Piano Technicians Guild
WESTPAC - Western and Pacific Regional Conference

Rick Baldassin, RPT - Renner USA

Rick received his education and piano technology training from Brigham Young University. He is the author of the book On Pitch, which was recently re-published. Rick served as the Tuning Editor for the Journal from 1987 to 1991. His teaching has taken him to piano factories and conventions throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia, Korea and Australia. Rick has served as the Concert Technician for the Utah Symphony for over 20 years, and has been the Teaching and Technical Consultant for Renner since 1989. He has been trained in the concert and artist programs of Fazioli, Steinway and Yamaha, and has been a consultant to the Falcone, Mason & Hamlin, and Pramberger Piano Companies. Rick also serves as the Technical Support Director for Fazioli in North America. He is a Member of Note, Jim Burton, and Hall of Fame award winner. Rick and his wife Cindy currently operate Baldassin Pianos, a full-line rebuilding and retail showroom located in Salt Lake City.

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André Bolduc

André Bolduc is well known as a master craftsman of wood and a skilled rebuilder for the last 30 years. André is also manufacturer of renowned high grand maple pinblocks and premium eastern white spruce soundboards. He also supplies other materials for the rebuilder like bridge capping, rib stock, etc. André is a excellent instructor, we are confident you will learn many new and useful skills during his class.

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Christian Bolduc

Christian Bolduc is a technician specialized in soundboards and pinblocks (belly man). Christian is a cabinet and furniture expert. He studied cabinet making at the Ecole du Meuble de Victoriaville and spent one year at the Schimmel factory in Braunschweig, Germany studying piano structure and design. He is a constant searcher for new ideas and methods to make your rebuilding projects easier. Christian is also the factory manager at Pianos André Bolduc. www.pianobolduc.com

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Keith Bowman, RPT - Hailun USA

Keith has a broad background in woodworking spanning over 35 years. He has been a PTG member since 1982, has served on a number of committees and is an instructor for regional and Institute classes. He has originated a tool product line for Renner USA, and is a factory R&D consultant for Hailun USA.

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Steve Brady, RPT

Steve Brady, RPT served as head piano technician at the University of Washington from 1978 till 2003. During those 25 years he tuned and prepared pianos for approximately 5,000 concerts and recitals, and worked with most of the leading pianists of our time. Steve served as editor of the Piano Technicians Journal for six years (1995 to 2001). In 1996 he received the Piano Technicians Guild’s “Member of Note” award, and in 1999 PTG published his book, A Piano Technician’s Guide to Field Repairs, which recently went into a second edition. His latest book, Under the Lid: The Art and Craft of the Concert Piano Technician, was published in 2008. Steve currently serves as head piano technician for the Aspen Music Festival and School. In his spare time Steve enjoys cooking, tending his wine cellar, and dancing Argentine tango. He lives in Seattle with his wife, the concert pianist Judith Cohen.www.stevebradypiano.com

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Bill Brandom, RPT

Bill Brandom has worked for Yamaha over 25 years and is now Yamaha’s Senior Technical Manager. Bill has overseen the development of Disklavier service in the United States. He works with the Disklavier design engineers in Japan on a regular basis. Bill has an excellent understanding of the various Disklavier systems and has been teaching Disklavier service since 1987 to technicians throughout the United States.

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Mark Burgett

Mark Burgett started his career in the piano business in 1981 with his brothers Gary and Kirk under the tutoring of Paul Magee in the Sacramento Chapter. In 1988 when PianoDisc was established, Mark was active in training technicians in installation, technical support and development and testing of new product. In 2007 when the company started development of the composite action parts under the name of Wessell, Nickel and Gross, Mark took an active part of educating, marketing and quality control this revolutionary product.

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Jim Busby, RPT

Jim Busby has worked as a piano technican for 30 years and is currently employed at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah where he oversees over 400 pianos, a rebuilding shop, and an ambitious training program which employs 7 student apprentices. Jim also works for Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, an "All Steinway School", and has his own rebuilding shop.

