Hailun Piano has announced a change in its controlling shareholder. Founder Chen Hailun, together with Sijihong Kong, has signed agreements to transfer part of their shares and voting rights to Quantuo Zhuodai (Shanghai) Enterprise Management Center (LP). The transaction involves 60,260,600 shares, representing 23.83% of Hailun Piano’s total share capital, at a price of RMB 9.09 per share, for a total of approximately RMB 548 million (~USD 75.8 million).

Additionally, Hailun Investment will waive voting rights for another 6% of the company’s shares, resulting in the founder’s voting rights decreasing to 14.56%.
After the transaction is completed, Cui Yongqing will become the company’s new controlling shareholder, marking the beginning of a new phase in Hailun’s development.
 

This change comes against the backdrop of declining revenue from traditional pianos, which still account for over 80% of the company’s sales. Like many in the musical instrument industry, Hailun is pivoting toward smart digital instruments - a sector fueled by AI, VR, and big data, and one of the few areas showing rapid growth. Hailun’s first smart piano line launched this year, and the company has smart electric wind instruments in development, set to debut at the Shanghai International Musical Instrument Exhibition in October. Plans for wireless smart guitars and a full ecosystem of connected instruments are also underway.
 

To support this transformation, Hailun is building robust online e-commerce channels, including livestream sales, flagship stores, and precision digital marketing. The company’s goal is to create a seamless blend of quality, content, and interactivity, driving both online and offline sales and positioning Hailun as a pioneer in the intelligent music era.
 

With Cui Yongqing’s expertise in data and digital channels, Hailun Piano is preparing for a bold reinvention - transforming from a celebrated traditional piano manufacturer into a leader in the smart instrument revolution. For a company rooted in craftsmanship, this is more than a change in ownership - it’s the overture to a new era in music making.

Cadenza by Rudolf...
 

The phenomenon is not new - it is only intensifying. I do not want to divide the world of acoustic pianos from the digital or “hybrid” camp. But do we really want a future where our children can only see pure acoustic pianos in museums, while at home they blink or clap to start a device with kind of keys that flawlessly plays Chopin for them - if they even still know who Chopin is?

Are we really going to watch, without action, as traditional piano factories and piano stores face their slow death?