Creators and Guests

David Andersen, owner of David Andersen pianos in Los Angeles has been a professional musician, recording artist, and piano technician/consultant for nearly four decades. He has overseen the restoration and maintenance of hundreds of Steinway and Mason & Hamlin pianos during that time. Beginning in 1975 he apprenticed for two and a half years under Jack Cofer in Atlanta, Georgia; during the 1980s he studied at Steinway facilities both in New York and London.

Eathan has 20 years of experience as a piano technician. He studied with Dave Miller, the staff piano technician for the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, New Jersey. Dave Carpenter, the inventor of the Verituner electronic tuning device, provided mentorship for Eathan in Chicago. Eathan also worked with Ken Eschete and Bill Schwarts, the staff piano technicians at Northwestern University in Chicago. In 2009, he founded Floating Piano Factory of New York, a company that allows piano technicians to move from Apprentice to Craftsman level while offering value pricing to clients as technicians progress toward mastery. In 2017 he founded Piano Technicians Masterclasses, an online project designed to offer cutting-edge instruction from piano industry masters to anyone on the globe with an internet connection.

Registered Piano Technician Alan Eder has been the full-time piano tech for the Herb Alpert School of Music at the California Institute of the Arts for 38 years. He has trained with such luminaries of our field as Keith Hardesty and Richard Davenport, RPT, and with Yamaha and Steinway. In turn, Alan has trained many accomplished piano technicians enjoying successful careers as field technicians and working for music schools, piano dealers, and manufacturers. Under the auspices of the Piano Technicians Guild, Alan has taught numerous classes at chapter meetings and regional and national conventions, alone and in collaboration with others. Alan has been a featured guest on Piano Tech Radio Hour, along with pianist Danny Holt, and has been involved in the production of several piano-centric videos, including "Non-Traditional Piano Use," "American Grand" (Amazon Prime), "A Glimpse Into Montal's Paris" (Youtube) and "Piano Rap" (Youtube).

Astrologer with a Masters in astrophysics in Vesta and her meteorites. IG @astronomologer

Boaz is a graduate of the CF Theodore Steinway Academy in Hamburg, Germany, and holds a Diploma in Advanced Piano Technology from the North Bennet Street School. Boaz was employed by Steinway & Sons from 2003-2006. His mentors include Bruce Clark, Ron Coners, Aleks Markovich, Eric Schandall, and David Stanwood. Boaz is a Precision Touch Design Installer and action specialist. He returned to field service in 2015 as a full-time road warrior for Fredrick Mudge, servicing all of New England and New York City.

Carl has been a piano technician in Los Angeles for 49 years. I have worked with CyberTuner's creator, Dean Reyburn for the last 25 years and am now CyberTuner's Imagineer. I am a field service piano technician working at a Performing Arts Center, Recording Studios and private homes.

Chano has three Grammy nominations and over 40 years of stage performance experience. As a native of Spain, his works are an ingenious and unique combination of jazz and flamenco music that never ceases to leave their mark in the minds of the audience. Along with his recording and performing career, he has also shared his expertise through seminars and masterclasses and taught at Juilliard, the Taller de Música in Barcelona, and other institutions. Early in his career, he formed a Latin rock band, CAI. They released three albums for CBS. However, the band parted ways in 1981, and Chano took on a solo career. Since then, Chano has earned several accolades for his inexplicable works. His album Flamenco Sketches was highly critically acclaimed and in this album, he reinterpreted all five songs from Miles Davis’ ‘Kind of Blue,’ and more.

Chris Brown is a Registered Piano Technician of Grandwork Tools. He started his career as a piano technician in 1977. He is one of the leading piano technicians who master various skills like concert tuning, rebuilding, and teaching. He is also a college technician and private customer piano-care provider along with being a designer, engineer and manufacturer.

Called "phenomenal" by the late music critic Alan Rich (solveheard.com) and hailed as one of the "local heroes" of the Los Angeles Music Scene (LAcitybeat.com), pianist Danny Holt brings his boundless energy and wit to unique interpretations of new music, 20th-century music and obscure, unusual and neglected repertoire from past centuries. Holt performs around the globe in concert halls (Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Hollywood Bowl), clubs, art galleries, churches, living rooms, and wherever else he can find a piano and someone to listen to. Danny has held fellowships at the Bang On a Can Summer Music Institute, the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, New England Conservatory's Summer Institute for Contemporary Practice, and more.

He's an active member of the PTG with years of experience in both traditional practices and embracing new technologies within the world of piano technology. Dave offers unique perspectives on adapting old-world crafts into today's digital landscape.