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Mike Carraher, RPT - Renner USA

Mike has been a member of PTG since 1979 and an examiner for the RPT exams since 1981. He designed the first repair jigs for the technical exam and still participates in their construction. For over 20 years Mike has taught various tuning and regulation classes at the local, regional and Institute levels. He makes shop fixtures for Renner USA, and is a technical consultant for Hailun USA.

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Bruce Clark

Bruce Clark grew up working in the shop at his father’s piano store in Kansas. After college, he began his associations with several manufacturers including Falcone and the Mason & Hamlin division of the Aeolian American Corp. Today he is a senior Design Engineer at Mason & Hamlin and Wessell, Nickel & Gross.  Among other achievements, Bruce was the lead design engineer on the new Mason & Hamlin AA-64, B-54 and CC-94, and also served as one of the lead design engineers for the Wessell, Nickel & Gross Composite Action project. www.wessellnickelandgross.com

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Debra Cyr, RPT

Debbie learned piano tuning and repairs in 1990 as an apprentice as well as through a correspondence course and then attended the rebuilding program at the North Bennet Street School in Boston. She is an instructor at the North Bennet Street School, as well as a rebuilder, and has an extensive private tuning clientele.  Debbie is past president of the Boston Piano Technicians Guild and teaches at seminars and conventions on the local, regional and national levels. www.nbss.org

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Richard Davenport, RPT

Richard Davenport, RPT, is a concert technician, formerly a Technical Service Consultant for 24 years with Yamaha. He received advanced training at Yamaha's concert grand factory in Japan and, more recently, at the Fazioli factory in Italy. Since 1980, he has serviced pianos for 20th Century Fox Studios as well as installing a new soundboard, action and pinblock in their 1928 Steinway D. He regularly teaches PTG chapter seminars, regional and national convention classes. Richard is a recipient of the PTG 2008 Hall of Fame Award.

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Alan Eder

Alan Eder, RPT, has published various articles in the Journal and taught at regional and nation conventions. As the piano technician at CalArts, Alan produced a video about “Non-Traditional Piano Use” that has become a celebrated primary reference on the subject for pianists and piano technicians alike.

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Dale Erwin, RPT

Dale is a second-generation piano technician. His father, Harold, received training from the venerable William Braid White in 1950. Belonging to a deeply musical family prepared Dale for a career in custom piano restoration and rebuilding. His wife Trix and son Dennis work together with Dale at the family business, Erwin's Piano Restorations in Modesto, California.

Although he started out as a field technician for his dad's Yamaha franchise, his passion for creating his own sound and touch took him out of the field and into the shop full time. His 35-year journey has been one of incredible discovery, high enthusiasm and rich experience -- both personal and musical -- and a steep, constant learning curve, in pursuit of what he terms the "golden piano tone".

His newest ventures are building soundboard panels and pinblocks for the trade, as well as being a Ronsen sales & technical rep. His trademark soundboard design, the "variable radius" soundboard, has been displayed and heard at conventions since the early1990s, including Rochester 2006 and Anaheim 2008.

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Rick Florence

Rick is a third generation piano technician, having apprenticed in his grandfather’s (Carl Swendsen) shop in Calgary, Canada. He has since received training at Yamaha USA (Disklavier, Little Red School House, and advanced training with Terry Nimi), and factory training at Steinway, Schimmel and Bösendorfer. Rick is the Senior Piano Technician at Arizona State University. In his 19 years as ASU, Rick has prepared pianos for over 4700 concerts, collaborating with students, faculty, and some of the great musicians of our time. Rick joined PTG in 1986 and his service includes local offices, Director of the Utah State Seminar (1991), Director of the Arizona State Seminar (1994-2001), Assistant Institute Director (2003-2005) and Institute Director (Rochester, 2006).

