Our History

In 1932, Monsieur Albert Bergerault, an impassioned and brilliant French musician and inventor, created a small company to manufacture keyboard mallet percussion instruments. Named after its founder, the Bergerault^® Company was established.

A little more than a decade later, in the United States, Peripole^®, Inc. was created by co-founders Mack and Sylvia Perry, both music educators, to manufacture and distribute quality musical instruments directly to schools throughout the country.

In 1974, in France, under the leadership of Monsieur Gilbert Fergeau, son-in-law of the founder, the Bergerault^® Company expanded to become Percussions Contemporaines, S.A., in order to meet the exacting demands and growth of the professional instrument field. With the active participation and inspiration of leading contemporary composers, orchestra members, and conservatory professors, a remarkable quality rapidly developed.

At the same time, a partnership began with the Peripole^® Company in the United States who recognizing the outstanding quality and craftsmanship of the Bergerault^® line, introduced Bergerault^® Instruments in the United States.

In 1992, the two companies partnered to create Peripole^®-Bergerault^®, Inc. in Salem, Oregon, under the leadership of President, Dr. Andrew M. Perry; Executive Director, Sylvia Perry; and M. Gilbert Fergeau, President of Bergerault^®-France. In the Year 2000, Bergerault^®-USA was established as a specialized division of Peripole^®-Bergerault^®,Inc., exclusively devoted to the discriminating needs of professional musicians and serious students.

Long recognized in Europe and throughout the world for their outstanding quality, design, and craftsmanship, Bergerault^® Instruments have been, and continue to be, the choice of leading symphonies and top musicians the world over.

A complete line of instruments has been developed to serve all needs, from the most discriminating professional musician, to a line developed specifically for teachers and students according to current educational methods, where Bergerault^® Instruments have been recognized by the most eminent pedagogues for their quality and originality.

Percussion Contemporaines, S.A., in France, and Peripole^®-Bergerault^®, Inc., in the United States, comprise a joint family enterprise, which always maintains a tradition of caring, improvement, and innovation, thus resulting in the largest catalog of keyboard mallet percussion instruments in the international marketplace.