Since 1960, Del Fandrich has evolved from a basic service technician to an independent rebuilder, manufacturer, and design consultant. He served as the Director of R&D with Baldwin and has consulted with brands like Charles Walter and Young Chang. Most recently he has been working with John Martin of Wertheim Piano to develop a totally new vertical piano. He has authored numerous papers on topics ranging from basic piano technology to advanced concepts in design and manufacturing. He continues to lecture globally as one of the most forward-thinking minds in the piano industry, maintaining several active research projects in his workshop in Olympia, WA.

Eric Clark is an American pianist who has achieved international recognition and acclaim. He was invited to compete in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2013, and was the only American contestant to attend the First International Chopin Competition on Period Instruments in Warsaw, Poland in 2018. Erik performs regularly at prestigious venues throughout New York City and Europe, has appeared as a soloist with several orchestras, and is an avid performer in chamber ensembles and in jazz ensembles. He regularly transcribes pieces for his own performance as well as commissioning new music, such as a solo piano work by a fellow Carnegie Mellon University entitled “Le Mat- XXII Arcana”: a cycle of twenty-two pieces based on the twenty-two “major arcana” of the tarot. In addition to his work as a performer and private teacher, Erik is also an accomplished visual artist, whose drawings and paintings have won awards at New Jersey arts festivals.

Frank Wolf has worked as a sound engineer on several top shows and movies. He was the score mixer for movies like Rambo: The Last Blood, The Mummy, Charlie’s Angels, Looney Tunes and worked on soundtracks of Mulan, Tangled, Monsters, Inc and many more. He graduated from the Los Angeles Recording and Film School as a Sound/Recording Engineer and went on to work with top-tier production houses like Monterrey Productions, DreaMusiCinema and more.

Fred performs regularly and has recorded and released five CDs, with another in process. As a piano technician, he has worked since 1986 for the University of New Mexico on a part-time basis, with a private clientele as well. Sturm's training has included the full four weeks of the CF Theodor Steinway Academy, one week of training with Shigeru Kawai, two weeks at the Sauter factory in Spaichingen, Germany, ten or more national PTG conventions, and various other opportunities.

Glenn is a trained music educator and has served as pianist, vocal coach, musical director and conductor for musicals, nightclubs, and cabarets. He was also awarded for his works as a musical theatre composer, lyricist, and librettist. Media, experts, and colleagues often call Glenn for his advice and information on all things Pianos.

Hannah Reimann is a distinguished performer, director, and educator with an impressive background in both classical and contemporary music. Her versatile career spans solo piano recitals, stage productions, and a myriad of other artistic endeavors. Known for her innovative approach and unwavering dedication to excellence, Hannah is a respected figure in the music community. Hannah's journey in music is marked by her passion for bringing diverse musical experiences to a wide audience. She has a rich history of performing classical music, which seamlessly transitions into her involvement with contemporary genres. Her directorial work has been acclaimed for its creativity and ability to engage audiences deeply. In addition to her performance and directorial achievements, Hannah is committed to education, fostering a deep appreciation for music among her students. Her multifaceted career and dedication to the arts make her a prominent and influential figure in the world of music.

Heather Fandrich began piano lessons at age 5. She studied piano for 8 years, but with less and less diligence, which she now realizes was largely due to an uninspiring practice piano. She got her BA and master's degree in social work and worked in the juvenile justice system for 28 years. She and Darrell met because her father, Robert Jenny, wrote Darrell's first two US patents. Only after she and Darrell were married did she learn that pianos were in her genes--her great, great grand-father was Frederick Mathushek, a noted piano designer and builder in the late 1800's. Her first experience with a musical piano was playing the prototype of Darrell's Fandrich Vertical Action™. Now she fervently wishes she had grown up with a musical piano, as she knows the results of her musical studies would have been quite different.

Pianist and founder of Sonata Secrets

Piano technician and classically trained baritone. Owner of Iron Range Piano

Grammy Winner Concert Pianist / alter ego: BENITEZ / composer producer arranger / creative soul / classical music / all music / always music 🎵

Larry earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Hunter College, NYC in 1971. Then he went ahead to study Piano Technology with Robert Fairchild and Steve Fairchild, Sr. In 1972, Larry joined the PTG for one year. He has been an Independent technician most of his career, until age 60. He was offered the pianotech spot at the newly opened Green Music Center at Sonoma State University and for Santa Rosa Symphony. Larry is also a Pianotech for Skywalker Sound.

