The Celesta

A truly “heavenly” instrument

Today, it is difficult to imagine an orchestra, music conservatory, theater or broadcasting studio without the heavenly sound of the celesta instrument. The celesta musical instrument (also called “celeste”), which was invented in 1886 in Paris by Victor Mustel, has delighted the world of music for over 130 years with its unique sound, inspiring people time and again. The celesta became world famous for its part in the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from the Nutcracker Suite by P.I. Tchaikovsky, who immediately fell in love with the magical sound of the instrument after he first heard it in 1891 during a visit to Paris.

The extraordinary sound generation with felt hammers, steel sound plates and wooden resonators is still unique today and Schiedmayer Celesta GmbH is the only company in the world to manufacture the Celesta.

The celesta instrument (from the French “cèleste” meaning “heavenly”) is no longer limited to the sound world of the Romantic period but is also used in chamber music ensembles, in pop, rock and jazz music, and often in film music. The unmistakable sound of the celesta has enchanted movie-goers in blockbuster films such as “Harry Potter”, “Star Wars” and “La La Land”.

Manufacturer of keyboard instruments for over 285 years

Balthasar Schiedmayer built his first clavichord in Erlangen as early as 1735. His grandson Johann Lorenz Schiedmayer founded the company Schiedmayer together with Carl Dieudonné in 1809 in Stuttgart. The art of building pianos, harmoniums and celestas was passed down from generation to generation. Since 1980, the family business has focused exclusively on the production and sale of the finest quality celesta instruments (in some countries called “celeste instrument”), keyboard glockenspiels and built-in celestas / glockenspiels. There are currently four different celesta models for sale.

Today, there is hardly an orchestra, opera house, theater, music conservatory or recording studio without a Schiedmayer instrument. Here a small selection of renowned orchestras and venues: Berliner Philharmoniker, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Juilliard School of Music New York, Vienna State Opera, Opèra National de Paris, Shanghai Opera House and the Bolshoi Theater.