I have worked with Peter Salisbury for years and never cease to admire his professional qualities and to enjoy the company of this extremely pleasant gentleman.I highly recommend him to everybody who wants his (or her) grand piano taken good care of.
The Queensland Symphony Orchestra has worked regularly with Global Piano Services since 2008 when they were first engaged to rebuild our vintage Steinway piano stock. The results were exceptional. In late 2008 Cyprien Katsaris chose our ‘number one D’ for his concerto performances and subsequently licensed the broadcast from the QSO and ABC for release on CD. The excess humidity from the severe floods in 2011 affected the QSO pianos greatly and a second rebuild was necessary. GPS fitted these urgent repairs into their schedule to coincide with the upcoming Australasian debut of Evgeny Kissin. Mr Kissin had no hesitation in choosing our number one piano, which had been prepared by Peter Salisbury to his exacting specifications for this historic Liszt recital in Brisbane. After the concert Kissin asked if he could take this instrument to Sydney for his performances there. We were unable to oblige however as we had a performance less than a week later in the Brisbane concert hall with Nikolai Demidenko. Demidenko chose this same instrument for Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto and rated the instrument amongst the very best he had ever played in Australia. We will continue to work with GPS and their extensive team of Australasian and internationally acclaimed technicians to meet the demands of our distinguished guest pianists and to assist in managing our ongoing maintenance and replacement plans to ensure .
I have known Glenn Easley for 30 years and his work is recognized by myself and my colleagues as being of the very highest quality. It is hardly surprising that someone as enterprising as Glenn as well as his colleagues have assembled to form such a formidable team for this venture, Global Piano Services. Their vision should, I feel, be supported by all musicians and musical promoters, worldwide.
In 1994 the Hallé Orchestra’s long serving piano technician retired. This was at a critical moment for the orchestra, as in two years time the Hallé’s new home, Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, would open. Glenn Easley’s reputation for professionalism, conscientiousness and attention to detail made the decision an easy one and he was appointed ‘Piano Technician to the Hallé Orchestra’. Glenn met with all the international soloists engaged by the Hallé for its concerts, recordings and broadcasts and dealt with their demands with tact and the utmost professionalism. When the orchestra moved into The Bridgewater Hall, Glenn became responsible for not only the Hallé pianos but also advised the Hall’s management on a further five pianos required by the Hall. All these pianos became his responsibility and were maintained to the highest professional standards. I unreservedly recommend Glenn Easley and his associates.
Stuart Robinson
Deputy Chief Executive (retired), Hallé Orchestra Manchester.
During the 1990’s as General Manager of the BBC Philharmonic I again brought in Glenn. Inadequate instruments had meant that the Orchestra had worries recording piano concertos, but once again this situation was quickly remedied. Both of our pianos were rebuilt, and with such superb results, the BBC Studio 7 in Manchester became a favourite venue in the UK for piano recording. Evidence of the quality of this work can be heard on hundreds of BBC and Chandos recordings from 1996 onwards. In later years we purchased new pianos and were totally lead by Glenn in our choice of instrument. These selections proved to be second to none. The formation of Global Piano Services Ltd opens up opportunities for orchestras worldwide to turn around their piano situation. The credentials of all the technicians involved in GPS Ltd makes this a really formidable team in the world of concert pianos.
Brian Pidgeon
Dear Peter [Salisbury] During my career as a concert pianist, I must have given over 3000 concerts. Yet I cannot recall any instrument as magnificent and as superbly prepared as the one you prepared for me yesterday for my recital at London’s Royal Festival Hall. It was as near perfection as can be imagined in all parameters – the huge dynamic range, evenness of voicing, astonishingly sensitive response and it’s seemingly effortless ability to cope under stress. Indeed, after the lengthy recital, concluding with Liszt’s B minor Sonata, the tuning was as rock solid as two hours earlier. All I can say is a huge ‘thank you’ for your outstanding and expert work. You remain unsurpassed as top technician, and I hope I shall have the good fortune to work with you again on many future occasions as I have in the past.
It is of utmost importance that high quality concert pianos are being looked after meticulously and kept at the top level – both in tuning and regulation. I experienced many times the highest level of professional piano servicing from Glenn Easley and Peter Salisbury, and they belong to the very top of piano technicians of the world. My only regret is I cannot take them with me to every concert on my global touring!
I consider myself to be very fortunate in knowing that my own personal piano is under the watchful and talented hands of George Kolasis. His dedication and concern is displayed in the incredible sound that my instrument has in his care. I can only stress here that his talent for bringing out the individual characteristics of an instrument is absolutely amazing. Apart from my being a friend of George Kolasis, I consider him a genius with pianos.
As General Manager of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in the 1980’s, I appointed Glenn Easley to the position of our piano technician. After many years of problems with our pianos, the situation was immediately corrected. The instruments were revamped and once again played as well as the day they were purchased, the orchestra and venue gaining a reputation as having top class instruments. I was again able to book the world’s greatest pianists without any concern that the pianos would be problematical.