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Lorenzo Bizzi
The Workshop of Italian Maker Lorenzo Bizzi, and an Original Fortepiano Currently Available by Private Sale
Italian historical keyboard maker Lorenzo Bizzi.
Lorenzo Bizzi represents Bizzi Historical Keyboards, a family workshop rooted in the Italian tradition of historical keyboard making. The tradition was founded by Guido Bizzi in 1975 and has long been devoted to the construction and restoration of harpsichords, early pianos, clavichords, and other historical keyboard instruments. Lorenzo Bizzi has continued to deepen the craft on that foundation, and emphasizes a willingness to absorb meaningful technical improvements while remaining faithful to the historical spirit of the instruments. The workshop's home, Villa Bossi, is not merely a place of making: it has been shaped into a living space that integrates construction, research, rehearsal, masterclasses, and artistic exchange.
From the materials they have submitted, it is clear that the Bizzi workshop does not regard itself as a purely commercial maker, but rather as a long-term partner within the ecosystem of historical performance practice. On the one hand, it collaborates with universities, conservatories, and professional institutions in support of teaching, performance, and research. On the other, through the Accademia Villa Bossi, founded in 2010, it has continued to host major figures from the international early-music world. The materials list long-standing collaborations with Pierre Hantaï, Ton Koopman, Alexey Lyubimov, and Trevor Pinnock, among others, and note that Bizzi instruments are now found in teaching and performance contexts across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. In relation to China specifically, the Bizzi materials also recall their 2018 cooperation with the Italian Embassy in Beijing and the Central Conservatory of Music — a clear signal of their ongoing interest in promoting Sino-Italian exchange around historical keyboard instruments.
On this occasion, Lorenzo Bizzi also wishes to use our association's platform to present an original fortepiano that is currently available by private sale: Anton Walter & Sohn, Vienna, ca. 1810 Grand Fortepiano. According to the accompanying documentation, this is a museum-grade original Viennese grand fortepiano in exceptional condition, made around 1810, and carrying the oval signature plaque typical of Walter's late period. The overall state of preservation is remarkably high, with the soundboard, bridges, keyboard, action, and pedal lyra substantially original. The documentation further notes that the instrument originally had a seven-pedal configuration, three of which remain functional today; the action is the original Prellzungenmechanik, the keyboard spans F0–F6 (73 notes), and it has been restored at A = 431 Hz, with approximately 95% original components.
As presented, this Anton Walter is more than a tradable instrument: it should be regarded as a significant historical, scholarly, and performing asset. The Bizzi documentation describes it as "a sonic witness to the golden age of classical Vienna," and notes that the instrument has long been held by an Italian noble family of Viennese origin, with minimal external intervention, thereby preserving an exceptional degree of historical integrity. The piano is currently available for viewing in Italy by appointment, and the Bizzi workshop can provide full expertise, restoration and condition reports, and assistance with international shipping and handover. From our association's perspective, this case may serve as a model example of the kind of historical-instrument information exchange that the platform can support in the future.