Bartolomeo Cristofori

Bartolomeo Cristofori, also known as Bartolommeo di Francesco Cristofori, was an Italian instrument maker known for inventing the piano. Born in Padua, he initially worked for Prince Ferdinando de' Medici in Florence, where he was responsible for maintaining and creating musical instruments. Cristofori's most significant innovation was the development of the pianoforte—the predecessor of the modern day piano—, an instrument capable of both soft and loud dynamics, unlike the harpsichord, which had limited dynamic range. His earliest known pianos date back to the early 1700s, featuring mechanisms such as the hammer action, which allowed for more expressive playing.