The much anticipated 2020 NAMM Show was successfully held at California’s Anaheim Convention Center from January 16 to 19, signifying “The Beginning of a New Journey” for Guangzhou Pearl River Piano Group Co., Ltd, as the world’s largest piano manufacturer relaunched new Ritmüller and Kayserburg pianos into the North American market.
Pearl River Piano Group has been consistently an integral part of the NAMM Show for the last 30 years. Growing from a tiny little piano factory in Guangzhou China, Pearl River has become the world’s largest piano manufacturer, producing over 150,000 pianos a year globally, with a global market share of over 30%. This year at NAMM, the company was in the largest booth since arriving in North America, with a strong presentation of Pearl River, Ritmüller and Kayserburg pianos.
On display were the new Ritmüller Premium UHX Series, featuring an innovative new vertical piano action inclined at 3 degrees towards the player, allowing for a faster, more sensitive and controlled hammer blow, and allowing for improved dynamic range. This design concept has been used by high quality European and Canadian piano manufacturers in the past. A new Premium Ritmuller vertical piano size was also premiered at NAMM, the UHX126 – a 126 centimeter scale, fitting in between the smaller UHX121 or larger UHX132.
Because not all floors are perfectly level the new UHX series also introduced user-adjustable casters. Additional innovations include new upper panel tone escapement cuts, new jack-stop rails, and upgraded pedal trapwork.
Also featured was a Ritmüller Premium Concert Grand specially hand-picked for NAMM, the 9 foot GH275R. All the new Ritmüller models immediately attracted favorable reviews among professional artists, educators and dealers alike, generating new sales opportunities for both the retail networks, as well as for key institutional accounts.
The Ritmüller brand was established in 1795 in Göttingen Germany and joined the Pearl River Piano Group 20 years ago. Today, as Ritmüller continues to gain larger footprints in North America, it remains one of the best-selling brands in Europe and Asia.
In addition, this year NAMM also ushered in the top Kayserburg Artist series, including the upright models KAM5, KA6, and the popular mid-size grand KA180, which are popular models for professionals and music colleges worldwide.
Pearl River introduced its new, exclusive version of the Prodigy player system by Pianodisc that includes a Galaxy tablet with a pre-installed easy-to-use app with 600 songs preloaded. With this foolproof system, customers can optionally download the regular Pianodisc app to build their own music library. Also new at the NAMM show was the revamped line of digital pianos, with 3 new models featuring a “Light Guidance” system for learning and practicing songs or exercises, 512 note Polyphony and other features found on more costly competitors.
Visitors were stunned by Pearl River Piano Group’s new finish technology. Several new finishes were on display, including a deep blueberry blue EU118S Classic Studio Upright, a new satin walnut for Pearl River verticals, white grands with silver plates and hardware, a white Ritmüller GH160YJ1 with Acrylic lid, legs and lyre, and red grands with silver plates and hardware. The new Static UV polyester finish application process produces improved adhesion for better color and UV resistant properties.
With the introduction of these highly anticipated new models and the showcasing of new, advanced manufacturing technology, Pearl River Piano Group is poised to increase their already impressive presence in the US piano industry, and the company is looking ahead to bigger and better things to come.
Looking Back on 2025: A Year of Controlled Chaos (Emphasis on “Controlled”)