Erard

Erard is a surname of French origin. The most prominent bearer is Sébastien Érard (c. 1752–1837), a German-born instrument maker who settled in Paris and founded the Érard workshop, a leading maker of keyboard instruments in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Érard specialized in pianos and contributed to the development of the modern piano. The firm is best known for introducing the double escapement action, around the 1820s, which enabled rapid repetition of notes with less physical effort. The mechanism uses a repetition lever to allow the hammer to escape the strings and return to the rest position more quickly, facilitating fast passages and expressive playing. This design influenced subsequent piano makers and helped shape performance practice of the era.

Beyond pianos, the Érard workshop produced a range of keyboard instruments and earned a reputation for high craftsmanship. The company operated primarily in Paris and maintained an international presence, competing with other leading manufacturers of the time, such as Broadwood and Pleyel, in the European market.

Today the name Érard survives mainly in historical discussions of instrument making and antique instruments. It is also encountered as a surname and in reference to the instruments once produced by the Érard firm. The Erard/Érard lineage is remembered for its contributions to piano mechanism and the expansion of keyboard instrument design in the 18th and 19th centuries.