Grassi 100MKII Clarinet

About Ida Maria Grassi

Our brand had its historical beginnings with the intuition, courage and determination of an entrepreneur. A woman with a dream: to produce high quality wind instruments characterised by a distinguished Italian style.

Everything began immediately after the war in a small garage in via Dezza in Milan. It is here that Ida Maria Grassi started to manufacture flutes and piccolos that in a short time got the attention of the American market and led her to open a factory in Cinisello Balasamo.

But Ida Maria Grassi’s real ambition was to build saxophones.

Fate had it that at the end of the 1950’s, numerous workers from a saxophone factory with economic problems turned to her in search of work. Ida Maria Grassi, seeing this as an opportunity and, at the same time, moved by respect for the expert craftsmen, founded her second factory in Quarna located in the Piedmont region. The opening of this establishment provided economic stability to the whole surrounding area.

In a short time, Ida Maria Grassi’s brand became internationally notorious, and the entrepreneur, during an interview said of herself:

“I was able to craft quality wind instruments in Italy and abroad with an Italian name and I think I can be proud of it.”

A legacy of passion and charisma that combined with technological innovation make each Ida Maria Grassi instrument so special and unique.