Klais Orgelbau

Orgelbau Klais is a German firm that designs, builds and restores pipe organs. It is a family run company, founded in 1882 by Johannes Klais senior and is now run by his great-grandson Philipp Klais. The firm is based in Bonn, Germany, and has completed many large-scale building and restoration projects around the globe in more than a century of organ building.[1]

Johannes Klais Orgelbau GmbH & Co. KG
TypeGmbH, Kommanditgesellschaft
IndustryPipe organ design and building.
Pipe organ restoration
Founded1882
HeadquartersKölnstraße 148 • D 53111
Bonn, Germany
Key people
Hans Gerd Klais,
Philipp Klais
ProductsPipe organs
Number of employees
64 (2006)
WebsiteOrgelbau Klais
Johannes Klais - Orgelbau, Kölnstr. 148 in Bonn

History of the company

Johannes Klais studied organ building in Alsace, Switzerland and Southern Germany. He founded his own organ building workshop in Bonn in 1882. His way of building organs was closely bound up with traditional construction methods using slider windchests. But as early as before the turn of the century he built high pressure stops with two mouths on pneumatic cone valve chests. In 1906, together with his son Hans, he introduced electric action. Hans Klais took over in 1925. In his time facade design began to come under the influence of the modern age, ergonomic console designs were also being developed. Hans Gerd Klais, the founder's grandson, took charge in 1965. Philipp Klais, the great-grandson of the founder, studied organ building in Alsace, France; in Germany; and overseas. He now runs the company.

Klais instruments around the world

Here is a short list naming a few of the Klais instruments around the world:

References

  1. Hermann Simon mentioned this company in his correspondent Book as an example of a "Hidden Champion" (Simon, Hermann: Hidden Champions of the 21st Century : Success Strategies of unknown World Market Leaders. London: Springer, 2009.- ISBN 978-0-387-98147-5.)
  2. "Orgelbau Klais Bonn::" (in German). Orgelbau Klais. Retrieved 2011-01-11.
  3. "Die Klais-Orgel" (in German). Aachen Cathedral. Archived from the original on 2008-05-04. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
  4. "QPAC Concert Hall". www.ohta.org.au. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
  5. "Klais Organ". Bath Abbey. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  6. "The Symphony Organ". Symphony Hall, Birmingham. Archived from the original on 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
  7. "The Overture Concert Organ". Madison Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
  8. "Concert Hall". National Centre for the Performing Arts. Archived from the original on 2008-09-22. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
  9. "St. Peter's Lutheran organ". NYC AGO. Retrieved 2010-12-11.
  10. “Musical assets". Ohio Wesleyan University site. Retrieved 2 August 2018
  11. http://orgaopedia.com.br/instrumentos/igreja-matriz-sao-francisco-de-assis-rodeio

Sources

  • Hans Gerd Klais: Beiträge zur Geschichte und Ästhetik der Orgel: Aus Anlass der Einhundertjahrfeier Orgelbau Johannes Klais Bonn, 1882–1982. Bonn 1983.
  • Architecture of Music. Inspired pipe organs in world class buildings. Johannes Klais Orgelbau (Ed.), Bonn w.J.
  • Horst Hodick: Johannes Klais (1852–1925); ein rheinischer Orgelbauer und sein Schaffen. Musikverlag Katzbichler, München/Salzburg 1993, ISBN 3-87397-139-9.
  • Ludger Stühlmeyer: Orgelbau in Hof. In: Musica sacra, 133. Jg. Journal 2, Kassel 2013, pp 104–105.

The official website of Orgelbau Klais

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