Based on the world record nomination from Europe Records Institute (EURI) and Decision No. WK/USA.INDIA/1046/2023/No.502, World Records Union (WorldKings) officially declared Bartolomeo Cristofori as "The first person to invent the piano" on August 22, 2023.  

Bartolomeo Cristofori, in full Bartolomeo di Francesco Cristofori, (born May 4, 1655, Padua, Republic of Venice [Italy]—died January 27, 1732, Florence), Italian harpsichord maker generally credited with the invention of the piano, called in his time gravicembalo col piano e forte, or “harpsichord that plays soft and loud.”

Little is known of Cristofori’s life, and his invention was not well known in his lifetime. He moved from Padua to Florence about 1690 at the request of Prince Ferdinando de’Medici, as an innovator in musical instruments and inventor of new ones. This demonstrated that Cristofori had built a reputation as a skilled keyboard instrument builder at the time.

Cristofori apparently invented the piano about 1709. Cristofori created the piano by replacing the plucking mechanism of the harpsichord with a hammer action capable of striking the strings with greater or lesser force. The piano was a major improvement over the harpsichord, as it allowed players to control the volume of the sound by how hard they struck the keys.

Cristofori continued to build pianos and continuously improved his invention until near the end of his life. In addition to the piano, Cristofori also made other keyboard instruments, including harpsichords and spinets. He was a highly respected instrument maker in his time, and his inventions had a profound impact on the development of music.

According to Britannica – Wikipedia - metmuseum.org