Kirsinger & Cia. in Valpo

Carlos Kirsinger y Cia. was a music store founded in Valparaiso by Carlos and Reinaldo Weinreich in 1859. Kirsinger started as a bookstore selling all kind of wares related to the musical business including also music printing and a postcard company, as well as representing european piano brands such as Bechstein & Pfeiffer, and accordeon brands such as Hohner. The music store even started an accordeon academy there, whose outcome was the Orquesta de acordeones Hohner. Kirsinger also had branches in Santiago and Concepción, and along with Niemeyer and Brandt were the main printers & importers of musical instruments in Chile through the XIX century and beginning of the XX century. In that regard, Kirsinger went further than others since they started assembling instruments such as pianos they imported as parts from Europe and also they started making instruments under their own brand such as guitars, mandolins and other plectrum instruments such as the bandola cittern (photograph above) belonging to our collection, most likely made in the 1910's..
Kirsinger was the main printer of music scores around 1900's, and it was the main benchmark for Valparaiso's musical life of that era represented in tertulias, sessions, and parties. Many of these scores have been rescued and some may be heard again thanks to the Memoria chilena audio web project.