Horace Greeley

Horace Greeley began his musical instruction at the age of three, studying piano with Ethel Leginska, a student of Theodore Leschetizky. Taking up the bassoon nine years later, he stopped studying piano in order to concentrate on the bassoon. He studied bassoon with Frederick W. Moritz (Principal Bassoon of the Los Angeles Philharmonic). As that study unfolded, he studied theory and composition with a student of Nadia Boulanger, analysis with a student of Heinrich Schenker; and conducting with Frederick Zweig, a former Principal Conductor of the Berlin Opera. Later, as Principal Bassoon of the Blomstedt International Conducting Workshop (held at Loma Linda University), he studied conducting with Maestro Blomstedt during the fifteen years that the workshop was held.

In support of both his study of conducting, and his growing work doing concert and recording work for Steinway, Bosendorfer, Baldwin, Yamaha, and Kawai, Mr. Greeley attended or participated in a number of Master Classes.

Mr. Greeley says: “While in part motivated by my work as a concert piano technician, my interest in piano performance techniques extended far beyond that. My own nine-year study of the piano provided the foundation on which all of my other musical work has been based. Much of the success that I have had as a musician and concert technician has been grounded by paying very close attention to the teaching and performance techniques of the artists like those mentioned above.”

Mr. Greeley began a two-year apprenticeship in piano technology in the Summer of 1966. In 1968, he began work as the concert technician for Cerritos Community College, Cerritos, CA. Quickly coming to the attention of the Steinway Concert & Artist Department for Los Angeles, in 1969 he was invited to attend seminars at both Steinway Hall and the Steinway Factory in New York.

From then until 1995, he spent an average of two weeks per year in further training at Steinway & Sons, with the time split roughly evenly between the Hall and the Factory. These trips were to take advantage of further training opportunities made available to him by Steinway and Sons. Areas of training included: design and construction, learning many specific manufacturing techniques unique to Steinway; and concentrating extensively on the concert preparation of instruments for top artists for public performances as well as for recording purposes. Mr. Greeley has also attended numerous technical seminars provided by Yamaha, Baldwin, Bosendorfer, and Kawai.

In 1970, Mr. Greeley became the Head Concert Technician for the UCLA Center for the Performing Arts, Royce Hall, UCLA; a position he held until his relocation to the San Francisco Area in 1987. In 1986, My Greeley became the technician for the Monterey Symphony, Monterey, CA; a position he held until 2018.

Since relocating to the Puget Sound area, Mr, Greeley has actively continued to provide superior service to Steinway and other find pianos. As a master Steinway technician, Mr. Greeley has worked in a wide variety of venues, supporting many artists in varying situations; and providing top-quality service to a large number of private clients.

Experience

  • - 1966 - 1968 - Apprenticeship in piano technology at California State University, Long Beach

    - 1968 - Began work as a Concert Piano Technician; initially at Cerritos Community College, Cerritos, California; and other local venues throughout Southern California for the Community Concerts organization

    - 1968 - 1987 - Mentor and advanced training with Kenyon Brown, Chief Concert Technician, Sherman/Clay, Steinway & Sons, Los Angeles, 1955 - 1995 (RIP KSB)

    - 1969 - 1995 - During this period of time, I spent an average of two weeks per year in further training at Steinway & Sons with time split roughly evenly between the factory in Long Island, and Steinway Hall, New York. These trips were to take advantage of further training opportunities made available to me by Steinway and Sons. Areas of training included: design and construction, learning many specific manufacturing techniques unique to Steinway, and concentrating extensively on the concert preparation (“fine” tuning, voicing and regulation) of instruments for top artists. People with whom I trained included: Franz Mohr, Bill Hupfer, Raymond Parada, Joseph and Ralph Biscegli, Phillip Gianocopoulous, Richie Serra, Lou Bujona, Fred Drasche, and Michael and Robert Glazebrook.

    - 1978 - 1982 - Senior Lecturer in Piano Technology, San Bernardino Valley College -Developed curriculum, budget and course material, and taught courses for the Certificate Program in Piano Technology at San Bernardino Valley College, which was licensed and approved by the California State Board of Education, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and the United States Department of Veterans’ Affairs

    - 1985 - Yamaha Little Red Schoolhouse and Disklavier training, Los Angeles.

    - 1970 - 1987 - Head Concert Technician for the Center for the Performing Arts Royce Hall, UCLA

    - 1970 - 1985 - Sherman, Clay & Co, Los Angeles: New and used Steinway piano prep, as well as concert, warranty; and technical services.

    - 1980 - 2018 - Developed numerous seminars for presentations for various technical and teaching groups. These were rarified classes that dealt with the tuning, voicing, and, regulation of high-visibility pianos for top-tier performers, teachers, and, specific acoustic situations. I also developed and taught additional seminars about recording acoustic pianos and other instruments.

    - 1971 - 1986 - Concert service for many other major artists, concert, and, recording venues, including: Ambassador Auditorium (Pasadena, CA), El Camino College, The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of The Los Angeles Music Center, Universal Studios Amphitheater, The Greek Theater, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Sony/MGM studios (Culver City, CA), Group IV Studio (Hollywood); and Ocean View Studios (Hollywood), among many others.

