The ProPTN Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Bechstein's Director of Concert and Institutional Service Torben Garlin. Torben, who is also the managing director of the Piano Mobil rental company, has been working in piano technology since he was a teenager. With several decades of experience under his belt, we sat down at the Akustika trade show in Nuremberg to discuss his typical concert prep checklist; the emotional traits necessary for concert techs to thrive in their field; voicing procedures and tricks; and how technicians need to communicate with artists before a performance.-Torben's Instagram and Facebook accounts-Piano Mobil website and Instagram-Bechstein Technician's Academy website-Bechstein's website, Instagram, and Facebook accountsIf you don't already, be sure to follow ProPTN on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠... or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more!

In this episode, we sit down with Anna Petrof, the sixth generation family member to take charge of the 162-year-old Ant. PETROF piano brand to discuss how the Czech company survived World Wars and state ownership; its reclamation by the Petrof family in 2001; how they have restructured the company to better serve its Czech community; the importance of diversifying its services as a manufacturer; how the instruments have improved over the last two decades; and the difficult choices behind running a company with such a long family history.-The PETROF website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and podcast series-Find a PETROF dealer near you-Markéta Irglová and Glen Hansard performing "Falling Slowly" live for the PETROF Acoustic Sessions-Piano Buyer's article and photo exploration of the PETROF factory, anechoic chamber, Gemini pianos, and family history-The Piano Buyer brand profile of Ant. PETROFIf you don't already, be sure to follow ProPTN on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠... or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more!

In this episode, we take a seat inside the August Föerster piano factory in Lobau, Germany to talk with Gabriel Wandt (Director of Marketing and Communications), and master piano builder Annemarie Kampf to discuss the challenges of redesigning their new 275 concert grand using 2D modeling; their knack for creating innovative and adorable piano designs; their narrower Stretto keysets for smaller hands; and the strenuous process of becoming certified as a master piano builder in Germany.-Stretto keysets-The Model 275 Sovereign Concert Grand-August Förster Instagram, Facebook, and website-Photos of the factory and the company's experimentsIf you don't already, be sure to follow ProPTN on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠... or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more!

In this episode, we sit down with former Hamburg Steinway technician and soundboard extraordinaire Oliver Greinus. Oliver is one of the co-founders of Klangmanufaktur, a workshop that specializes in rebuilding Steinways as well as providing rehearsal space and practice rooms for Hamburg's musical community. Following our tour of the workshop, Oliver sat down with me to talk about their reasoning for leaving Steinway in order to create their own uniquely rebuilt instruments; why old soundboards should never be replaced; doing away with polyester in favor of natural oil finishes; replacing lead weights with CKM brass; their rental program for connecting musicians and institutions with quality pianos; and the curriculum for their singular week-long training seminar.-Klangmanufaktur website and Instagram page-Registration for the June 22-28 training seminar, as well as the course information sheet. For questions or assistance, you can send an email to [email protected] you don't already, be sure to follow ProPTN on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠... or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more!

In this episode, we sit down with Ravenscroft mastermind, Renner Academy instructor, manufacturing guru, and piano design innovator Michael Spreeman to talk about the process of designing a piano from scratch; conducting experiments in sound; creating a luxury-piano brand; and the details of piano construction which average technicians will constantly overlook.-Ravenscroft Pianos-The Ravenscroft Pianos Concert Hall-⁠Nick Gravange legacy page and obituary⁠ (where you may also pay to plant a tree or send flowers in his honor)-"Setting Up Shop: Commercial Edition" article featuring Michael Spreeman-Ravenscroft 275 Virtual Instrument-Ravenscroft 220 Virtual InstrumentIf you don't already, be sure to follow ProPTN on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠... or visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more!