People choose The Piano Company
The Piano Company has been a family owned business for 20 years. Without expensive TV/radio spots or expensive display ads in the Washington Post, The Piano Company was built up from its humble origins to become the largest single showroom of pianos on the East Coast – all from a strong referral base of happy customers, teachers, technicians and musicians. Manufacturers are eager to have their products carried on the showroom floor because they know The Piano Company’s reputation of honesty, integrity and service. To understand the underlying philosophy that sets us apart, let’s take a brief look at how it all started…
Steve Cunningham learned to tune pianos while in high school and college in Tennessee. He then proceeded to “tune” his way through The University of Tennessee and graduated in 1976 with a degree in Music Education. He moved to Loudoun County in 1976 and served as band director at Blue Ridge Middle School, then Broad Run High School, where he had a talent for inspiring and bringing out the best in his students. Mr. Cunningham continued to service pianos on a part-time basis for the Loudoun County School system and for numerous private clients and churches. He began a full time service and restoration business in 1979, then opened a small retail store on Market Street in Leesburg in 1985, delivering his first piano in a horse trailer!
During his tenure as President of the Northern Virginia Piano Technicians Guild he was very intent on improving the standards of the industry; he has given seminars around the country and personally coached and mentored many tuner/technicians. The referrals from music teachers and fellow tuners came at such a rate that manufacturers began to approach Steve and suggested that he represent their pianos in his store. That was the beginning of the little store on Market Street in downtown Leesburg. Today, only a mile or so from its original location, the showroom and service department occupy a total of more than 12,000 square feet of space in the Battlefield Shopping Center near the Leesburg Outlet Mall.
The Piano Company has been a Kawai dealer ever since 1988. Meanwhile, other manufacturers began to see what a win-win situation it was to have such a well respected tuner/technician at the helm of a honest, hard-working family business. Before long Schimmel, the largest manufacturer of fine pianos in Europe, asked The Piano Company to become its factory service center for the entire U.S. and Canada. The reasoning was simple – Steve has a proven reputation for providing Service Second to None. With the work out, Steve is now in such high demand for his expert concert tunings that he services clients as far away as Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Over 90% of The Piano Company business is from referrals. Uniquely positioned in the business of selling and servicing such fine pianos as Fazioli, Schimmel, Bechstein, Shigeru Kawai, etc., The Piano Company has attracted the finest, most dedicated people to become part of its staff. Furthermore, the Company employs No Commissioned Salespeople!
Mr. Robert Purdon, who serves and Vice President and General Manager, came from a background as a music educator for 25 years, during which time he founded as association of music teachers. Robert then took his musical skills to the piano retail business where he managed a high profile Steinway dealership for number of years and won many awards in the music industry before joining The Piano Company.
Mr. Sean Brady, the Company’s Resident Concert Artist is active as a performer and accompanist throughout the Washington DC metro area. He holds a master’s degree in piano performance from Michigan State University.
The Piano Company Service Department. Unlike other companies who award service contracts to the lowest bidder, Steve insists that every technician on The Piano Company team has been certified by the rigorous testing of the Piano Technicians Guild. They are here to insure that your investment will be preserved in its optimal condition for many years to come. It is indeed rare to find in the same business both the lowest prices and the best service. Usually one or the other has to be sacrificed. But the Company maintains an uncompromised dedication to seeing that as many people as possible can afford the enjoyment and rewards of owning a quality musical instrument.
Because The Piano Company has put together an extensive packet of information to help educate its customers, and because of its expert staff, you’ll enjoy the process of making an informed decision. The packet also describes the special advantages of doing business with The Piano Company, including its exclusive fifteen (15) year warranty on all new pianos. Come discover for yourself why people say “when I found the Piano Company, I felt like I’d come home.”
