Johannes Streicher

Johann Baptist Streicher (3 January 1796, Vienna — 28 March 1871, Vienna) was an Austrian piano maker from the renowned dynasty of instrument builders. He was a business partner and later successor of his mother, Nannette Streicher (1769—1833), leading one of the most prolific XIX-century Viennese piano factories. Johannes Brahms cherished and admired Streicher's pianos. The family business was established in Germany by J.B.'s grandfather, Johann Andreas Stein (1728—1792). His daughter, Anna-Maria Stein, was a gifted pianist with entrepreneurial and social skills, subsequently taking over the family business. In 1793, she married Johann Andreas Streicher (1761—1833), changing her name to "Nannette Streicher" and relocating the workshop from Augsburg to Vienna. Johann Baptist was born two years later and learned the oeuvre from his parents. In 1823, twenty-seven-year-old Streicher joined as a partner; in 1833, after they passed away, Johann Baptist became the sole proprietor. J.B. Streicher's business proliferated, with several factories in Austria and Hungary producing over 65 grand pianos annually and selling abroad. Streicher was married twice, and his son from the first marriage, Emil Streicher (1836—1916), joined the firm in 1857, renamed "J.B.Streicher & Sohn in Wien." Emil continued running the business for 25 years after Johann Baptist passed away. In 1896, he sold the company to brothers Wilhelm, Ignaz, and Gustav Stingl since his son, an aspiring composer Theodor Streicher (1874—1940), had no interest in piano-making.