J. Becker piano factory was founded in St. Petersburg in 1841 and worked until the 1917 revolution. Its founder, Jacob or Yakov Davydovich Becker, a German by birth, was a great connoisseur of piano production, an inventor and innovator. Becker was the first to introduce the principles of European and American piano making technology in Russia. His factory evolved from a small workshop that produced 20 mini-pianos a year to a Supplier to the Imperial Court of the Romanovs.

Becker’s pianos were noted for their impeccable sound quality, meticulous assembly of all parts, exquisite decorative designs, and durability. His instruments, made over 100 years ago, are still operating and sounding harmonious. Becker constantly upgraded instruments, experimented and improved mechanisms. His grand pianos became famous all over the world and received wide recognition. This is what the St. Petersburg music publisher and pianist Matvey Bernard wrote about them:

The Becker factory was different from other piano companies: all stages of instrument construction were separated there. The factory had several steam engines for woodworking, iron and brass, a department for assembling mechanical parts, and a department for tuning. During a period of 50 years, about 12,000 instruments were produced at the Becker factory.

A fire in 1889 destroyed the main factory building, part of the machines and many ready-made tools. Only workshops in the outbuildings and a timber warehouse survived. Becker’s factory recovered quickly and moved to a new building on Vasilevsky Island in St. Petersburg. At the turn of the century, J. Becker instruments took first places and received the Grand Prix at international and all-Russian industrial exhibitions. They were played by the best composers and members of the royal family.