Farewell to Paolo Bontempi, he put music under the Christmas tree of millions of children
He died at the age of 93 in Montelupone, in the province of Macerata, where he lived
Farewell to engineer Paolo Bontempi, a symbolic figure of the historic Bontempi company, a brand that brought music into the homes of entire generations of children and young people. In the 1970s his pianolas and coloured organs were a must under the Christmas tree, becoming the first contact with the world of notes for thousands of young musicians. He died at the age of 93 in Montelupone, in the province of Macerata, where he lived, and the news of his passing was spread after the funeral, in a strictly private manner. According to his will, he was buried in the cemetery of Recanati (Macerata).
From the small accordion workshop founded by his father Egisto in 1937, Paolo Bontempi was able to build an industrial empire. With vision and innovative spirit, he transformed simple and colourful musical instruments into real educational tools, anticipating the trends of electronic music and portable keyboards. Bontempi had up to a thousand employees in the 1970s, with factories in Potenza Picena, Martinsicuro and San Claudio di Corridonia, as well as a large production site in Abruzzo dedicated to plastics. It was among the first Italian companies to adopt advanced technologies in plastics processing, becoming an industrial and educational reference point, not only for Italy but also abroad.
The Bontempi brand was the only one in the world to reproduce virtually all musical instruments in toy versions. Iconic was the Chord Organ, a small keyboard organ that imitated the famous Hammond, much loved by children in the 1970s, and the piano with the 'Bontempi method', a simple and intuitive system that allowed children to play right away, without previous knowledge. The brand also made a name for itself thanks to important international licences, including Walt Disney, Warner Bros and Barbie, bringing characters such as Mickey Mouse and other protagonists of the collective imagination into children's bedrooms.
In its golden years, Bontempi did not limit itself to the Italian market: the Marche-based company opened trading companies in the United States, Germany, France, Belgium, England, Spain and Switzerland and decided to manufacture directly in Canada to serve the North and South American markets, avoiding costs and transport complications. A far-sighted choice that consolidated the brand as a global leader in the musical toy sector. Paolo Bontempi's contribution was not only industrial: his work was also educational and cultural.
'Paolo Bontempi left us close to Christmas,' recalls the mayor of Potenza Picena, Noemi Tartabini, the municipality where Bontempi's company is historically based, 'An anniversary that he helped to make special, putting a passion for music under the tree for thousands of children. Thanks to him, our city has become a production and cultural centre of excellence for the world of music'.
