MOVERS & SHAKERS
WORDS NICOLA FOLEY
Catalyst meets the Cambridgeshire-based company shaking up the industry with its fully customisable, self-playing range of designer pianos
here’s a 24-carat gold piano in at the moment. We’ve hand- painted marble pianos, we can
pianos we’re working on will be delivered abroad”, says Ross. “We’re finding it a very exciting time. Brexit obviously has its uncertainties, but we haven’t noticed any slowdown whatsoever. In fact, we’re on our busiest year ever – about 50% ahead of last year at the moment, which we’re very, very thankful for.” Anyone with a passing interest in the piano trade will sit up and take notice at that comment, given that industry- wide, sales have been nosediving for decades – around a 60% decline since 2004 to be exact. But Edelweiss, with its eye-popping customisation options and dazzling array of colours and finishes, is bucking the trend in style. Resembling works of art isn’t the only thing that makes the Edelweiss range stand out from the crowd – these pianos have a game-changing USP under their bonnets in the shape of a sensational self-play function, which replicates the magic of a live performance at the touch of a button, leaving you free to sit back and enjoy the show. Controlled using a dedicated iPod or iPad, the technology uses
do acrylic, we’ve got a piano covered in half a million Swarovski crystals. We can do literally anything...” grins Ross Norman, gesturing around a huge, airy workshop. This 10,000 square foot production space, in which around fifteen highly skilled technicians, craftspeople and artisans go about their work, is Edelweiss Pianos’ Fulbourn base: the heart of what’s swiftly becoming a truly international operation. “Most of the
These pianos have a game-changing USP in the shape of a sensational self-play function, which replicates the magic of a live performance at the touch of a button"
17
ISSUE 02
cambridgecatalyst.co.uk
Powered by FlippingBook