It was announced last week that the renowned Australian piano technician Ara Vartoukian had died. He was 64.

“He truly embodied the values of kindness, hard work, strength, resilience, and dedication to his family and craft” wrote his wife Nyree Vartoukian in a social media post.

Ara Vartoukian, 1960–2024

The son of migrants from Armenia and a pianist from an early age, Vartoukian grew up in Sydney and undertook the Piano Tuning and Technology Course at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He completed the course in 1978, having obtained the highest marks of any graduate and setting a record for the most accurate tuning within the school.

Within five years, Vartoukian was appointed the position of head lecturer at the School of Piano Tuning & Technology at the Conservatorium, a position he held until 1985.

Studying in overseas piano factories including those of as Yamaha, Bechstein, Steinway & Sons (Hamburg & New York), Bösendorfer and Baldwin, Vartoukian became internationally regarded as an expert technician. Over decades, he tuned and serviced many concert grade pianos in venues across Australia and was the in-house technician for Sydney’s City Recital Hall from its inception in 1996.  He worked for several orchestras and festivals nationwide and In 2019 was Steinway’s head technician in the International Tchaikovsky Piano competition.

With his wife Nyree, Vartoukian became a noted philanthropist. In 2007, Vartoukian collaborated with the Queensland Music Festival and artist Waanyi woman Judy Watson to create the world’s first Indigenous Australian Steinway & Sons grand piano.

In 2011, the Vartoukians established the Theme & Variations Foundation to provide mentorship and financial assistance to young Australian pianists. Vartoukian was also involved with the Komitas Choir for the Armenian Cultural Society and conducted the choir for almost 30 years.

Ara Vartoukian at the City Recital Hall. Photo supplied

“Ara Vartoukian was a real gentleman musician,” said Professor Anna Reid, Dean of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

“He mentored and befriended all of the Australian tuners, advocated for the career, and supported professional ensembles, schools, international competitions, and colleagues overseas. He was a man with a gentle listening ear, a joyful humor, and an obsessive interest in all forms of music. He was a dear friend of the SCM and will be hugely missed.”

In a social media post, a spokesperson for the Australian Chamber Orchestra described Vartoukian as “a pillar of Australia’s classical music industry”.

“Ara was deeply respected amongst the arts community for his expertise and dedication to music, for which he was awarded an Order of Australia medal in 2016, and he was equally beloved for his generosity and kindness.”

The pianist Gerard Willems wrote:

“The piano world around Australia will greatly miss Ara’s talent and generosity. He always put the artist and their art first. He was so humble about what he did, and yet, we will now come to feel how much he has actually given. It will be hard – if not impossible – to fill his shoes.”

“Such a sweet, gentle man,” wrote cellist Sharon Grigoryan. “Always interested in those around him.”