Bartolomeo Cristofori

Bartolomeo Cristofori di Francesco (May 4, 1655 - January 27, 1732) was an Italian maker of musical instruments, generally regarded as the inventor of the piano.

References

• The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, available in libraries and as on line as a pay site, offers thorough and accurate coverage of Cristofori and of the early piano; see both Cristofori, Bartolomeo and Pianoforte.
• Additional information, with high-quality images, can be found in James Parakilas's book Piano Roles: Three Hundred Years of Life with the Piano (1999: Yale University Press, ISBN 0300080557).