Owner/Master Technician
Dennis Chupp
Master Technician Dennis Chupp founded Chupp’s Pianos in 1975. Trained by the Michiana area Steinway service rep and concert tuner. He also received training at the New York Steinway & Sons factory and had many private training sessions with Fred Drasche, head service rep. and a 75 year veteran of the Steinway company. Dennis has over forty years of experience in the piano industry. He has served as the head technician for the University of Notre Dame and is the head piano technician and rebuilder for Goshen College. While overseeing the growing piano rebuilding operations, he continues an active piano tuning schedule assisting both home and concert clients throughout Michiana. Dennis has sold over 2,000 vintage Steinway & Sons pianos and specializes in the piano rebuilding process. Dennis is also fluent in Spanish. [Watch an interview with Dennis]
Office Manager & Book Keeper - Wife
Carol Chupp
Carol Chupp is the highly qualified office manager and bookkeeper for Chupp’s Piano Service. She assists in scheduling and helps keep everything on track around the rebuilding facility. Carol has been married to Dennis for over 37 years and she has helped manage the growing business since 1977.
VP of Operations - Son
Tim Chupp
Tim Chupp serves as VP of operations and as the Master Refinisher for Chupp’s Piano Service. Specializing in the premium refinishing process and touch up he also serves as the head woodworker. Through in-person, phone, and email correspondence, Tim helps guide our clients through their personal piano journey. He also is in charge of all piano moving and scheduling. Tim fabricates our new custom fitted pinblocks, re-bronzes plates and completes soundboard repairs. He started in the business at the age of 12 and has over two decades of experience at Chupp’s Pianos, He is a graduate of the Renner Academy and the Kawai Keyboard Academy. [Watch an interview with Tim]
Key Restoration & Piano Technician
Juliana Alves da Silva-Chupp
Juliana Alves da Silva-Chupp serves as our Media Assistant and Final Piano Assembly technician. A graduate of Goshen College, Juliana currently assists in our marketing endeavors, graphic arts projects, office management and inventory as well as many final aspects of our piano rebuilding process. This includes soundboard repair, key restoration, action construction, hardware restoration, plate lettering and overall final assembly. Juliana is fluent in both English and Portuguese.
Piano Technician
Philip Balke
Philip Balke is a piano technician who specializes in aural tuning, action regulation, action analysis, damper back action replication, action weigh-off and concert level, precision tone regulation. He is deeply interested in the advancement of the art of voicing and action regulation. Philip received extensive training from Registered Piano Technician Larry Merriman, a highly respected piano technician for the Fort Wayne, Indiana area with five decades of experience. Philip has also received extensive tone regulation training from Nevin Essex, RPT. He has been a musician for over 15 years and he is the main pianist for our numerous videos and audio recordings on our website and YouTube channel. He is an expert piano tuner and an active associate member of the Piano Technicians Guild (PTG).
Piano Refinisher & Tuner
Peter Balke
Peter Balke is a refinisher at Chupp’s Piano Service. In this position, he assists in the rebronzing of cast iron plates, executes soundboard repairs and completes the cleaning and polishing of case parts. An aural piano tuner, he has received training from Larry Merriman, RPT of Fort Wayne, Indiana. An accomplished musician, he is one of the main pianists for the video and audio recordings of our completed pianos. Peter is an active associate member in the local chapter of the Piano Technicians Guild (PTG). [Watch an interview with Peter]