Taylor Swift Instagram post spotlights century-old Czech Petrof Piano

Taylor Swift, one of the world’s most-followed artists with 281 million Instagram followers, has turned the spotlight on Czech piano craftsmanship.

On Oct. 5, the musician posted a behind-the-scenes studio photo of sessions for her latest album, Life of a Showgirl (Deluxe: Alone in My Tower Acoustic Version), showing herself at a Petrof piano from Hradec Králové.

The instrument is a rare historical piece, likely made around 1900, whose production was personally overseen by Antonín Petrof, the company’s founder and great-great-grandfather of current president Zuzana Ceralová Petrofová.

In a LinkedIn post, Petrofová called the moment “a beautiful reminder that honest craftsmanship, passion, and soul put into an instrument can transcend time and continents… and perhaps even proof that our pianos are truly durable and do not lose value.”

Swift’s Instagram post accompanied reflections on her creative process.

“Being in the studio and creating these songs was an unforgettable experience. Now I can look back on this process and give you an insight into how we wrote these songs and remember the moments when musical ideas came to us in real time,” she wrote.

Founded in 1864, Petrof is Europe’s largest acoustic piano manufacturer. Antonín Petrof trained in Vienna before returning to Hradec Králové to convert his father’s joinery workshop into a piano factory.

Over the years, the company pioneered innovations such as electric lighting in workshops and cast-iron full-panel frames, and it gradually became the largest piano manufacturer in Austria-Hungary, exporting to Japan, China, Australia, South America, and opening a London office in 1928.

The company weathered wars, nationalization during the Communist era, and economic crises before returning to family ownership in 2001. Today, Petrof produces around 1,200 pianos annually, with more than 80 percent of the work done by hand using carefully selected spruce, beech, maple, and exotic woods.

Petrof pianos have been played by musical icons across genres, including Gustav Mahler, Paul McCartney, Ray Charles, and Billie Eilish, and can be found in venues such as Prague’s Rudolfinum, La Scala in Milan, and the Sydney Opera House.

The sight of one of the world’s biggest pop stars composing on a century-old Petrof piano has delighted the Czech city where the instruments are made.

“Today – after more than 120 years – one of the world’s biggest stars is playing our instrument. I am extremely proud of it,” Petrofová said.

According to Rolling Stone, The Life of a Showgirl, released on Oct. 3, earned 3.5 million equivalent album units in its first week, surpassing Adele’s 2015 record for 25 and topping the charts in 21 countries as of Oct. 13, 2025, making it the fastest-selling album in U.S. history.