SHIGERU KAWAI
GRAND PIANOS
HANDCRAFTED. ELEGANCE.
EXCELLENCE
– THE PREMIER PIANO OF JAPAN –
SHIGERU KAWAI
Legacy • Craftsmanship • Advancement
MAKING PREMIUM PIANOS SINCE 1999
Handcrafted Excellence
Shigeru Kawai Grand Pianos
A Shigeru piano is much more than the intelligent application of material, labor and design. It is an art form born not from the head, but from the heart. Thus, the craftsman does far more than simply “build” it—he brings it to life.
The sensitive nurturing of every part, every joint, every subtle nuance vests each piano with an intangible quality—a soul—that lives on from generation to generation. And those who own a Shigeru piano know that they possess not merely an instrument, but a partner in the musical pursuit of dreams.
Unparalleled Legacy
The Dream, Passion and Honor of Shigeru Kawai.
Exqusite Craftsmanship
The Passion for Excellence Dwells Deeply Within the Heart of Every Shigeru Craftsman.
Unrivaled Advancement
True Artistry Can Never Stop Striving. It Must Continually Advance and Evolve.
SHIGERU KAWAI MODELS
Explore SK Grand Pianos
A Shigeru piano is much more than the intelligent application of material, labor and design. It is an art form born not from the head, but from the heart. Thus, the craftsman does far more than simply “build” it—he brings it to life.
The sensitive nurturing of every part, every joint, every subtle nuance vests each piano with an intangible quality—a soul—that lives on from generation to generation. And those who own a Shigeru piano know that they possess not merely an instrument, but a partner in the musical pursuit of dreams.
“I insist on a Shigeru Kawai for my recordings, my concerts and my home. It is the only piano I want to hear my music played on.”
Adrian Farrugia
Shigeru Kawai SK-2
SEE WHAT RENOWNED PIANISTS HAVE TO SAY
Shigeru Kawai Artists
Adrean Farrugia
Jazz Pianist
Since the late 1990s Adrean has been in high demand as a freelance performer and educator. Keeping a busy touring schedule, mainly as a sideman, Adrean has toured extensively across Canada and the United States as well as in venues across Europe, Australia, the UK, Israel and in Japan.
Joe Bongiorno
Solo Piano Artist
Joe Bongiorno began classical piano training as a child, but then quit when he was 11 to focus on sports. After injury curtailed his football career, Bongiorno formed a high school band, LIXX, and started to concentrate on music again. After moving to San Juan Island in 1987 and having a daughter, Bongiorno began to compose and ...
Dr. Grace Fong
Director of Keyboard Studies
Born in Los Angeles, Fong was a Trustee (full) Scholarship recipient at the University of Southern California where she completed a double major and minor. At USC, Fong was awarded the prestigious Renaissance Scholar Prize. She completed her Master's and Doctoral degrees at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Unparalleled Legacy. Unsurpassed Craftsmanship. Unrivaled Advancement.
Shigeru Kawai STORY
Shigeru Kawai was born on July 28, 1922 in the Shizuoka Prefecture of Japan. He entered the piano business as a young man in 1946. Although he was a member of the Kawai family, Shigeru spent his early years learning the piano building process as a regular worker. He put in long hours laboring diligently in the manufacturing area, sometimes sleeping overnight in the factory as an expression of his dedication to the craft. He loved the work so much that, in later life, he would often remark, “Creating pianos was the greatest job I ever had!”
Koichi taught Shigeru the “methods of origin” by which pianos are built entirely by hand. He would often say, “As long as you are building pianos, you should strive to build the finest ones in the world.” Shigeru listened attentively to Koichi’s every word.”
THE DREAM, PASSION AND HONOR OF SHIGERU KAWAI.
Unparalleled Legacy
Over one hundred years ago, in a humble workshop in Japan, Koichi Kawai embarked upon a journey—a spiritual quest to design and build a piano that would one day be called “the finest.”