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Anne Garee, RPT

Anne Garee, Program Director for Piano Technology, has enjoyed her career as piano technician at the Florida State University College of Music since 1983. She joined the faculty in 2004 and directs the Master of Arts in Piano Technology program mentoring trained piano technicians in one of the most comprehensive colleges of music in the nation. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance and completed a three year apprenticeship program for the Certificate in Piano Technology from the Bowling Green State University in Ohio. A Registered Piano Technician with the Piano Technicians Guild, she is an active clinician both in the U.S. and abroad. www.music.fsu.edu

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Nick Gravagne, RPT

Nick Gravagne, RPT has been a prolific writer for the Piano Technicians Journal, most known for his popular and long-running “Good Vibrations” series, and has been a frequent teacher at P.T.G. National and State conventions, and many regional seminars. A technician since 1973, and an RPT since 1975, much of Nick's business currently revolves around rebuilding and soundboard manufacture for the trade, and is active in concert prep and maintenance of fine grand pianos. Nick has also served as the Technical Service Manager for Kawai America Pianos. His credentials and awards include a BA from William Paterson University, an AST in Mechanical Engineering via Penn State, and the PTG Member of Note Award.

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Ward Guthrie, RPT

Ward Guthrie has been a Piano Technicians Guild member since 1974 and a chapter officer many of those years. He has served on many PTG committees, has been an instructor at international and regional PTG institutes, was the Pacific Northwest Regional Vice President, was the PTG Institute Director in Grand Rapids, and is the Institute Director gain this summer in Seattle. He has received the “Member of Note” award, two “Presidential Citations” from PTG presidents Leon Spier and Marshall Hawkins as well as the “Outstanding Leadership”, “PTG Cog” and the “James H. Burton” awards from the Pacific Northwest Region.

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Zhiwei Huang, RPT

Zhiwei (pronounced "Zeeway") Huang was born in China in 1954. Both his parents were engineers, and he and his brothers grew up actually living in the factory where his parents were employed. From a very young age he learned how to finely craft things of metal and wood with machinery and hand tools. He is an accomplished violinist, but conceived a passion to be a piano tuner. He emigrated to the United States in 1981 and started learning piano tuning and repair in 1984 in San Francisco. He's been a PTG San Francisco chapter member since 1992. Mr. Huang has taken advanced technical training at the Steinway factory in New York, at Yamaha's Little Red Schoolhouse and at the Baldwin factory in Trumann, AR. For some years he served as a consultant for Baldwin Piano Company in China and would travel several times a year to their Dongbei and Zhongshan factories to advise on quality control and train factory workers. He is currently the chief technician for the San Francisco Unified School District, where he has the responsibility for maintaining and rebuilding 550 pianos. He does high level concert tuning & technical work and has served as technician for touring concert pianist Vladimir Viardo. Zhiwei is a creative thinker and has devised methods of tuning and voicing that don't always follow accepted norms, but achieve remarkable results. He has taught these in classes for PTG chapters in San Francisco, Sacramento and Santa Clara, as well as many groups of piano technicians in China. He is generous with his time and knowledge, and is always eager to share with and learn from other technicians.

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Roger Jolly

Mr. Jolly has worked in the piano industry for the last 35 years, and has worked in most areas of the profession. During this time he has worked as a Salesman, Piano Technician, Rebuilder, Designer, Manufacturers Technical Consultant, and Clinician. Currently he is working for the Samick Music Corporation as Director of Product Development, overseeing the assembly of the Knabe and JP Pramberger Grand pianos. As an International Clinician, he has been a featured guest speaker at major conventions in Canada, United States, New Zealand, Norway, Australia,  the Czech Republic and Korea. Mr. Jolly is a member of the Master Piano Technicians of America, the Piano Technicians Guild, and the Canadian Association of Piano Technicians. He is widely published, and active as a Master Class Clinician. He is the recipient of the prestigious Jack Greenfield Award for Research and Writing (Piano Technicians Guild 2001) and the Outstanding Achievement Award (Canadian Association of Piano Technicians 2000). He is the contract rebuilder/concert technician for the University of Saskatchewan, Department of Music.