    - 1986 - 2003 - Carmel Music Society, Concert services

    - 1986 - 2003 - Carmel Bach Festival, Concert Services

    - 1988 - 1996 - Senior Piano Technician, The Colburn School, Los Angeles, CA.

    - 1989 - 1992 - Senior Piano Technician, Thornton School of Music, USC, Los Angeles, CA.

    - 1990 - 2006 - Technical services for the California State Music Teachers’ Association annual conventions.

    - 1986 - 2012 - Sherman, Clay & Co, in the SF Bay Area/: New and used Steinway piano prep and technical services

    - 1986 - 2018 - Continuing concert service for artists and venues in the San Francisco Bay Area, including The Monterey Symphony, The Paul Masson Mountain Winery; and The Flint Center for the Performing Arts (Cupertino, CA), among many others.

    - 1968 - Present - The artists, venues, studios, and organizations with whom I have worked are too numerous to list. Of Steinway Artists alone, on the official list of the over 350 Artists released for the 2019/2020 season, I have worked with nearly one-third, many on numerous occasions.

  • - Violin - Five years study with a student of Vera Barstow

    - Piano - Nine years study with a student of Leschetizky

    - Bassoon - Twelve years study with Frederick W. Mortiz, Principal Bassoon of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra

    - Theory and Composition - Five years with Morris Hutchins Ruger (a student of Nadia Boulanger)

    - Theory and Analysis - Five years with Oswald Jonas (a student of Heinrich Schenker)

    - Conducting and Score Analysis - Seven years with Frederick Zweig (former Principal Conductor of the Berlin Opera). Additional study with Herbert Blomstedt (1970 - 1985) as part of the Blomstedt International Conducting workshop sponsored by Loma Linda University, Riverside, CA University and College Education

  • - 2006 - Certificate in Anglican Studies Church Divinity School of the Pacific Berkeley, California

    - 1994 - B.S., Law University of West Los Angeles Los Angeles, California

    - 1969 - 1970 - University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California

    - Music, Philosophy, Psychology

    - 1968 - 1969 - California State University, Long Beach Long Beach, California

    - Music, Philosophy

    - 1966 - 1968 - Long Beach City College Long Beach, California

    - Music, History, Psychology

  • - 2017 - Interim Ministry Network: Fundamentals of Transitional Ministry: The Work of the Congregation

    - 2016 - Interim Ministry Network: Fundamentals of Transitional Ministry: The Work of the Leader

  • - December, 2006 - Ordained to the Priesthood of the ECUSA Episcopal Diocese of California, San Francisco, California

    - May, 2006 - Ordained to the Diaconate of the ECUSA

    - 1979 - 1987 - founding member of the Board of Directors of Arrowbear Music Camp Educational Foundation.

    - June, 1966 - Eagle Scout, with Gold and Silver Palms, Boy Scouts of America

    - 1966 - 1977 - Working in increasingly responsible positions, work as a trainer of adult and young-adult leaders in the Boy Scouts. I was particularly effective in helping disparate groups establish and maintain good communications, as well as passing on vital leadership skills.

    - 1964 - 1978 - Counselor and Senior Counselor, Arrowbear Music Camp, providing role-model leadership as well as musical training for younger campers and counselors.

