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Ken Eschete, RPT
Conservator and Technician,
Inland NW Chapter
Ken Eschete, is a nationally recognized piano conservator and concert technician with a distinguished career spanning five decades. A 1975 graduate of the North Bennet Street School, he went on to pursue postgraduate studies in musicology at Tulane University, where his academic background deepened his understanding of historical keyboard instruments and performance practice.
Ken was awarded a fellowship at the Smithsonian Institution, followed by an internship at Colonial Williamsburg, two of the nation’s leading centers for historic preservation. He later returned to the Smithsonian as a contractor, where he completed the conservation and restoration of three significant historical pianos in the museum’s collection.
His craftsmanship and expertise have earned him election as a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC), recognizing his commitment to the preservation of musical heritage.
Ken’s conservation and restoration work can be found at the Smithsonian Institution, Franklin D. Roosevelt/Vanderbilt Historic Site, the National Music Museum, the Cornell Collection of Historic Keyboards, the Schubert Club Museum, and numerous other museums and institutions across the country. He is a regular lecturer at the Cornell Forte/Piano Tech Academy.
In addition to his work in conservation, Ken is a highly skilled concert tuner and technician, with RPT membership in the Piano Technicians Guild. He served as head technician at Northwestern University for 13 years and held the position of concert technician for Town Hall in Auckland, New Zealand. He now maintains a private practice in Spokane, Washington, where he continues to serve musicians, technicians, collectors, and institutions with a blend of historical insight and technical precision.
Jim Busby, RPT
Salt Lake Chapter
Jim Busby has worked as a concert technician for Snow College in Utah, for over 26 years, and simultaneously at Brigham Young University for the last 13 years. Receiving extensive training from Yamaha, Steinway and Kawai has given Jim a unique perspective that few technicians have been afforded. He has taught music as an adjunct teacher at Northland Pioneer College in Arizona, then at Snow College for nearly 30 years. Jim also has a large clientele of private customers and runs a small rebuilding shop
Jim’s experience in education, coupled with his high level piano technician skills, have helped him become a sought after instructor at Piano Technician Guild conventions, Master Piano Technician conventions, regional PTG conferences, and local meetings, Jim believes the Piano Technician Tutorials and eBooks are an effective way to disseminate correct techniques and methods to those who, like Jim, continually seek to improve their skills and better serve their clients.
Jay Hogan, RPT
Eugene Chapter
Jay Hogan began teaching piano lessons in 1972, and has been a Registered Piano Technician for 30 years. He studied with Steve Brady RPT, and has been active in both the Seattle and Eugene Chapters of PTG. He delights in teaching dense subjects like music theory and piano technology in ways that are engaging and understandable.
John Dorr, RPT
Montana Chapter
I came into the field of piano service reluctantly. I never thought it was for me, going “tink tink tink” ad infinitum on 225 piano tuning pins to try to get their strings in tune. I never found it intriguing to listen to my own pianos being tuned, either – I’d just leave the room!
However, the late Dick Beaton, RPT kept pestering me to become a piano technician. He was getting on in years (as I am now!) and for some reason he thought I’d be the right person to carry on for him in Helena. He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I didn’t. Refuse, that is. So I figured I’d buy the equipment he offered at such a bargain price, tune a few pianos until I found it too tedious, and then sell the equipment at a profit. Then he wouldn’t bug me anymore.
Right away I fell into two big repair jobs and with Dick’s guidance I performed them successfully and with an unexpected level of personal satisfaction. I had been an automobile mechanic in a previous career and had forgotten how fun it was to work with my hands. Next, Dick took me to a PTG chapter meeting and I was surprised to see experienced techs in their 50’s through their
70’s all excited about learning new things. It became clear to me that piano technology was a lifetime learning occupation. Since learning is a high value for me, I decided that I was “all in.” And guess what? “Tink tink tink” doesn’t bore me after all! Focus is the antidote to boredom and there is so much to focus on when tuning each string. I’ve been fortunate enough in my journey to be a Chapter President, a convention delegate, an instructor in national Conventions and Chapter meetings, and to serve on the Institute Committee, eventually culminating that experience by being the Institute Director in Chicago. Along the way, I’ve met many amazing technicians, instructors, vendors, manufacturers, and more. PTG membership has been a very rewarding experience for me and I’m honored to be able to pass on some of my ideas and discoveries in the classroom.
Kenn Wildes, RPT
Seattle Chapter
Kenn Wildes, RPT, began his piano technician career in 1986 with a restoration workshop in Boulder, CO, then operated one in Nairobi, Kenya (1991–1996), servicing pianos across Europe en route. Settling in Seattle in 1996, he honed Steinway expertise at Sherman Clay before launching three Seattle/Eastside piano stores since 2002.
Yuri Melekh, RPT
Puget Sound Chapter
Yuri is a concert technician and highly accomplished piano specialist with more than 25 years of experience in the care and optimization of fine acoustic instruments. Born in Lithuania, he began formal piano studies at age six before his interest in the instrument’s mechanics led him into technical work. Since establishing his practice in the Pacific Northwest in 2001, he has become a trusted technician for performance venues, professional musicians, and private collectors.
Yuri holds advanced training from the Steinway & Sons factory in New York, where he studied tuning, regulation, and voicing at a high level. He is also a regional specialist in Steinway Spirio systems, with expertise in installation, calibration, and maintenance of this high‑resolution player‑piano technology.