Leo studied piano at a music conservatory in Europe. He was thoroughly trained in piano technology at Boston's North Bennett Street Industrial School under Bill Garlick and David Betts. He's been certified as an expert piano technician by the Baldwin Piano Company. He is a Resident Technician at the Third Street Music School (America's oldest) where he also taught a course in Piano Maintenance to musicians.

Pianos and music made fun

I train people to get concert-level aural piano tunings.

Prior to becoming an RPT in 2007, Mark earned a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Cleveland State University and spent 20 years designing electronics and software. Mark studied classical piano at the Cleveland Institute of Music as a youth, played keyboard and guitar in multiple bands, and still plays with his church's worship band. Mark is an avid inventor, having designed numerous speciality tools many piano technicians use worldwide. This led to Mark and his partner Dawn launching Supply88 in 2015. Mark's designs include the Kestrel, the world's lightest carbon fibre piano tuning lever, and Piano Wire Tires, an easier way to store and transport piano wire for field repairs. Mark has also been an active volunteer in the Piano Technicians Guild, serving four years on the Board of Directors (2015-2019 Western Regional VP), four years on the Institute (2014 Director), and chairing multiple committees. Having attended many conventions, seminars, and factory training programs, he's a veteran participant in and contributor to continued education, promoting excellence in the field of piano technology.

With over five decades dedicated to perfecting the art of piano technology, Oliver stands as a true maestro in the field. As the last Canadian to study at the prestigious Baldwin factory and the first North American attendee of the Yamaha Piano Technical Academy in 1986, his journey is legendary.   Having played a pivotal role as a rebuilder and concert technician, Oliver's fingerprints can be found on thousands of recordings, audio productions, and televised performances. His tireless commitment to pushing the boundaries of excellence has earned his shop the accolade of the most modern in Canada, according to Yamaha Canada.

Paul McNulty is a maker of world-famous fortepianos known for their superior performance quality, used for concerts and recordings in the most prestigious concert halls, opera houses and owned by prominent fortepiano players and leading music institutions, such as Harvard University, Cornell University, Royal Academy of Music and many more.

Rich Galassini was nineteen years old when he first visited Cunningham Pianos as a customer with his parents. A few years later, in 1987, when he was just 23, Rich began working at the store. After working closely with the family that owned the business, Rich was able to purchase the company and remains the owner and president. His background in music performance and music education has played a strong role in the leadership of the business both within their community and within the music industry.

Ric has a 40-year history as a piano player, choir director, piano store owner and manager. He is currently the owner of R. Kassman, Purveyor of Fine Pianos in the Bay area, and has a profound knowledge of the entire worldwide piano business.

He's an award-winning Piano Technician and respected PTG veteran. Along with securing a place in the PTG Hall of Fame, he was awarded the PTG's "Golden Hammer Award," one of the profession's highest honors, for his contributions to the piano industry. He is the author of Under the Lid: The Art & Craft of the Concert Piano Technician. He resides in Seattle, Washington.

Three-time Emmy-nominated composer/pianist

Tiffany Poon is a trailblazing young classical pianist, born in Hong Kong in 1996 and now based in New York City. At just nine years old, she moved to New York to join the prestigious Juilliard School Pre-College Division on a full scholarship, studying under Yo Kalinsky. She continued her education at Columbia University through a joint program with Juilliard, under the tutelage of eminent pianists Emmanuel Ax and Joseph Ekstein. Tiffany has an extensive and varied international performance career, having debuted across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Notable venues include Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Mozart Saal, and Bologna. Highlights include her debut with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and a sold-out recital at the Dresdner Musikfestspiele. Her debut album, Diaries: Schumann, released in February 2024 on Pentatone, has been a resounding success, topping Apple Music Classical charts across four continents with over 2.3 million streams. Offstage, Tiffany is just as impactful. She has built a vibrant YouTube community of 323k subscribers and over 50 million views, sharing her musical life to demystify classical music.

In 1980, Udo took over the direction of the company at the tender age of twenty-four. Along with inventors, he also created a whole new range of products within the Steingraeber & Sons brand. He’s been the guiding force behind the European Piano Technician Degree. Udo has been awarded two cultural prizes, one from the city of Bayreuth, the other from the Region of Upper Franconia.

Master piano tuner technician, Wayne H. Ferguson, has been widely considered to be among the very best in the business, Wayne has studied the art of piano technology and piano set up with passion and diligence. His former and present client list is a veritable who’s who of the music industry in Canada and beyond. Including Oscar Peterson, Keith Jarrett, Stevie Wonder, David Foster, Diana Krall, Wayne’s list of satisfied, repeat customers is testament to his expertise and professionalism.