Professional Background

In 1985, at a young age, I decided to move from my native Midwest to Stonington, CT to work under the late David Jacques Way, owner of Zuckermann Harpsichords, Incorporated from 1970 until his death in 1994. After my brief period of apprenticeship, it became clear to Mr.Way that my skills were unusually well matched to my newly chosen profession, and I eventually became the chief technician and instrument voicer for ZHI. I also participated in the research and design of new models offered by that company, and in the technical writing of the construction manuals for the kit instruments. In May of 2001, I—with more than fifteen years of experience designing, building and restoring many early keyboard instruments for one of the largest producers worldwide—left ZHI to pursue work as an independent builder of harpsichords and clavichords.

I designed and built my first clavichord, an instrument based on the work of Hubert, in 1986, and my first harpsichord, a German single-manual harpsichord based on a 1738 instrument of Christian Vater, in 1988. Since 1988 I have designed and built several other instruments privately, including a copy of the well-known 1543 Pisaurensis clavichord in Leipzig, two Ruckers muselaars, two copies of the famous 1637 Andreas Ruckers harpsichord in Nuremberg (one of which can be heard on the recording “The Queene’s Command” by Joseph Payne), and an Italian ottavina based on a sixteenth­ century instrument in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. My work is characterised by meticulous attention to structural and musical detail, and is held in the highest regard by the cognoscenti of the early music world. I am currently accepting orders for new custom built instruments, and am also available for technical and restorative work. Inquiries are invited.