Sep 1, 2026 · 30 min · 11 segments
What does it take to keep the world’s most iconic pianos alive, and sounding extraordinary? Meet Churchill Fellow Paul Tunzi, the master technician-artisan whose journey began when he pulled apart his…
Michelle AinsworthHostWhat does it take to keep the world's most iconic pianos alive and sounding extraordinary? Very few people in the world can answer that question, but Paul Tunzey AM is one of them.
But unfortunately, that method of teaching or learning is now, sadly, it's in the state of decline.
Paul is the Chair of Artists and Keyboard at the Conservatorium of Music at the University of Western Australia.
And he's prepared instruments for international musicians, including Herbie Hancock, and for band performances by the likes of Ray Charles, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson and Tina Turner.
He also has more than 40 years of experience in his field and he's fascinated by the conservation of pianos and how to ensure these fading conservation skills survive in future generations.
It wasn't just having the opportunity to see the late Queen's piano in Buckingham Palace.
What I really wanted to know is who and how are going to be looking after them into the future.
Paul's journey hasn't always been easy, but I reckon it's been pretty amazing.
I talked with Paul about his 2017 Churchill Fellowship across Europe and his mission to preserve these critical artisan skills.
This series features stories about bold thinkers bringing powerful new ideas home and changing the game.
The people we'll interview this season are all Churchill Fellows and they've been learning globally, then coming back to Australia to drive impact locally.
I'm your host and Churchill Fellow, Michelle Ainsworth, and this is the Churchill Changemakers podcast.
In this episode, we peek inside the rare craft of conserving historical instruments.
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What does it take to keep the world's most iconic pianos alive and sounding extraordinary? Very few people in the world can answer that question, but Paul Tunzey AM is one of them.
But unfortunately, that method of teaching or learning is now, sadly, it's in the state of decline.
Paul is the Chair of Artists and Keyboard at the Conservatorium of Music at the University of Western Australia.
And he's prepared instruments for international musicians, including Herbie Hancock, and for band performances by the likes of Ray Charles, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson and Tina Turner.
He also has more than 40 years of experience in his field and he's fascinated by the conservation of pianos and how to ensure these fading conservation skills survive in future generations.
It wasn't just having the opportunity to see the late Queen's piano in Buckingham Palace.
What I really wanted to know is who and how are going to be looking after them into the future.
Paul's journey hasn't always been easy, but I reckon it's been pretty amazing.
I talked with Paul about his 2017 Churchill Fellowship across Europe and his mission to preserve these critical artisan skills.
This series features stories about bold thinkers bringing powerful new ideas home and changing the game.
The people we'll interview this season are all Churchill Fellows and they've been learning globally, then coming back to Australia to drive impact locally.
I'm your host and Churchill Fellow, Michelle Ainsworth, and this is the Churchill Changemakers podcast.
In this episode, we peek inside the rare craft of conserving historical instruments.