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Scott Jones, RPT

Scott Jones began his career as a piano technician in 1984, after receiving a BM degree in music composition from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.   From 1989 to 2001, he was employed by Steinway & Sons, New York, where he held positions as concert technician, technical instructor and product development researcher.  From 2001 to present, he developed the PitchLock string coupler and TouchRail systems.  Scott has authored 6  U.S. patents in the field of Piano Technology. www.pitchlock.com

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Aaron Kopp

Aaron has been in the pro-audio industry for over 15 years. He has worked with national touring artists from Oregon to Florida. He has worked in some of the harshest environments, and most difficult performance venues. He teaches a live sound class at Utah Valley University and has always placed a high priority on training and education. His favorite pastime is giving a piano technician a hard time at the concert venue, especially if it is his father.

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Keith Kopp, RPT

Keith Kopp graduated from college with a degree in music education. He taught vocal and instrumental music in the public school system in Idaho for four years and then played in Europe in a Germany Polka. After returning he began working in the retail music business. There he became acquainted with Randy Potter who convinced him he should be a piano technician. He joined PTG serving in many chapter, regional and national level offices including regional vice president. He has taught classes on all levels and has been active as a PTG examiner. While working in the retail business he became involved in sound reinforcement field providing equipment and was a sound technician for local musicians as well as nationally known artists. Along with his son who is a professional sound engineer they have taught classes both in the piano industry and sound reinforcement industry on local, state and nationally levels.

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Carl Lieberman, RPT

Carl has been a piano technician in Los Angeles since 1972, passed his RPT exams in 1979 and has 38 years tuning experience. He studied aural tuning with David Safir and learned repair, regulation and voicing skills in David's shop at Pianos Wholesale. Carl tuned aurally only until 1981 and has been integrating both aural and electronic tuning since taking an ear opening class from Steve Fairchild.  He studied math and computers eons ago at UC Berkeley and is a member of the Reyburn CyberTuner Development Team. He has worked for 3 local Yamaha dealers and has tuned for countless concerts and recording sessions. www.reyburn.com

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Don Mannino, RPT - Kawai

Don Mannino, RPT, began an apprenticeship with a piano rebuilder while completing his studies at San Diego State University as a piano performance major in 1979. After working as an independent piano technician in the San Diego area, he held the position of National Service Manager for Young Chang Pianos, then was Manager of Technical Support for Kawai Pianos in the US and Canada, and now serves as the Director of Technical Training for Kawai and Shigeru Kawai Pianos. Don and his wife Patty are the editors of the Southern California Combined PTG newsletter. In addition to teaching  at regional technician seminars, PTG Annual conventions, and at PTG chapter meetings, he also has designed technicians tools and has had  articles on a variety of technical topics published in the Piano Technicians Journal, including Action Center service, a series on grand action regulation, and the use of plastics in piano actions. In 2010 he was certified in Japan as a Kawai "Master Piano Artisan" (or MPA), the highest level of technician for the Kawai company. Don resides in Cypress, CA with his wife Patty. Their daughter Sarah is studying Aerospace Engineering at UCSD. www.shigerukawai.com

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Robert Marinelli, RPT

Robert Marinelli, founder and president of Pianotek Supply Company, has been a Registered Piano Technician since 1976. He studied piano at Wayne State University with Boris Maximovich before beginning his technical career. One of the most unique opportunities in his early technical training was working in a furniture repair shop for Henry Ford’s personal cabinetmaker. His work as a concert technician over the years has included the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the C&A department of the Hammell Music Steinway dealership. He owned and operated a piano rebuilding and refinishing shop in Detroit while running his own piano tuning business. At Pianotek, Bob is involved with new product development, the manufacturing of replacement keyboards, and action restoration. He is an active clinician at international and regional conferences as well as at schools in the U.S. and abroad. www.pianoteksupply.com

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Randy Potter, RPT

Randy Potter has been tuning and servicing pianos for over 36 years. He is the founder and director of the Randy Potter School of Piano Technology, which is the largest school training piano technicians in the world, and has students and graduates in over 80 countries. He has attended the on-site factory technicians training programs at Baldwin, Kimball, Mason & Hamlin, Steinway and Yamaha in the U.S., Steingraeber in Germany and Bösendorfer in Austria. He is a frequent instructor at local, state, regional and national PTG conventions, and has taught at seminars in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia and Cuba, and has served PTG in all capacities in his local chapter, served as delegate and assistant delegate to Council, served on several national committees, chaired four national committees, and has assisted giving PTG Exams at many regional conventions throughout the U.S. www.pianotuning.com

