Hugo Sohmer 1845 – 1913

        

Founder of Sohmer & Co. Pianos


Hugo Sohmer founded Sohmer & Co. in 1872 after emigrating from Germany. The company made some of the finest pianos in America and was part of New York's booming piano manufacturing scene of the late 19th century. Its main factory on the bank of the East River in Astoria, Queens still stands today.

Sohmer was a musician himself and had a musician's keen appraisal of a piano's tonal qualities. After a few short years of production, Hugo Sohmer was granted a patent for a very unique achievement at the time: being the first to produce a 5′ baby grand piano.

Sohmer's pianos received both popular and critical acclaim in that vibrant era of history, being featured in the finest homes in New York and across the country. Some of the more notable owners include Fred Astaire, Irving Berlin, William Randolph Hearst, Katharine Hepburn, and Eartha Kitt. Sohmer showcased its finest creations in a grand showroom called the House of Sohmer at 31 West 57th Street in the heart of Manhattan's antiques district. And it was no coincidence that Carnegie Hall was right around the corner.

At his death in 1931, Hugo Sohmer passed on his love for the piano to his sons. Sohmer & Co. enjoyed family ownership for over one hundred years until the company was sold in 1982.

Today, Samick Music Corp. carries on the tradition of making one of the finest pianos available to the American consumer.

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