Ian is the only technician in South Africa to have attended the prestigious Steinway Academy for Concert Technicians in Hamburg, Germany, training under Georges Amman, Steinway’s Chief Concert Technician for Europe and Asia.

 

Prior to that he had factory training with Steinway and passed the accreditation examinations to become a Registered Piano Technician (RPT) with the American Piano Technicians Guild.

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As the finishing technician for the company he has completed 109 restorationsto date. Of these, 89 are Steinways, of which 78 are grand pianos, including 23 Steinway concert grands all in use in concert venues around the country. By world standards, this is an exceptional volume of high calibre restoration and rebuilding, ranging from 10-year-old concert pianos to Steinways as old as 1875. 

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Ian maintains the personal instruments of many professional pianists, including several Steinway Artists. He also works in London each year; for King’s College, Wimbledon; the Chapel Royal Choir at Hampton Court and a private customer base of concert pianists, Steinway owners, teachers, and advanced students.

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He is rated by Kawai to prepare and maintain their handcrafted Shigeru Kawai instruments, which are imported by Ian Burgess-Simpson Pianos.

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This portfolio ranks Ian Burgess-Simpson among the best concert technicians and piano rebuilders in the world. His training and experience are passed on to the technicians who work with him and this gives the company an exceptional capacity to care for customers’ instruments and bring out the optimum in any instrument.