Löbau, Germany, January 27, 2017: A special reward for special work: Several instruments from Löbau, Germany-based AUGUST FÖRSTER piano workshop received excellent ratings from the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. The family-owned and -operated piano workshop participated in a tender for instruments for the new concert hall via Hamburg-based piano dealer Achim Franz. The grand pianos and upright pianos, made by hand using traditional methods of craftsmanship, received very good ratings. AUGUST FÖRSTER instruments earned second and third place, putting them on the winners’ podium directly alongside models from other renowned piano-makers. The specific models under review were the Model 215 Grand Piano, which earned third place, and the Model 125F Upright Concert Piano, which achieved an impressive second place. Instruments from the 125 Series are among the most popular AUGUST FÖRSTER models.
Managing director of AUGUST FÖRSTER, Annekatrin Förster, is proud of the results, despite the fact that the Elbphilharmonie ultimately did not purchase one of her company’s instruments. “This rating from the Elbphilharmonie is a fantastic reward for our employees’ hard work – and it is a further incentive driving us to uphold the outstanding quality of our grand pianos and upright pianos,” Ms. Förster explains. “Our instruments are made by hand, with a great deal of skill and artistry refined over the course of many decades. The good rating from the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg demonstrates once again that we are on the right path.”
Currently, AUGUST FÖRSTER GmbH employs a staff of 37 who create grand pianos and upright pianos for customers in Asia, Russia, Germany, England, and other European countries. Instruments from Löbau can be found at the Scottish Opera in Glasgow, Scotland, the Moscow State Opera and Ballet in Moscow, Russia, and many other places around the world. AUGUST FÖRSTER can reflect on a proud 160-year tradition in Löbau. Currently, the facility produces about 80 grand pianos and 120 upright pianos every year – all made in Germany, and all skillfully crafted by hand. Annekatrin Förster is the fifth generation of her family to manage the company.