Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Zoells.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Thomas. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I founded PianoForte in 2004, after nearly 20 years in a banking career. I always wished to be active in the music realm, not as a musician but instead to instill my passion for music in others. An opportunity arose when a very fine Italian made piano manufacturer didn’t have representation in the Midwest. I made it my business to bring these incredible hand-crafted instruments to Chicago and spread the word about them through music events.
I founded two companies: PianoForte Chicago, a piano retail operation, which also runs a venue and recording studios, as well as teaching studios. And PianoForte Foundation, a non-profit whose mission it is to promote piano culture in Chicago and beyond. The foundation puts on concert, broadcasts, master classes, streams on YouTube, but it also donates pianos to Chicago Public Schools and provided scholarships for free piano lessons.
We started with a 1,000 square foot room on the 8th floor of the Fine Arts Building and now have our own building in the South Loop, at 1335 S Michigan Avenue for the venue, recording studio and teaching activities, as well as a retail store in the 900 North Michigan Shops mall (Bloomingdale’s is the anchor).
Has it been a smooth road?
Starting a business from scratch is never a smooth road. For one, I didn’t sell a single piano for the first 9 months. And I had much to learn about the piano business. I had to be prepared to lose a lot of money and swallow my pride many times before tasting the first signs of success. Every year it seems like we are recreating a new business because so many external factors are changing on us.
The latest challenge is the overall change in retail culture: people don’t want to spend time in a store obtaining precious advice from seasoned piano lovers. Instead they do all their research online, before they come in. Then they just want to see what they think they should see and they want a transaction, if there is one, to be very quick and painless. We have adapted to this but it’s not easy.
That being said, there is no more beautiful way to earn a (modest) living and stay out of trouble than being surrounded by beautifully crafted instruments and being visited by sometimes very talented people who want to try them out. The human exchanges can be really wonderful and I wouldn’t trade this activity for any other.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
PianoForte is different from any other piano store. First of all our focus is on providing piano culture to our community, the people of Chicago and beyond. This is why there are two parts to PianoForte: a store and a non-profit. If we had only one, I would feel that we are not complete: selling a piano and putting on concerts for people to hear the incredible creativity that can come out of the instrument are one and the same thing. They provide people with an opportunity to engage with music and with this amazing instrument that is the piano.
Why is the piano so special? It’s the only instrument that represents all facets of an orchestra, the complexity of multiple voices, and that can satisfyingly be played solo. It’s also a known fact that playing the piano will develop, especially in children, brain faculties that no other activity can do. Focus, concentration, creativity, hand-eye coordination, musical and historical knowledge, and so many more capabilities can be enhanced by playing the piano.
In terms of the piano store, specifically, our focus has always been on having a wide selection of well-chosen instruments, so that people could see and hear that pianos are like people, with personalities and varying sound worlds. We like to cater to pianists but also love introducing first timers to the instrument. We are a full-line piano store and carry everything from a $450 digital piano to a $200,000 concert grand piano. It’s worth a visit, if just to experience all of this.
As far as our venue is concerned, you can attend concerts at PianoForte that are low cost and accessible, mostly piano-focused but not only, and cover all genres of music: classical, jazz, contemporary, new age, etc. We present easily 2-3 concerts per week at our South Loop intimate 100-seat venue. Many concerts are also streamed live to our YouTube channel or on the radio, either WFMT or WDCB.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Chicago has its challenges: lots of city red tape, high commercial real estate taxes, congestion downtown, lack of parking, high traffic, etc. Nevertheless, Chicago is also a big enough community to allow for creative entrepreneurs to succeed. I definitely believe that Chicago is a good place to start a business, regardless of its sometimes bleak outlook, simply because its people will allow opportunity to be rewarded with their trust and business.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1335 South Michigan Ave and 900 North Michigan Avenue
- Website: www.pianofortechicago.com
- Phone: 3122910000
- Email: thomas@pianofortechicago.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pianoforte_chi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PianoForteFoundation/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PianoForte_Chi
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pianoforte-chicago-chicago-2
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/c/PianoForteStudios1335
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