July 18, 2014
Because Steven tuned my piano so well, I may be forced to write another “Tomorrow”!
Thanks,
-Martin Charnin
August 13, 2014
To Whom It may Concern:
I am happy to recommend Stephen Segarra as an experienced & talented piano
tuner. He has 16 years of experience and trained under the master Steinway tuner,
Herbert Bach. He started tuning the pianos at the David Koch Theater at the
beginning of the 2014-spring season for the New York City Ballet after the sudden
death of our tuner/technician who had worked for the company for more than 30
years.
I have played the pianos that Stephen tuned. Not only does he possess a fine ear and
was able to get the piano’s perfectly tuned, the pianos took on a quality which I can
only describe as beautiful and unique. It made the pianist want to play them
because of the sound that he brought out in each instrument.
I think he would be a tremendous asset to any concert hall or teaching institution.
Sincerely,
Elaine Chelton
Solo Pianist, New York City Ballet
Tuned our piano which we haven't had a chance to tune over the past 5 years. Most of the keys in
the middle register were sounding 1 octave below what they should have sounded like. It got so
bad that even my 4 year old commented that the piano was "wrong".
Stephen was a gem all around. He was courteous and listened well during my initial phone
interview with him as I explained how long it's been since I last got the piano tuned. Never did
he shame me or try to intimidate me like I've had the experience of other piano tuners do about
this negligence.
His prices compared to some other professional tuners were reasonable if not under what his
competitors were quoting me based on the age and the type of tuning required to get my piano
sounding normal again. But his ability to get my beat up Kimball upright to sound respectable
was nothing short of genius!
I'm so happy to have finally found someone I can trust to keep my piano in shape--not to
mention someone who can offer a wealth of insight and knowledge into the fascinating aspect of
this instrument. I never thought I'd say this about a piano tuner, but talking to Stephen helped me
to appreciate my piano again. In fact, I was so inspired by our interaction and by how good our
piano was sounding that I actually stole an hour from my busy mommy chore day to play pieces
I hadn't "had the time to" in years!
-Kathleen Park
I contacted Stephen regarding a piano my parents gave me that had not been tuned in at least 15
years. Stephen was easy to schedule an appointment with and was responsive to my messages.
He came over and looked over my piano and gave me an assessment of its condition. He tuned
the piano and offered suggestions of repairs I could make to the piano, but was conscious of the
cost and didn't press me to do any of the work. Since I am a new piano owner he also talked to
me about a tuning schedule, etc. Stephen is personable and professional and I will certainly have
him back for the repairs as well as future tunings.
-ELLEN VELLENSKY
Stephen triple tuned our piano and also provided many suggestions that would help to keep our
piano sounding as good as it did after the tuning. We will have him return within the next month
to complete the tuning.
Stephen is courteous, professional, extremely knowledgeable, and creative. He told us exactly
what he will be doing, and provided an overview of what he could accomplish in turning our 70
year old upright spinet. He took great care to be as gentle as possible, so none of the strings
would break, and they did not! He took his time, and it was apparent that he cared very much,
about the piano's own integrity, physical condition, and the enjoyment that it brings to our
family.
Stephen was informative and instructive, which contributed to us having a strong sense
of confidence in his expertise. He discussed with us, the different types and techniques, of
various remedies in tuning an older piano correctly, and he also discussed the cost estimates as
well. Stephen is himself an accomplished pianist, and teacher, which , enhanced the service that
he provided. He did a great job and shared with us, a reasonable plan, to keep our piano sounding
at its best.
-Marjorie Saraga
He tuned a piano that was severely out of tune.
The tuning went extremely well. He was professional, honest and put in a great deal of time
tuning a piano that hadn't been tuned in many years. It had also been moved from San Francisco
to New York and then was placed in storage. He suggested that the piano should be tuned again
in a week or two as the strings couldn't be changed as much as needed in one tuning. We agreed
and were thrilled with the results. Our musician children visited several weeks later and were
impressed with piano. He also gave us a wonderful "recital" to demonstrate the improved sound.
- ARLENE BUENO DE MESQUITA
Thoroughly checked the piano to identify what was needed after a very long period of not being
tuned. Also provided detailed explanation of process needed to bring it back to optimum
performance and advised on ongoing care.
Was thorough, courteous and knowledgeable.
- Arisa Batista Cunningham
Copyright © 2020 LooneyTuner - All Rights Reserved.
PHONE: 914-275-8388
E-MAIL: ProPianoAdvice@gmail.com