Piano Technical Services
Piano Services for the Harvard Community
Piano Technical Services (PTS) tunes, maintains, repairs, restores, and rebuilds the collection of more than 200 pianos in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for teaching, learning, practice, performance, and events. Our services support the Music Department, Sanders Theatre and the Office for the Arts, Houses and residence halls, as well as other schools and institutes at the University where keyboard instruments are located.
Tuning, Maintenance, and Repairs
We perform the full spectrum of piano service for the Harvard community. The Harvard Music Department owned pianos receive unlimited tuning and service. All other pianos located outside of the Music Department are tuned four times a year under our routine maintenance schedule, and thereafter by request. Please provide your piano service request at least one week in advance to guarantee availability. Minor repairs are made free of charge to all instruments. Major repairs are made at the cost of parts and supplies, and any accrued vendor costs.
Reach out to our expert team for all your piano technical service needs.
Rebuilding/Case Repair and Refinishing
Action rebuilding is performed at the Harvard Piano Shop in Vanserg for the cost of parts. Pin block and soundboard replacement is performed by an outside vendor at current market price. All major case refinishing is performed by an outside vendor at current market price. Minor case, veneer and polyester repairs, polishing, and touch ups are performed by PTS.
We can be found at the Harvard Piano Shop in Vanserg at 25 Francis Avenue on the Cambridge Campus. Come visit us!
Rentals
Interested in renting a piano for an event or performance on campus? Contact Piano Technical Services (lincoln@fas.harvard.edu) for more information.
Planning a Music Event?
We are fortunate at Harvard to have many talented and noted musicians, both visiting and in residence. If you are planning a music event on campus that will involve the use of a piano, please let us know at least one week in advance so that we can prep and tune the instrument properly — helping to ensure a successful performance.
Extended Techniques/Prepared Piano
‘Extended techniques’ refers to any non-traditional use of the instrument such as inserting foreign objects between the strings or plucking the strings with a guitar pick. Any member of the Harvard community or visiting artist wishing to prepare a piano for rehearsal or performance must first submit an Extended Techniques/Prepared Piano Request Form to PTS. You will then be contacted by a member of the department for further information, and, in some cases, an in-person meeting may be required. PTS reserves the right to deny permission for any non-traditional use of a piano if it is deemed to be detrimental to the wellbeing of the instrument or proves to be too logistically challenging. We recommend submitting the form as early as possible so that in the event the requested techniques cannot be approved, there will be adequate time to find an alternative.
Please note we reserve the right to deny permission for any non-traditional use of a piano if deemed detrimental to the wellbeing of the instrument. Please submit the form as early as possible so we can find a suitable alternative in the event that the requested techniques cannot be approved.
Appraisals/Evaluations/Donations
Contact Piano Technical Services for information regarding cost and scope of piano rebuilding projects, evaluation of prospective donations to FAS and appraisals for tax purposes. We also advise and assist in the purchase of new instruments, though we do not provide funding.
Workshops/Classes
We occasionally host workshops on piano technology for interested members of the Harvard community. If you are interested in a workshop or seminar, please contact Piano Technical Services (pts@fas.harvard.edu) or the Shelemay Sound Lab.
Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend a minimum of 4 tunings per year. We also strongly recommend a tuning prior to any event involving the use of piano, regardless of when it was last tuned.
Yes, reach out to Piano Technical Services (lincoln@fas.harvard.edu) for more information.
Yes, you can purchase items such as covers, locks, benches, dollies, casters, and more directly from us.
No. All piano moving is performed by outside professional piano movers. Contact us for piano moving referrals.
No. We do not sell pianos, but we can advise in the purchase of an instrument. Contact us for more information.
Yes. However we require that the piano be inspected prior to acceptance. We will be happy to evaluate any instrument in Massachusetts and the surrounding region.
Extended techniques are considered on a case by case basis. Room G16 in the basement of the Music Building is the dedicated ‘experimental piano practice room’. Room G16 is the only room where students are allowed to experiment with extended techniques on a piano without obtaining prior permission. You must be granted permission by PTS to use extended techniques on all other pianos on campus.
Please visit the Extended Techniques/Prepare Piano Request page for general policies and the extended techniques request form.
Yes. Most of our staff do private work outside of Harvard.
No. We work exclusively on acoustic stringed keyboard instruments including pianos and harpsichords.