Custom Restoration in Theory and Practice, Point by Point

First, a whirlwind tour of the class I presented in Rochester: what makes a piano restoration custom, from the big things to the little hidden things; I'll have a 1942 remanufactured Hamburg "B" to demonstrate on instead of an 1894 "C," which has been sold---applause---but we'll have fun, and a fantastic pianist to thrill us, and guest spots by Dale Erwin and Steve Bellieu.

Then, in Part 2, hands-on demonstration of some of the hard-won techniques of tuning, voicing, and fine regulation that KEEP these custom rebuilt pianos(or any new, fine piano) functioning year after year at its highest level.

With both stationary and roving video cameras, everyone will be able to see everything that happens. To wrap up, questions and answers with me and, hopefully, Dale and Steve.

We're looking for piano technicians with a serious, abiding passion for the high end of the business.

If that's you, this is a class you'll love.

Bio: David Andersen

DAVID ANDERSEN has been a professional musician, recording artist, and piano technician/consultant for nearly four decades. He has been involved in the restoration and maintenance of hundreds of Steinway and Mason & Hamlin pianos during that time. He was trained for two and a half years in Atlanta, Georgia, and during the next 20 years subsequently studied at Steinway facilities both in New York and London.

After moving to Southern California in 1981, David worked extensively with Sherman Clay, the Steinway dealer in most of California at that time, both as a concert/new piano preparation technician and as a quality control consultant/piano prep manager to Asian piano companies affiliated with Sherman Clay.

He took on Steve Bellieu as an apprentice in 1991, and the rebuilding/restorative part of the business soon accelerated and expanded. In the '90's, David began tuning for film composers and selected performance venues and recording studios, still his pleasure and specialty. In late 1999 he began a 6-year association with David Abell Fine Pianos, the landmark Southern California piano store, preparing & maintaining new Fazioli, Bosendorfer, Yamaha, and Schimmel grand pianos.

He opened his own boutique piano sales showroom, the Atelier, in late 2005. He sells quality instruments at all price ranges, rents pianos for performances and recording, and presents a concert series of some of the world's finest piano players, from late April to early November.

David has a 16-year-old son, Ari, and a daughter, Jenika Khalsa, who serves as the operations manager of David Andersen Pianos; he lives in Malibu, CA.

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