HARPSICHORD TRADE SECRETS

The lovely Tuscan village of Castelmuzio, not far from Pienza.

Bruce Kennedy has been passionately making harpsichords for 40 years!

This harpsichord will be used by music students in Rome.

I peeped through window of the workspace, and stumbled upon this!

This highly skilled Polish craftswoman works in Bruce’s atelier.

Bruce Kennedy’s signature, on one of his instruments.

We’re all familiar with the sparkling, unmistakable sound of harpsichords.

You certainly are familiar with the sound of the harpsichord, and would probably recognize the instrument itself if you saw one. But have you ever seen how it is built?

Last week, I was walking across Castelmuzio, a lovely Tuscan village not far from Pienza, when I randomly peeped through the window of an artisan workspace, expecting to see leather bags, wrought iron or the like… Instead, I stumbled upon harpsichords in the making!

Bruce Kennedy has been building harpsichords for more than 40 years, in Switzerland, the Netherlands and now in Tuscany. He has also founded the Piccola Accademia di Montisi, which organizes a festival each summer, as well as master classes and harpsichord lessons all year round. Find more photos of Bruce’s skills on our Instagram page!