26/10/2025
Tierolff’s 15th participation in the Music China show has come to an end. For me, it became clear that what we’ve been hearing in the news for months does hold some truth. The Chinese economy is slowing down and, due to major cutbacks in arts and culture (something we unfortunately recognize from Europe and especially the Netherlands), subsidies and budgets in the music industry are decreasing. It seems the piano industry is hit the hardest.
When I first joined the fair back in 2006 with a “Dutch pavilion,” the event covered 2.5 halls. In 2019 (pre-COVID and clearly the peak of the industry, now that we know better), the fair had grown to 17 halls, fully booked down to the last square meter. There was even a waiting list for companies hoping to secure a booth.
I don’t have all the details yet, but for the second year in a row the halls are no longer strictly sold out, there are “ghost booths,” wider aisles and fewer exhibitors. I’ve heard that a large number of small local music shops have closed in recent years. I fear a kind of “Musikmesse Frankfurt syndrome.”🥴
Still, interest in sheet music from the Western publishers who exhibited remains strong. Visitors from all over China came to search, feel, look and listen to new and existing repertoire, and continue to show great enthusiasm for our publications. The last two days were as busy as ever with excellent sales, and our iPad with all recordings barely got a moment to rest🎶
Of course, this situation brings challenges and pushes us to be creative in finding new ways to keep our Chinese audience engaged with our products. One suggestion I received is to start creating videos about our company, introducing our publishing house and catalogue, which would then be distributed through Chinese social media channels📽️
Now on my long journey home — over 20 hours door-to-door — ready to pick up the work again tomorrow morning, carrying a head full of ideas and a bag full of fresh inspiration.
It was another hectic yet incredibly inspiring week, proudly presenting the works of so many of our composers at the Music China show, making sure their music finds its way onto music stands throughout China. The atmosphere among the publishers, libraries and conservatories was also very pleasant. We enjoyed several evenings of good food, drinks and great conversations in a relaxed setting. The mission is clear, and once again, mission accomplished!
