Spanish firm of piano and harp makers. It is one of the oldest piano manufacturers still operating in Europe, and it has remained under the control of the Hazen family from its foundation until the present day. It was founded by the Dutch carpenter Jan [Juan] Hosseschrueders (b Woensdrecht, 1779; d Amberes, 1850), who travelled to Spain in about 1802 and opened a piano workshop in Madrid in 1814. During the 1820s Hosseschrueders was established at the Calle Hortaleza 12, and in 1827 he had a workshop at the Calle Luna 11. The earliest known instruments with his trademark are five-octave square pianos. In 1824 he requested a patent for the manufacture of a transposing piano, which won him a silver medal at the Spanish Industry Exhibition of 1827. An undated transposing piano, probably the prize-winning instrument, is now preserved in the Hazen Collection. He was also awarded a gold medal for an upright piano in 1828.
Before 1830 Jan’s nephews Juan (1796–1872) and Pedro (1803–51) Hazen Hosseschrueders arrived from the Netherlands to join the factory; the name of the firm was then changed to ‘Hosseschrueders y sobrinos’. They began to make harps as well as pianos and won several medals at the Spanish exhibitions of 1831 and 1841. There are no known surviving harps with their trademark, and the only extant pianos are square ones, with English-style mechanisms and mahogany cabinets, generally with a compass of six octaves. Between 1851 and 1872 the firm suffered the effects of the industrial crisis in Madrid and turned to the distribution and hire of pianos, although they continued to sell pianos and player pianos with their trademark until the beginning of the 20th century.
By 1919 the factory had relocated to the Calle Fuencarral 55; it remained there until 1970, before moving to the Carretera de la Coruña, Km. 17,600. Since 1970 the firm has concentrated on the distribution and sale of international brand names. Its director, Juan Hazen García (b 1918), created a collection of historic pianos, the Hazen Collection, with instruments from the Hazen factory as well as others of the most important national and international makes. For further information see Hazen y el piano en España: 175 años (Madrid, 1989).
CRISTINA BORDAS