Joe Swenson
Oral History Information
Joe Swenson played trumpet in grade school and was influenced by his mother who played the piano and gave lessons. While earning his degree in trumpet performance in college, Joe worked in a local music store where his interest in piano tuning began. He befriended the store’s piano technician and worked by his side throughout his college years, then took over the tuning business a few years later. Joe also worked as a piano salesman before becoming involved with the Geneva Company, which included the brands of Nordisk and Petrof Pianos. With a background in repair, tuning and sales, Joe seemed perfect for a role in the manufacturing of pianos. He traveled to China and the Czech Republic and worked to help improve both the process of making the pianos as well as the quality. Along the way Joe became active with the Piano Technicians Guild (PTG), where he frequently provided training classes for piano techs.