14 Aug I can’t recommend Christopher Ris highly enough for anyone looking for someone to appraise, assess or rebuild a piano.
Christopher Ris was recommended to me when I needed a professional to take a look at a rare 1890’s era Steinway B I was considering purchasing. The musician who recommended him to me told me that he was conscientious, thorough and incredibly knowledgeable. . .
The piano was finished ahead of schedule and, due to the sudden availability of piano movers, I received the piano without visiting his shop to play it. I had high expectations for how I hoped the piano would play and feel and Christopher not only met, but far exceeded those expectations. The sound was as sweet as I remembered, but the action was perfect (not too heavy, not too light), with a much more even feel across the keys. The strings and hammers were precisely balanced and the tone was rich and warm.
What I appreciated most about working with Christopher, is his eye (and ear) for details (that I jokingly told him borders on OCD!)–but that level of perfectionism is coupled with such a down-to-earth way of working with clients. He managed to distill his encyclopedic knowledge of piano rebuilding in such a way that I felt informed and able to converse about what I hoped was possible for this piano, and he was able to deliver in spades.
I can’t recommend Christopher Ris highly enough for anyone looking for someone to appraise, assess or rebuild a piano. I am so thrilled with my instrument and the work that was done and I would use him again in a minute if I ever needed another piano–but thankfully I won’t as he has helped create “the” instrument that I will have for my lifetime.