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CAREY BEEBE

Océane leveling the lower keyboard at the Storrs Flemish Double harpsichord

Océane Charlier is a trained modern piano tuner with a great interest in early keyboards, and was highly encouraged by my Parisian friend and colleague Marc Ducornet to spend a bit over two weeks in my workshop in November 2025. Océane had obtained a First Working Holiday visa, which enables young people from certain countries to live and work here for a year, subject to specific conditions.

Océane attended ITEMM, which schools luthiers and piano technicians in Le Mans, southwest of Paris, and served her apprenticeship at CNSMDP working with tuner/technician Karoly Mostis.

As soon as she arrived in Australia, Océane found work for six months with Pianos Recycled in Melbourne, then experienced life in outback Queensland doing fencing before coming to Sydney at the end of her trip.

We had the usual variety of instruments passing through the workshop for Océane to gain experience on. A Storrs Flemish Double required many soundboard crack repairs as part of its major rebuild, and we were able to restring it using our new ø5mm historic tuning pins and commence voicing. A Zuckermann Flemish Single Harpsichord V from the mid-1970s had come into the workshop to be prepared for sale, and a small Sperrhake revival harpsichord required thorough cleaning and regulation after spending some years unplayable.

CAREY BEEBE

Océane tuning the 1796 Broadwood square piano

Concert activity regularly took us out of the workshop during her stay. After a public lecture at the State Library and a short ABC recording, Pinchgut Opera commenced orchestral rehearsals for their 2025 Christmas offering of the 1742 Dublin version of Handel’s Messiah; Sydney Chamber Choir was preparing for their sold-out Bach B minor Mass performance in City Recital Hall; and Australian Chamber Orchestra had its 50th Anniversary Concert in the Sydney Opera House—filmed for later broadcast by ABC and likewise sold out. Three different harpsichords and three different organs had to be moved and tuned to cover these concurrent projects, so Océane became very adept at the various moves and setting up of these instruments, and of course was suitably impressed by the time she spent at the Sydney Opera House.

And with so many instruments in the showroom, there’s always tuning to do. I find it interesting how modern piano technicians find their own way around early keyboards and temperaments, and Océane had fun tuning the 1796 Broadwood square piano which was shortly to have an outing to NSW Parliament House to celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday with a rare Austen book display and elegant high tea overlooking The Domain.

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