Winter Piano Company
Arnold Poppenberg was hired by the Winter Piano Company as a traveling salesman in 1959, the same year he attended his first NAMM Show. He remained with Winter for ten years, but went on to rep for several other piano companies in the industry making him one of the most successful piano travelers...
Bob Heller’s grandfather began working in the music industry as a piano manufacturer in New York. Along with two partners, his grandfather formed the Winter Piano Company, which under the leadership of Bob’s father, branched out to include other brands such as Aeolian Pianos. Bob worked alongside...
Vince Grantano was a fixture among traveling piano representatives. He traveled the entire United States for several companies over the years to bring new products to retailers. His most notable job was with the Winter Piano Company where he worked for several decades. Vince joined the National...
Glenn Howard was the first salesman hired by the Winter Piano Company following World War II. Raised in Marshalltown, Iowa, Glen was the son of a real estate broker who fell on hard times during the Great Depression. Glen emerged from those difficult years with a strong understanding of the value...
Rose Wernes Drake traveled with her husband, Ivor, when he became the second salesperson hired for the Winter Piano Company following World War II. He often said the company got two for the price of one as she soon became as good an asset to the company as he was. It was Ivor’s idea to train her on...
Arthur Linter had many stories to share, like the one about his real birthday. “My mother told me, ‘Your birthday is March 14, 1913, but it says April 5 on your birth certificate because the doctor put it in his pocket and carried it around for a few days before he filed it.’”
He was a street wise...
Henry Heller recalled with detail his father’s idea of moving the Aeolian Piano Company’s manufacturing plant from New York to Memphis. During the months of the move in the early 1950s, his father suffered a heart attack and died. It was up to Henry not only to take over the project of moving the...
Jack Javens loved the piano business and became one of the industry’s quintessential salesmen. He worked for the Aeolian Piano Company out of East Rochester New York beginning in the 1950s and stayed for 26 years. He witnessed the famous merger between Aeolian and the Winter Piano Company in the...
Wilton Syckes was thought to have sold more pianos than any other salesman. A veteran of the industry, Wilton was also a former president of the National Piano Traveler’s Association. The association awarded its lifetime achievement award to Wilton in 2000. Wilton’s love and knowledge of the piano...