Piano Tuners’ Training

From 27 June until 22 July 2011 twelve piano tuners from Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Goa and New Delhi will have the opportunity to improve their expertise. The Kolkata Goethe-Institut has organized a further training program in collaboration with the Oscar Walcker School in Ludwigsburg.

Professionally-trained piano tuners are scarce In India. Ms. Braganza, owner of the largest business in Kolkata specialized in piano tuning, confirms this: “Our staff members have learned their trade from their grandfathers and fathers. They tune almost every piano in Kolkata. And yet we still have gaps. We realize that in particular when foreign musicians come to India.”

Oscar Walcker School in Ludwigsburg

For this reason the Kolkata Goethe-Institut is now offering a further training seminar for Indian piano tuners in collaboration with the Oscar Walcker School in Ludwigsburg for the first time. The renowned school has provided professional training for piano and harpsichord makers for more than 80 years, collaborating with craft enterprises and industry. Besides instrument making, Oscar Walcker School’s training curriculum for piano makers includes tuning the instruments and adjusting their interior mechanisms. Sponsored by a full-time scholarship, twelve participants from India now have the opportunity to improve and expand their skills in the four-week further training seminar. From 27 June until 22 July 2011 they will be taught in English by professional piano tuners from the Ludwigsburg-based Oscar Walcker School.

Fascinated by musical instruments

The youngest seminar participant is 25 years old, the oldest 47, and the group is also very varied in terms of training and origin. The piano tuners come from completely different Indian regions, including Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Goa, and New Delhi. Their career paths are just as varied – some of them come from family businesses with a long tradition of instrument making, others were drawn to the profession because of their passion for music. But what they have in common is their fascination for musical instruments and their strong drive to acquire new experience and new skills. For instance, Adrian Mendonca from Pune says, “The making of a piano is a marvellous technique; the perfect mix of mechanics, aesthetics and art, to produce a wide range of feelings using sound. I would love to get professional training on how to tune and repair a piano.”

Learning in theory and practice

The four-week further training seminar comprises 160 lessons and covers both theoretical studies and practical components. The practical training includes technical exercises in sound and intonation, repair and upkeep of the piano. In addition, the participants are made familiar with the function of the various parts of the instrument and the materials used for piano making. The further training programme is rounded off by excursions to piano making firms, suppliers and instrument collections. On passing the final exam, the participants will receive a certificate. Everybody involved will benefit from the further training programme at Oscar Walcker School in Ludwigsburg; it promotes both careful repair of the instruments and the exchange between German and Indian piano tuners. The sponsorship program is a valuable asset in particular for the Indian participants in terms of individual and professional development.