  • - National Eagle Scout Association

    - Association for Chaplaincy and Spiritual Life in Higher Education

    - American Society of Church History

    - American Historical Association

    - Interim Ministry Network

    - Piano Technicians Guild

    - American Teilhard Association

    - Praxis Member, Westar Institute

  • Marcello Abbado, John Kenneth Adams, Géza Anda, Mark Anderson, Leif Ove Andsnes, Martha Argerich, Andrew Armstrong, Claudio Arrau, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Emanuel Ax, Daniel Barenboim, Leon Bates, David Benoit, Boris Berman, Lazar Berman, Seymour Bernstein, Michel Béroff, Philippe Bianconi, Jeffrey Biegel, Idil Biret, Jonathan Biss, Robert Blocker, Daniel Blumenthal, Hans Boepple, William Bolcom, Claude Bolling, James Bonn, Alfred Brendel, Yefim Bronfman, Ray Brown, John Browning, Dave Brubeck, Bruce Brubaker, Rudolf Buchbinder, David Buechner, Anthony di Bonaventura, Pedro Carbone, Judy Carmichael, Ray Charles, Zhengyu Chen, Shura Cherkassky, Gabriel Chodos, Van Cliburn, Cy Coleman, Donna Coleman, Jean-Philippe Collard, Judy Collins, Harry Connick Jr., Imogen Cooper, Chick Corea, John Corigliano, Paul Crossley, James D'Leon, Bella Davidovich, Denis Russell Davies, Monte Hill Davis, Sammy Davis, Jr., Eduardo Delgado, Michael Davidman, Jörg Demus, Jeremy Denk, Helmut Deutsch, Cipa Dichter, Misha Dichter, Barry Douglas, Danny Driver, David Dubal, Sergei Edelmann, Duke Ellington, Keith Emerson, Christoph Eschenbach, Jose Fegali, Alan Feinberg, Michael Feinstein, Vladimir Feltsman, Janina Fialkowska, Charles Fierro, Rudolf Firkusny, Ella Fitzgerald, Tommy Flanagan, Juan Perez Floristan, Claude Frank, Peter Frankl, Robert Freeman, Nelson Freire, Benjamin Frith, Tanya Gabrielian, Bruno Leonardo Gelber, Kirill Gerstein, Paolo Giacometti, Emil Gilels, Richard Glazier, Mona Golabek, Richard Goode, Stewart Goodyear, Stewart Gordon, Steven Graff, Gary Graffman, Robert M. Greenberg, Hélène Grimaud, Friederich Gulda, Elena Gurevich, Horacio Gutiérrez, Ingrid Haebler, Wu Han, Herbie Hancock, Mark Hansen, Heidi Hau, Scott Healy, Skitch Henderson, Fred Hersch, Ian Hobson, David Hollander, Lorin Hollander, Shirley Horn, Bruce Hornsby, Stephen Hough, Leslie Howard, Eugene Istomin, Katherine Jacobson-Fleisher, Ahmad Jamal, Keith Jarrett, Al Jarreau, Steven Whitfield Jett, Billy Joel, Grant Johannesen, Gunnar Johansen, Martin Jones, Quincy Delight Jones, Jr., Susan Kagan, Lilian Kalir, Yacov Kasman, Martin Katz, Constance Keene, Olga Kern, Oliver Kern, Evgeny Kissin, Andreas Klein, Zoltan Kocsis, Stephen Kovacevich, Diana Krall, Dean Kramer, Lili Kraus, Katia Labèque, Marielle Labèque, Ruth Laredo, Yusef Lateef, Michel Legrand, Tania León, Joseph Kalichstein , Robert Levin, James Levine, Michael LewIn, John Lewis, Ramsey Lewis, Dorothy Lewis-Griffith, Cecile Licad, Eugene List, Seymour Lipkin, Andrew Litton, Iwan Llewelyn-Jones, Mike Longo, Louis Lortie, Jerome Lowenthal, Brenda Lucas-Ogdon, Andrea Lucchesini, Radu Lupu, Faina Lushtak, Alicia de Larrocha, Nikita Magaloff, Juliana Markova, Wynton Marsalis, Ivan Martin, Peter Martin, Joao Carlos Martins, James Mathis, Lincoln Mayorga, Bill Mays, Robin McCabe, Brad Mehldau, Alexander Melnikov, Jeremy Menuhin, Pat Metheny, Philip Moore, Péter Nagy, Jon Nakamatsu, Emile Naoumoff, John Nauman, Marc Neikrug, Anton Nel, Peter Nero, Randy Newman, Erika Nickrenz, Christine Niehaus, Tatiana Nikolaeva, Barbara Nissman, Michael Noble, Minoru Nojima, John Novacek, John O'Conor, Christopher O'Riley, John Ogdon, Garrick Ohlsson, Caroline Oltmanns, Ursula Oppens, Gerhard Oppitz, Lambert OrkIs, Peter Orth, Cristina OrtIz, Jorge Federico Osorio, Leann Osterkamp, Thomas Otten, Kun-Woo Paik, Jon Kimura Parker, Murray Perahia, Enrique Pérez de Guzmán, Navah Perlman, John Perry, Oscar Peterson, Anna Petrova, Michel Petrucciani, Danial del Pino, Ivo Pogorelich, Daniel Pollack, Maurizio Pollini, Jean-Bernard Pommier, Menahem Pressler, Elisabeth Pridonoff, Eugene Pridonoff, Robert Pritchard, Dimitri Ratser, Franko Richmond, Gerald Robbins, Pascal Rogé, Arthur Rubinstein, Joe Sample, Gyorgy Sandor, Michael Ponti, José Sandoval, Ann Schein, Paul Schenly, Lalo Schifrin, André-Michel Schub, Michael Sellers, Peter Serkin, Rudolf Serkin, Orli Shaham, Rodion Shchedrin, Howard Shelley, Craig Sheppard, Jeffrey Siegel, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Alexander Slobodyanik, Grigory Sokolov, Josu De Solaun Soto, Laura Spitzer, Jean-Louis Steuerman, Delores Stevens, Liz Story, John Talbot, Margaret Leng Tan, Melvyn Tan, Robert Taub, Dr. Billy Taylor, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Anthony Tobin, James Tocco, Arthur Tollefson, Dubravka Tomsic Srebotnjak, Alexander Toradze, Rosalyn Tureck, McCoy Tyner, Mitsuko Uchida, Ilana Vered, Arcadi Volodos, Ralph Votapek, Andre Watts, Orion Weiss, Hélène Wickett, Roger Williams, George Winston, Oxana Yablonskaya, Christian Zacharias, Denny Zeitlin, Krystian Zimerman