Vale Australian piano technician Ara Vartoukian, who has died aged 64

Piano technician Ara Vartoukian’s four-decade career saw him ensure pianos in concert halls around Australia performed as well as they possibly could.  (ABC Classic: Matthew Lorenzon)

Australian piano technician Ara Vartoukian has died aged 64. Vartoukian’s wife Nyree Vartoukian announced his death through social media on Sunday April 14, 2023.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Ara Vartoukian, our loving and devoted father and husband,” she stated.

“He truly embodied the values of kindness, hard work, strength, resilience, and dedication to his family and craft.”

Vartoukian grew up in Sydney and learnt to play the piano from an early age. But unlike many, he was drawn to tinkering rather than tinkling the piano keys.

“Much to my parent’s dismay, I would often pull sections of the piano apart and put them back together again,” he said during an interview with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in 2020.

Vartoukian completed the Piano Tuning and Technology Course at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and became the head of the course for five years.

He opened his iconic piano store in Sydney in 1985 as well as working with arts institutions and organisations in Australia and internationally.

Vartoukian’s career as a piano technician took him to many concert halls around Australia and overseas. He was responsible to set up and maintain pianos in concert venues, making sure they work perfectly, are in tune, and sound as good as possible.

Vartoukian’s expertise was highly regarded internationally.

In 2019 he was the head technician for one of the world’s most prestigious piano manufacturers in the International Tchaikovsky Piano competition.

He compared the position to being “the chief mechanic in a formula one race”.

Pianist Kristian Chong described Vartoukian as “the piano technician that everyone loved.” Chong shared that Vartoukian not only diligently prepared the pianos performers would use, but also stayed to listen to the music.

Chong said his death was a huge loss, and believes that most people who have heard a piano in a concert hall in Australia have benefited from his craftmanship “whether you were in Sydney, Townsville, Adelaide or Yass.”

“Ara was a rare person in the world, and in our classical music business,” said pianist Lisa Moore on social media.

Pianist Gerard Willems highlighted his understated but constant presence in concert venues. Vartoukian was still working up to a few weeks ago.

Vartoukian’s service to music was recognised by the Order of Australia in 2016.

In 2019, Vartoukian featured in ABC Classic’s How does a piano work video series, which delved into the detailed inner workings of the piano as well as how to tune it.

Vartoukian’s is survived by his wife, Nyree Vartoukian, and their two sons.