Piano Technicians Corner
After many years working in various European workshops we met in Auckland while working for Jenkin Piano Service, very well known workshop all around New Zealand for its best quality service. We have both worked for David Jenkin for about five years and gained a great deal of additional knowledge thanks to his valuable experience in the piano field. During that time we have both passed the exam and are now registered members of the New Zealand Piano tuner and Technician guild NZPTTG.
We've since started our own adventure, drawing on over almost forty years of combined experience to provide the highest level of quality, and we look forward to helping you.
Christina Früh
In 2001 I commenced my 3 ½ year Klavierbauer (Piano technician) apprenticeship in Ansbach, Germany with a particular focus on piano repair and service. I joined the Bund Deutscher Klavierbauer (German Piano Technicians Guild) in 2002 during my apprenticeship and gained additional experience at the Schimmel and Bechstein factories. I won the national piano tuning competition for my apprenticeship class in 2003.
Concluding my final examination with excellent marks I won a Chamber of Crafts scholarship giving me the opportunity to attend additional seminars and workshops including Polyester repair, traditional veneering and marquetry, traditional shellac (French) polishing and voicing.
At Piano Boger, Steinway & Sons representative in Ravensburg until 2013 my work included piano and grand tuning for customers, concerts, and in the conservatory as well as piano repair work. In 2011 I had the opportunity to extend my skills training at the Steinway Academy Hamburg and in 2013 I successfully completed the first part of the Klavierbaumeister (German Piano Technician Master degree).
In the same year, I travelled to New Zealand and worked for some months at Jenkin Piano service before travelling around New Zealand. I was later hired as a full time technician.
My particular interests are repair work, particularly wood and surface finishing, cabinet repair and the tonal improvement of instruments.
In my spare time I enjoy the amazing nature of New Zealand on hiking tours, I like animals, sports, arts and crafts, repairing other musical instruments and playing music.
William Humbert
I grew up in a musical family in France learning the cello from the age of 7 later playing in an orchestra. I also learned the piano and during time spent in Scotland I found a broken old out of tune piano and tried to fix it. My interest in piano technology was awakened. Back in France I was accepted into the European PianoTechnician Training School, and commenced my apprenticeship. Working at the Royal College of Music in Brussels in the years after training I gained valuable experience tuning for pianists. I subsequently worked for Yamaha Europe and different piano workshops in France.
In 2012 I decided to move to Australia, worked and travelled for two years as an itinerant piano tuner before I joined Jenkin Piano in Auckland.
I enjoy working with music and musicians, meeting people and their pianos and in the workshop I like the process of breathing new life into old instruments
I have taken an interest as a dilettante in stone and bone carving. I enjoy a good book and like the outdoors or simply working in the garden.
I play several instruments like Piano, Guitar, Trompet, Ukulele. Being French I’ll also enjoy a glass of wine and good food.
