Bio
| Ben Gac Registered Piano Technician |
Ben Gac was born in Los Alamos, NM. He grew up studying music, learning to
play many instruments; the piano, guitar, trombone, and harmonica. Singing
became Ben's musical passion, and he attended the Wheaton College
Conservatory of Music and received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance.
Ben attended graduate school at the Cleveland Institute of Music to continue
his vocal studies. He now resides in Forest Park, IL, and remains an active
musician in the Chicagoland area. Ben sang baritone in the Chicago
Symphony Chorus for five years.
Ben took an interest in piano technology when Oscar Roth, a fellow member at
Lombard Mennonite Church who was a piano technician, announced his plans
for retirement--thereby introducing Ben to the profession. Ben became eager
to learn more about this unique vocation--one that provides just the right
balance of mechanical ingenuity and musicality--a perfect fit for him!
Ben attended the Chicago School for Piano Technology, and quickly began
running a successful business in Chicagoland. He began doing work at the
Wheaton College Conservatory of Music, and for the piano dealer American
Music World. Less than 6 months after completing piano technology school
Ben passed the Registered Piano Technician exams--rigorous examinations
designed to test one's knowledge of piano tuning, repair, and regulation.
In the summer of 2007 Ben joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the
Boston Pops at the Tanglewood Music Festival to tune pianos. While he was
there he had the opportunity to interact with many high caliber musicians and
improve his finer, high-level, performance piano preparing abilities. Ben
gained much exposure to the intricacies of Steinway pianos while there, and
now offers specialty services in Steinway pianos. After completing his
internship at Tanglewood, Ben was subsequently offered a job from Steinway
in New York to prepare their pianos.
Ben instead returned to Chicagoland to continue servicing pianos in the
Midwest. He began tuning for the Lyric Opera of Chicago, as well as Northern
Illinois University in DeKalb, IL. Ben now tunes for the largest Steinway dealer
in Chicago, Steinway Piano of Chicago in Downers Grove, IL, and for the
Fazioli dealer Pianoforte Chicago, and continues his work at Wheaton
College--not to mention keeping up with his private clientele which makes up
most of his business!
Ben is an active member of the Chicago Chapter of the Piano Technicians
Guild; he also spends time working with the chapter's piano donation program
"Gift of Pianos". Ben has written several articles that have been published in
the PTG publication The Journal, as well as in the Chicago Chapter's
publication The Wippenpost. Ben is also certified to give tuning exams for the
Piano Technicians Guild. Most recently, he joined the faculty of the Chicago
School for Piano Technology to teach the Advanced Tuning Curriculum.
Ben is married to his wife, Christy, and resides in Forest Park, IL. They are
expecting a baby girl in September of 2010.
play many instruments; the piano, guitar, trombone, and harmonica. Singing
became Ben's musical passion, and he attended the Wheaton College
Conservatory of Music and received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance.
Ben attended graduate school at the Cleveland Institute of Music to continue
his vocal studies. He now resides in Forest Park, IL, and remains an active
musician in the Chicagoland area. Ben sang baritone in the Chicago
Symphony Chorus for five years.
Ben took an interest in piano technology when Oscar Roth, a fellow member at
Lombard Mennonite Church who was a piano technician, announced his plans
for retirement--thereby introducing Ben to the profession. Ben became eager
to learn more about this unique vocation--one that provides just the right
balance of mechanical ingenuity and musicality--a perfect fit for him!
Ben attended the Chicago School for Piano Technology, and quickly began
running a successful business in Chicagoland. He began doing work at the
Wheaton College Conservatory of Music, and for the piano dealer American
Music World. Less than 6 months after completing piano technology school
Ben passed the Registered Piano Technician exams--rigorous examinations
designed to test one's knowledge of piano tuning, repair, and regulation.
In the summer of 2007 Ben joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the
Boston Pops at the Tanglewood Music Festival to tune pianos. While he was
there he had the opportunity to interact with many high caliber musicians and
improve his finer, high-level, performance piano preparing abilities. Ben
gained much exposure to the intricacies of Steinway pianos while there, and
now offers specialty services in Steinway pianos. After completing his
internship at Tanglewood, Ben was subsequently offered a job from Steinway
in New York to prepare their pianos.
Ben instead returned to Chicagoland to continue servicing pianos in the
Midwest. He began tuning for the Lyric Opera of Chicago, as well as Northern
Illinois University in DeKalb, IL. Ben now tunes for the largest Steinway dealer
in Chicago, Steinway Piano of Chicago in Downers Grove, IL, and for the
Fazioli dealer Pianoforte Chicago, and continues his work at Wheaton
College--not to mention keeping up with his private clientele which makes up
most of his business!
Ben is an active member of the Chicago Chapter of the Piano Technicians
Guild; he also spends time working with the chapter's piano donation program
"Gift of Pianos". Ben has written several articles that have been published in
the PTG publication The Journal, as well as in the Chicago Chapter's
publication The Wippenpost. Ben is also certified to give tuning exams for the
Piano Technicians Guild. Most recently, he joined the faculty of the Chicago
School for Piano Technology to teach the Advanced Tuning Curriculum.
Ben is married to his wife, Christy, and resides in Forest Park, IL. They are
expecting a baby girl in September of 2010.