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Paul Rea

Paul says that with 38 plus years in the music industry “There is nothing I can’t do to a piano, and if there is… I know someone who can.” He also traveled the country servicing player pianos and standard pianos. Paul is a certified Piano Disc and QRS player system installer/technician, and quite proficient at touch up and repair of polyester and conventional finishes. Paul has “sat in every seat in the house” from bookkeeping, salesman, store manager, technician, factory, as well as owning a retail store with his parents. Paul also owned a successful tuning, rebuilding, refinishing and piano moving company for many years. The past few years Paul has been with a major Southern California piano dealership as a service manager and technician before accepting the National Technical Service Managers position at the Pearl River Piano Group. Shortly after NAMM this year (2007) Paul accepted the position at Petrof USA bringing his technical knowledge and experience to Petrof USA as their National Service Manager. Paul’s latest adventure is heading up Petrof USA LLC as the National Operations Manager. www.petrofpianosusa.com

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Jude Reveley, RPT

Jude Reveley, RPT is the proprietor of Absolute Piano Restoration, Inc. and a twenty year veteran of the piano industry. His specialties include the complete redesign and remanufacture of vintage pianos, as well as supplying the trade with high-end belly components and consultation services. He has been enthusiastically sharing his experiences with fellow technicians at national and regional PTG events for over ten years.

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Paul Revenko-Jones, RPT

Paul grew up in the Washington, DC area, went to undergraduate school at Grinnell College in Iowa (BA, philosophy 1968), and did his graduate work at the University of Chicago (MA, English 1969). He was a dedicated brass player and played semi-professionally in the Midwest while gaining an interest in piano technology. After his return from the Peace Corps in 1971, he opened the first Music of the Spheres Pianoworks shop in Washington, DC. After joining the Piano Technicians Guild in 1987, he achieved RPT designation in 1989, and from 1987 served the PTG Chicago Chapter as editor of the newsletter, Secretary, Vice-president, and President. He tuned for the Lyric Opera briefly in the 1990's, and now, with his wife Oksana, operates a full piano restoration shop on Chicago's near west side as well as servicing a substantial private tuning clientele. Paul has been a regular teacher at regional and national PTG seminars and institutes since the mid-1990's. He has also been an editor of the Piano Technicians Journal from 2001-2005. In June, 2005, Paul received the Piano Technician's Guild Jack Greenfield Award "in recognition of outstanding research and writing of the best technical article for the Piano Technicians Journal." In 2004, he and Oksana founded The Chicago School for Piano Technology, and he now serves as Executive Director of the School. His interests include writing, the martial arts (ranked black belt and an instructor in aikido), and sailing their 28' sailboat Pianoforte on Lake Michigan.

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Dean Reyburn, RPT - Reyburn CyberTuner

Dean Reyburn passed his RPT exams in 1978 and has 30+ years tuning experience. He has served on the PTG Examinations and Test Standards Committee since 1996 and acts as Advisor and CTE skill reviewer. Dean has 12 years experience as concert tuner for the Grand Rapids Symphony and DeVos Hall in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was the technician for the local Steinway and Yamaha dealers for many years and tuned for numerous concert and popular music artists. Dean attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago from 1976 to 1978 where he majored in electronics and learned piano technology from Virgil Smith, RPT and Robert Carbaugh (and met his wife Marty). Dean is a self-taught Software Engineer with 25 years experience programming in more languages and computer platforms than he'll admit. He enjoys kayaking, tennis and scuba-diving in his spare time. www.reyburn.com

