Venue Information

The story of Piedmont Piano Company really begins in 1956, the year I was born. In that year my parents moved west from Washington D.C. and my father, Jim Callahan Sr., joined the French Horn section of the San Francisco Symphony, a position he would hold for over 25 years. At the time, the Symphony played just a half year schedule, and to supplement his income Dad decided to learn the trade of piano tuning. He apprenticed to Peter Wolford, one of the finest tuner/technicians in the area, and established Callahan Piano Service, his part time tuning business, in 1957. The Symphony season soon expanded to fill the year but he maintained the tuning business on a smaller scale, and as my three brothers and I grew up we became familiar with the skill of tuning and the joy of piano music. Although my piano lessons didn’t last long I played piano throughout my childhood and became fascinated by the different tones and qualities of different pianos.

In 1978, I was completing m ...