Volkwein Brothers, also known as Volkwein's Music, is a music business in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Was continuously run by the same family for three generations until the early 2020s when the family sold their shares to the DiIanni family.[1] It was opened in 1905 by immigrants from Germany, brothers Jacob C. Volkwein (1880-1984) and Rudolph G. Volkwein (1882-1954).
Rudolph and J. C. Volkwein worked for F. Bechtel before acquiring his sheet music and small goods businesses.[2][3] Photographs of the storefront and center column were taken in 1915.[4][5] In 1923 the store's window was taken up with a display for an oriental foxtrot called "Fate".[6]
Volkwein acquired Joseph Erskine Agnew's music business in 1939.[7]
Vollwein Brothers published James V. Colonna's "America Forever" march after Pearl Harbor was attacked.[8] In 1960, they published Gertrude Rohrer’s state song “Pennsylvania.”[9]
The University of Maryland has a collection of their band music.[10] The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has a box of Volkwein music books.[11]
The store sells sheet music, instruments,[12] and has offered lessons. One of its instructors was prominent pianist Charlotte Enty Catlin.[13] Billy Strayhorn was a customer[14] and took lessons from Catlin.
The Andy Warhol Museum took over the store's building.[15]