Yamaha Names Piano ‘Dealer of the Year’ Honorees

Yamaha Corporation of America has announced its 2019 piano “Dealer of the Year” awards, which recognize exceptional retailers nationally and in five U.S. regions, as well as for Major and Small Markets.

These dealers have not only shown remarkable success in sales and growth, but also demonstrated special attention to customer service and dedication to the Yamaha principle of inspiring people to explore music-making.

Dealers earning this prestigious award on the overall, national level are Cunningham Piano Company of Philadelphia, Yamaha Piano Channel Dealer of the Year; and Classic Pianos of Portland, Oregon, Bösendorfer Dealer of the Year.

Dealers honored by Yamaha with similar awards on the regional level include:

• Music Exchange; Walnut Creek, California (Western region)
• Fox Music House; North Charleston, South Carolina (Southeastern region)
• Fort Bend Music Center; Stafford, Texas (South Central region)
• Solich Piano and Music Company; Boardman, Ohio (Midwestern region)
• My First Piano; Gilbert, Arizona (Southwestern region)
• Classic Pianos; Portland, Oregon (Major Market category)
• Piano Gallery; Murray, Utah (Small Market category)

Major Market and Small Market Dealer of the Year awards are given to dealers serving markets greater and smaller than 5 million people, respectively.

“On my own behalf and that of Yamaha, congratulations to all of these outstanding dealers for this hard-earned recognition,” said Travis Mitchell, director, piano channel sales, Yamaha Corporation of America. “These store owners and their talented staff exemplify the philosophy we at Yamaha strive every day to uphold: encouraging a creativity and passion in budding and seasoned musicians alike that will not only help them grow artistically, but also spark the same instinct in others.”

The Yamaha Dealer of the Year honors are awarded by the company based on a wide variety of factors, including but not limited to sales growth, overall customer experience and positive feedback, knowledgeability and helpfulness of store staff, participation in outreach to the local community and much more. Yamaha expanded the evaluation process for Dealer of the Year this year to cover a much more extensive set of criteria reaching beyond sales performance.