It comes as no surprise to anyone that Larry Lobel supports the Green Music Center’s annual fund, and has been making gifts throughout the pandemic, when times have been tough on all fronts. Larry’s first contribution, a CF Yamaha grand piano is a story worth sharing because of the gift’s import to the Green Music Center and also its rather illustrious provenance. The piano was built in 1976 and purchased by a legendary vocal coach Judy Davis, who worked with Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Mary Martin, Grace Slick, Eddie Money, and many other noted and lesser known singers. Davis’s legacy was devising a series of vocal exercises that are used by singers around the world. Larry bought her piano in 2001 and enjoyed owning and playing it for 16 years. When he gifted it to the Green Music Center in 2017, he gave it a new part to play. Presenting artists of all ages and their audiences in Schroeder Hall keep its legacy alive.
Larry’s story is worth mentioning, for how does one find one’s purpose inside a piano? Born in The Bronx in 1949, Larry was forbidden to touch his Grandmother’s piano as a boy. Paths to one’s purpose often begin in this manner. Larry, who was obviously fascinated with the instrument, soon was playing on his own piano purchased by his parents. And after Larry finished building a harpsichord from a kit, his father took notice of Larry’s keen interest and skill set.
Larry earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music from Hunter College, NY. At the encouragement of his father, he began studying piano tuning & repair. He went right to work as a professional piano tuner-technician for several NY-based piano shops in the 1970’s, eventually making his way west. In 1978, he struck out as a sole proprietor of Virtuoso Piano Service in the San Francisco area, and continued to hone his knowledge and skills. He completed a series of exams through the Piano Technicians Guild to become a Registered Piano Technician. He’s been engaged internationally in his field as a student, teacher, and mentor.
In 2012, Larry was hired as one of two campus Piano Technicians by the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University. Kamen Nikolov, Director of Production Operations, says he’s the best of his kind. “The Green Music Center has been incredibly lucky and fortunate to have Larry Lobel! Larry routinely checks the condition and has maintained the concert grand pianos to satisfy the needs of the most demanding world class performers. We regularly get many compliments on how amazing our concert pianos are! Thank you Larry!”
Larry is officially retired and still contracts with campus to keep the pianos in top condition. His legacy is that his donated piano and the dozen other concert grand pianos under his care at the Green Music Center remain in perfect condition, ready for performances to advance the Green Music Center’s mission to educate, connect, and inspire. Thank you Larry!
