OH Taxonomy
Gerhard Keilwerth grew up loving the saxophone and dreaming of building his own line, which of course he did do to international success. The Keilwerth name has been synonymous with innovations in brass instruments for over 40 years. The company introduced the black finish on such noted products as...
Philipp Alexander is proud of his musical past. His family formed Musik-Alexander in Mainz, Germany in 1782. They began as brass instrument makers and later opened a music store while continuing the making of horns. One of the company’s milestones took place in 1909 when they introduced the now...
Kees van Willigen opened a music shop in Holland in 1968. As an accordion player he specialized in the instrument and soon gained a world-wide reputation for his product line and customer service. Kees (pronounced Case) witnessed the boom of the accordion in the 1950s and 60s, its decline in the...
Hans-Jorg Andre’s great great grandfather formed Musikhaus Andre Musikverlag Johann Andre in 1774. The company was the first to bring lithograph processes to the production of printed music, making a profound and everlasting impact on the way music was printed. Over the years the publishing company...
Gottfried Möckel recounted the effects World War II had on the German music publishing industry during his NAMM interview. Even after the war, products made by German companies were not selling around the world or even in Europe. He witnessed first hand the changes in Germany over 60 years and was...
Peter B. Smith was a composer and publisher who began his career as a musician in the Royal Army Ordinance Corps, later joining the Coldstream Guards and eventually the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars. Working as a Flutist, he collaborated with the BBC for broadcasts and recordings in the 1960s. In...
Lieselotte Sievers is the granddaughter of Mr. Breitkopf of the famous Breitkopf & Hartel music publishing company in Wiesbaden, Germany. The historic publisher is known around the world for composers such as Bach, yet Mrs. Sievers is equally proud of the contemporary composers the company has...
Franco Guccini expanded the family’s cane business of basket making to the creation of reeds for musical instruments. As president of Marca: Aches Reeds Canas Accessories established in 1957), he has developed a unique process of cutting, drying and shaping the cane. Franco’s warm personality and...
Fritz Kollitz was an expert on woods used for musical instruments and gained an international reputation for his knowledge and service to violin and guitar luthiers alike. As the founder of Fritz Kollitz: Fine Tone Woods, he played an important role in the growing awareness and education of the...
Arthur Knopp is the founder of the music retail shop in Germany that carries his name (Musihaus Arthur Knopp in Saarbrucken). His passion for the industry has not only made his own store a success, but has resulted in many positions in a variety of organizations that have assisted in the growth and...