A Storied Tradition of Craftmanship and Excellence
Celebrating nearly 70 years of high-quality instrument making.
Schilke Music Products began with the passion and dream of Renold O. Schilke. Born in 1910, a young Renold showed incredible talent for music, brass instruments, and a curiosity for instrument craftsmanship. Explore our historic timeline to learn how Renold’s dream turned into a reality and laid the foundation for the incredible line of instruments, mouthpieces, accessories, and cases we know and enjoy today.
Schilke: The Mark of Excellence
Learn more about Schilke Music Products and our legacy of quality
A Historic Timeline of Schilke Music Products
Our History
1910
Renold O. Schilke, future founder of Schilke Music Products, born in Green Bay, WI on 6.30.1910
1924
Renold begins work at a machine shop and is inspired to learn more about how trumpets are built.
1928
Renold relocates to Chicago from Brussels to study trumpet with Edward Llewellyn, principle trumpet player for the Chicago Symphony, at University of Chicago and Northwestern University. Renold also began working for a mouthpiece maker during this time.
1936
Renold officially joins the Chicago Symphony and begins producing his first mouthpiece model in collaboration with Edward Llewellyn, which would later become the signature Schilke 9 mouthpiece.
1950
Renold forms Music Products, Inc. with Philip Farkas. Their original idea was to make a single mouthpiece for every brass instrument. Demand quickly increased and they continued to design new models.
1956
Renold formally purchases 50% of Music Products, Inc. and rebrands to Schilke Music Products. During the next six years, demand would skyrocket and influence the development of the B and X series trumpets. Schilke’s connection with some of the biggest players in the US helped inspire these new designs.
1967
Schilke Music Products continues to grow and moves to the famous S. Wabash location where top players from around the world would stop in to play Schilke’s instruments and mouthpieces.
1968
Schilke Music Products designs and creates their first tuning bell, the first E3L, built for Armando Ghitalla.
1972
The first P5-4 was built.
1982
Renold O. Schilke passes away in Arizona on September 5, 1982. After Renold’s passing, Renold Schilke Jr. and Joan Schilke assume ownership of Schilke Music Products.
1983
The S Series Bb and C trumpets are introduced to the overall Schilke instrument line, including the new S42L designed specifically for Jon Faddis.
1989
Renold Jr. and Joan Schilke move Schilke Music Products to Melrose Park, a suburb of Chicago.
2002
October 31, 2002 ushers in a new era at Schilke Music Products, with Andrew and Julie Naumann taking ownership. Andrew came from a musical background receiving an undergraduate degree in trumpet performance as well as a Master degree from the University of North Texas. While at North Texas he entered the trumpet performance doctoral program and studied historical trumpet manufacturing which led to the beginning of Naumann Trumpets Inc. in 1995. In 1995, Andrew joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh as a studio teacher for the next three years. He left the teaching and performing world to pursue trumpet designing and handcrafting Naumann brass instruments in 1998. Julie Naumann holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from Marquette University. In 1992, she began working for top mortgage companies in Dallas, Texas as well as Milwaukee, WI before joining Andrew as owners of Schilke Music Products.
2004
Schilke Music expands with a 4000 sq. Ft. addition to the current location.
2005
Andrew Naumann introduces his first instrument designs, the HD Line of Bb and C trumpets, which quickly become top sellers.
2007
For the first time Schilke is producing a complete tenor trombone line. The ST20, ST21, ST22 large bore tenors were designed as well as a small bore ST30 tenor. Two different valve options were offered with the large bore designs.
2008
The P7-4 short model piccolo trumpet is designed and premiers in the piccolo trumpet line.
2010
Schilke Music introduces a new 1040-FL flugelhorn designed and built at the Schilke factory.
2012
Andrew designs the Handcraft line of Bb trumpets in collaboration with various national and international players. The design inspiration came from the Martin Committee trumpet designs Renold O. Schilke pioneered in the late 1930’s.
2016
With the past 10 years of Schilke trombone building experience, Andrew and Julie Naumann purchase the Greenhoe Trombone Co. in Jackson, WI from Gary and Glenda Greenhoe. At the same time the Schilke trombone line was retired and all efforts focused on building the outstanding designs of Gary Greenhoe. The Large bore tenors and bass trombones were offered in two specific models; GB4 and GC4 tenors and GB5 and GC5 bass trombones. The very unique TIS (tuning in slide) models are also offered in the GC4 and GC5 models.
2017
International trumpeter Marc Geujon and Andrew Naumann collaborate on the newly introduced Soloiste (MG) Bb and C models.
2018
Top Japanese and international soloist Osamu Takahashi and Andrew Naumann collaborate on a second series of Soloiste Bb and C (OT) models.
2023
The newly updated HDII Bb and C trumpets are introduced with the collaboration of Cleveland Orchestra trumpeter Jack Sutte.
