonov (7 Haikus for Celesta Solo). The celebration will also feature performances on historical Schiedmayer instruments played by Preethi de Silva and Thomas Wellen. In addition to celestas, the company manufactures keyboard-glockenspiels and a glockenspiel for pipe organs.
Posted June 2, 2009