A generation later, this dream burned intensely in the heart of Shigeru Kawai. To Shigeru, the dream represented not just his origins, but his destiny—an unrelenting force that would launch a lifetime of devotion in the pursuit of perfection.
In the Shigeru Kawai piano, you will see not just his labour and his love… but his life.
After the passing of Kawai founder Koichi Kawai in 1955, Shigeru Kawai succeeded his father as company president. Determined to remain true to his father’s ideals, Shigeru encouraged the love of music, fostered technological advancement and established the renowned Ryuyo Grand Piano Factory which many have called the most modern facility of its kind.
It was in a quiet, peaceful area adjacent to the hustle and bustle of the factory—a place now known as the Shigeru Kawai Research & Development Laboratory—that the Shigeru Kawai Grand Piano was born. This new piano would become a defining symbol of his life—an instrument that he would describe as “his personal legacy to the piano world.”
THE PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE DWELLS DEEPLY WITHIN THE HEART OF EVERY SHIGERU CRAFTSMAN.
Unsurpassed Craftsmanship
Like members of a great orchestra, each craftsman brings forth a seasoned wealth of skill and artistry that compels the whole to surpass the sum of its parts. Day by day, the craftsman strives to leave an indelible mark upon each creation—an inexpressible emblem of intense desire and duty.
It is this symphony of passionate energies that has elevated the Shigeru piano to the lofty strata shared by few and respected by all.
TRUE ARTISTRY CAN NEVER STOP STRIVING. IT MUST CONTINUALLY ADVANCE AND EVOLVE
Unrivaled Advancement
Honor is sacred to every culture, and certainly to the Japanese. It is a noble covenant that binds an individual’s “words and deeds” inextricably with the value and substance of his name. There is no greater demonstration of honor, no greater commitment, than to place one’s name upon the work of one’s hands.
From initial design, to the selection of the finest materials, to the handcrafted assembly by Master Piano Artisans, each Shigeru piano is a work of uncompromising craftsmanship, a symbol of unending devotion—a profound expression of pride and honor.
For Shigeru Kawai, there could be no other way.
Kigarashi Premium Aged Soundboards
Kigarashi Premium Aged Soundboards made from the finest spruce and aged by the traditional Kigarashi process
Shiko Seion Hammers
Every hammer is meticulously hand-pressed without the application of heat, and carefully voiced without artificial hardeners…
Konsei Katagi Rim
Konsei Katagi Rim using a blend of distinctive hardwoods to achieve an ideal balance of tone. For the inner rim, small-pored hardwoods…
Concert-Length Key Buttons
The use of hardwood maple key buttons adds stiffness to the keysticks for improved energy transfer. The redesigned key buttons…
Stretcher Over-Lap Integrated Design
tretcher Over-Lap Integrated Design (SOLID) creates an exceptionally rigid foundation to support string tension. With SOLID construction, the pinblock…
Millennium III Action
Our acclaimed Millennium III Action uses state-of-the-art ABS-Carbon components that are exceptionally light and rigid to provide faster repetition…
Extended Keysticks
The overall length of each keystick is extended to make playing easier and provide even more touch and response from the front to…
Concert Agraffes
Identical to those used on our renowned EX Concert Grand Piano, Shigeru Kawai Concert Agraffes are individually machined from billet brass rods…
Boxwood Bridge Caps
Boxwood is an extremely hard wood that is particularly effective in transferring higher tonal frequencies through the bridge to the soundboard…
Dual-Pivot Dampers
Meticulous attention to the needs of professional performers is evident in every feature of the Shigeru piano. One example, originally developed…
All-Spruce Beams
Spruce is known for its outstanding ability to conduct and conserve sound energy. However, it is generally considered too precious for use…
Temaki Bass Strings
In the Japanese language, the word temaki literally means “hand wound.” In the unhurried temaki process, the artisan patiently directs the winding…