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Isaac Sadigursky, RPT

Isaac Sadigursky, RPT, has been in the piano tuning business since 1974. After immigrating from the USSR with solid professional musical training, he worked for Bill Finnegan's Piano Brokers as an apprentice, prepping pianos and sweeping floors in the shop. Isaac attended the UCLA Extension course in Piano Technology under Leon Levitch, studied piano tuning privately with Darwin Kristall, RPT and studied under Dennis Nicholson, RPT, at the American Institute of Piano Technology. Isaac's clientele grew to over 7,000 including 4 school districts, many churches, synagogues, country clubs restaurants, music and piano teachers and private clientele. Isaac does a large variety of repairs in his well-equipped shop and often works with apprentices, raising a new breed of PTG members. Isaac has taught at local chapters, regional and national conventions, covering a wide variety of topics on tuning and repairs. Isaac still likes to perform and plays accordion and clarinet with different folk and casual groups on weekends. www.isaacspianoservice.com

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Michael Spreeman, RPT, Klavierbauer

Michael is the creator of Ravenscroft Pianos and founder of Spreeman Piano Innovations, LLC. Experience includes: 35 years as a concert technician, rebuilder, service technician, and instructor. He has also worked as a technical consultant for Renner, Fazioli, Yamaha, Steinway, and Baldwin. Education includes: apprenticeship with Jim Coleman Sr., specialized Fazioli concert technician training in Sacile, Italy, concert technician and Disklavier training with Yamaha Corporation of America, and music studies at Arizona State University. Michael teaches nationally and internationally at PTG and BDK conferences. www.RavenscroftPianos.com

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Israel Stein, RPT

Israel Stein, RPT, has taught numerous classes dealing with action regulation and repairs at PTG Annual Conventions as well as Regional Conferences and chapter events. In the course of directing the PTG’s Technical Exam program from 2004 until 2009 he developed and taught the Technical Exam Hands-on Exam Prep classes during those years. Israel has administered over 100 technical examinations since he set up the technical testing program for PTG's Boston Chapter in 1989, and this experience continuously provides unique and valuable perspectives for teaching action work. A graduate of the North Bennet Street School Piano Technology program (Boston), Israel has been employed at San Francisco State University as Piano Technician for the past 6 years – besides operating his own piano service and rebuilding business. Previously his career in piano service included employment with the Boston area Steinway dealership - where his responsibilities included working as primary Boston Area Steinway concert technician - and a stint regulating and voicing brand new grands at the Mason & Hamlin factory in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

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Matthias Stöckle - Renner

Matthias Stöckle enjoys an extensive career spanning over three decades in our industry. He joined the Lois Renner Company in Germany 20 years ago where he has served in all areas of technical support, manufacturing, and R&D, and currently heads up their worldwide technical and marketing departments for the Renner factory. A graduate of the famed Oscar-Walcker Piano Technical School in Ludwigsburg, Germany, he now conducts Master Courses and serves as a member of the Master Craftsmen Examination Committee for this world renown technical institution, in addition to conducting seminars for the Nordic, Dutch, Italian, Swiss, French, and Japanese piano technical associations in their respective countries. This will be his first master class to be presented at a Piano Technician Guild conference in the U.S. and the organizers of WestPac II are very proud to be able to introduce him for the first time.

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Fred Sturm

Fred Sturm has spent over 25 years as piano technician at the University of New Mexico, experimenting, honing skills, and developing procedures to bring pianos to a high musical standard and maintain them at that level. He has trained with Steinway, Shigeru Kawai, and Sauter, and has been a frequent contributor to the Piano Technicians Journal and instructor at national and regional conventions. He is also an accomplished solo pianist, specializing in music of Latin America.

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Yoshi Suzuki

1983 Joined Yamaha
1984 – 1990 Concert piano factory
1990 – 1994 Piano Service Department in Japan
1994 – 2000 Service manager of Yamaha Europe in Hamburg
2001 – 2008 Service manager in Japan
2008 – Senior technical manager of Yamaha Artist Services Inc. New York

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Carl Teel - Renner USA

Carl has been repairing and restoring pianos for over 30 years. He has been a member of PTG since 1976, and since 1979 has served continuously as Treasurer of the Salt Lake City Chapter. Carl was instrumental in running the Utah Intermountain Seminar for a number of years. He is a popular instructor at local, regional and national conventions, and is a consultant to piano technicians throughout Utah.

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