A dedicated member of the Piano Technicians Guild, Yuri is committed to sharing his knowledge and craftsmanship with the next generation of technicians and musicians.
David Stocker, RPT
Puget Sound Chapter
David Stocker, RPT is a lifelong resident of the Olympia, WA area. After studying music theory, David moved to Europe to work for five years with Youth With A Mission in Switzerland, France, and Germany, learning French and German. He served as a musician and a cabinet maker.
Returning home to Olympia he began studying piano technology as an apprentice with John Grace, RPT in 1982. John was a graduate of the Emil Fries Piano Hospital. David immediately joined PTG and became an RPT in 1984. Tuning, rebuilding, moving, buying and selling pianos are all parts of his business.
He has served in chapter offices and helped run regional conferences in various capacities. At the encouragement of former RVP’s and past PTG presidents, David made himself available to serve as PNWRVP in 2017 and served for five years. He is currently the president of the Puget Sound chapter of the PTG. David opens his shop one day a week for those wanting to learn more about piano technology and how to run a business.
Ryan Sowers, RPT
Puget Sound Chapter
Ryan joined PTG in 1992. In 1997 he became a CTE and is currently an active tuning examiner. He has completed Yamaha's Little Red Schoolhouse, five Steinway factory seminars, a week with Shigeru Kawai, and two weeklong seminars with Steinway at Oberlin Conservatory. Full service is his passion and he loves making everyday pianos awesome!
Starting in 2021 Ryan began teaching at the PTG Annual Conventions and will be Teaching "Voicing Every Day" at the 2025 Annual Convention in Des Moines, Iowa.
"My emphasis is incorporating regulating and voicing into everyday piano service. This can add tremendous value to your appointments, as well as put you on a path of mastery through every day practice of these skills.".
Nathan Jensen, RPT
Seattle Chapter
I am a Registered Piano Technician in the Seattle Chapter of the Piano Technician Guild and head technician of Prosser Piano and Organ in Shoreline. I began piano tuning while in high school in Southern California where my parents, both Lutheran pastors, knowing I would be majoring in music, bought my first tools and said, “You'd better learn a trade.”
I went to college at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma in the late ‘80’s with a major of musical composition, graduated at The Evergreen State College in Olympia in ‘92. Moving to Olympia in the summer of ’89, I stopped at John Grace's piano shop and asked if he could use an apprentice. “No, I've already got an apprentice,” he said while assembling the action of an upright in front of me. “Besides, I'm thinking of retiring.” (Thirty years later John gave a presentation on piano moving to the Seattle PTG Chapter!)
Max Biggs, RPT
Portland Chapter
Max is currently a Registered Piano Technician his time between the Yakima Valley and the greater Portland, Oregon area. He is a self taught technician who has had many influential mentors in his career: Tim Nixon (Graduate of New England Conservatory now Bennet Street School), Joe Garrett (Co writer of Randy Potter School of Piano Technology), Taylor Mackinnon (past present President of Piano Technician Guild), Michael Reiter (head technician at UO), Dahr-Wynn Blakemore, Linda Scott.
Max currently is one of the few technicians in the Pacific Northwest that works on historic instruments as well as modern instruments and is actively delving deeper into harpsichord and historic forte-piano building and maintenance.
Max continues to grow in his skillset as he’s taken on serious piano rebuilding (excluding replacing whole soundboards) and historical piano reconditioning/conservation work over the last 5 year period working with Joe Garrett. Max works as a first call technician for the Portland Columbia Symphony orchestra, Yakima Symphony Orchestra, as well as smaller concert series organizers, theater productions, and music companies. Max has worked with Yakima Valley College, Most Yakima Schools, Longview Kelso School District, the Beaverton School District, and collaborated tuning and repair work on pianos for the Hillsboro School District with Taylor Mackinnon. He also worked on pianos for Central Washington University and collaborated on pianos at Pacific University with Linda Scott.
Max is often hired by a handful of independent tuners in the greater Portland area to solve and complete complex repairs and take on projects that others are less enthusiastic about (e.g. birdcage pianos, square pianos, trapwork rebuilding, touchup work, bridge repair, oddity work, ...). All to say he's a technician who loves what he does
Diane Hofstetter
Hearing Specialist
Portland Chapter
I love the beauty in our world and work to help others see and hear it too. I have been a piano technician for 39 years, tuning for individuals, music teachers, schools, piano stores, conference centers and concert venues. For the last 21 years I have also worked in hearing health care as an Occupational Hearing Conservationist and a Hearing Instrument Specialist, helping piano technicians and musicians protect their hearing and people with hearing loss enjoy the sounds of life once again.
Loren Kelley, RPT
Puget Sound Chapter
Loren is an RPT and a member of the Puget Sound Chapter, and has been servicing pianos in the South Puget Sound area since 2008. He has built two harpsichords, and servicing harpsichords is one of his specialties. He learned the trade from Steve Brady. Loren sings as a tenor in the Puget Sound Revels, which produces a Christmas musical every year at the Rialto Theater in Tacoma, among other events.
The Piano Technicians Playground
We will have workstations available for attendees to practice and refine regulating and repair skills. We will also have a "string breaking" station with a real piano to work with.
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