Theodore Heintzman Founder of Heintzman Piano

“On my Boxing Day walk through Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto, I came across the grave of Theodor August Heintzman — the man whose pianos brought music and joy to countless Canadian homes since 1866.”

A young immigrant from Berlin, Theodore arrived in Canada in 1860, making stops in New York and Buffalo before settling in Toronto. It’s believed he once worked in the same Berlin piano factory as Henry E. Steinway, who would go on to found Steinway & Sons in New York — a fascinating connection between two masters of their craft.

Heintzman’s Canadian story began humbly: he built his first pianos in his own kitchen. But demand grew quickly. He soon opened his first factory at 105 King Street West, and by 1884, he had produced nearly 2,000 pianos — an astonishing achievement for the era.

To keep up with demand, production was moved in 1888 to a larger facility in a new area of the city known as The Junction. Today, Heintzman Street marks the site of this once-thriving factory, a nod to the legacy embedded in the neighbourhood.

The Heintzman name remained synonymous with quality for over a century. In 1981, the Heintzman family sold the company to Sklar-Peppler Inc., which undertook a redesign of both its upright and grand piano lines. Eventually, the Music Stand, an Oakville-based retail chain, acquired the Heintzman patents and trademarks.

Today, vintage Heintzman pianos remain prized — some models fetching up to $30,000 on the resale market. More than just instruments, they’re enduring pieces of Canadian musical heritage.

Theodor Heintzman’s home still remains standing on 288 Annette Street, Toronto. Built in 1889.  

On July 25, 1899, Theodor Heintzman died at his home on Annette Street which still stands today. He was 82.

1817-1899