BORGANI
In 1872 Augusto Borgani founded the Borgani Musical Instruments company in the town of Macerata, central Italy. After receiving formal academic training, and together with a sophisticated understanding of sound which he acquired as a musician, he was able, from the very beginning, to achieve excellent results. With entrepreneurial spirit and strategic vision he sent his eldest son Arthur to the USA, where, in Elkhart Indiana, he learned the most innovative production techniques of the time, working for the CONN Industry. This valuable experience enabled the Borgani Company to rapidly exceed the production standards of the day.
In 1920 Augusto Borgani passed away. The management of the company was taken over by his second son Orfeo, a clarinet player and graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Bologna. As a virtuoso performer Orfeo used all his musical know-how, together with a mastery of design, to produce instruments which were and still are unsurpassed in their conception. He patented many of the designs which are still in use today. And it was he, during the golden era of Jazz and Swing, who realized the true potential of the Saxophone, a relatively new instrument, which in those years was beginning to awaken the keen interest of musicians and composers.
1956 saw the premature death of Orfeo Borgani. He was succeeded by his third son, Giuseppe who, building on the strong legacy left to him by his father, concentrated his efforts on research and technological development, and set as a high priority the internationalisation of the company. Within a few years, the Borgani label was being distributed worldwide, asserting itself as an international brand.
In 1983 Giuseppe Borgani retired from the company. His son Orfeo took over as the fourth generation of Borgani’s and present head of the company. Under Orfeo, the company decided to invest its skills, experience and passion in a reassessment of the manufacturing tradition, through research and technological innovation. The hand-made production was devoted exclusively to professional saxophones, successfully confirming the Borgani brand as being among the elite of world products.
1990. After years of research and experimentation, began the production of saxophones with various precious metals, mixed together, and on a brass base.
Thus the seven Borgani Sound Alloys were born, and for the first time the musician was given a choice of Saxophones with different tonal characteristics and dynamics. It was the beginning of a revolutionary path, which is to this day the backbone of the Borgani production line.
1997. To celebrate the 125th year since its foundation, Borgani officially presented to the market the innovative Jubilee Soprano Sax. This was, and still is, the only SOPRANO which permits the user to change the bell. This revolutionary new feature allows the player to choose which type of bell to use, in order to obtain a different timbre as well as a greater volume of sound as a consequence of the bell’s shape and material.
2012. Constant dedication, passion, design capacity and a strong commitment to the customer, have allowed Borgani Saxophones to continue to represent, for over a century, a reference point for any musician who wishes to have a privileged and specialised relationship with their own producer of musical instruments. The core values of the Borgani brand continue to remain unchanged over time, playing an important role in the history of musical instruments. The brand, which in 2012 will celebrate its 140th anniversary, continues to be perceived by the market as having its very own and specific characteristics, while the entrepreneurial spirit of the founder Augusto Borgani continues to be passed down from generation to generation as an everlasting example of the creative capacity of an historic Italian factory.
