At our institute, the trainees had the opportunity to experience a unique apprenticeship. Here, modern piano building meets historical craftsmanship.

In the dual system of training, the young piano builders receive their theoretical knowledge at the Oscar-Walcker School in Ludwigsburg. This is the only vocational school for piano and harpsichord making nationwide in Germany and also holds a leading role in the field of musical instrument making throughout Europe.

The practical part is provided by the Greifenberger Institute as the training company:

In a repair workshop for modern piano construction, the trainees learn everything necessary for their actual apprenticeship. This ranges from tuning and regulation to the complete refurbishment of the acoustic setup. Both handwork and working with machines are part of the daily routine.

What makes the training at the Greifenberger Institute special is the large proportion of craftsmanship using historical methods, entirely without machines. The trainees are involved in research, independently build their own instrument, and learn everything worth knowing about the instruments and their "old masters" from past centuries.

In practical work, for example, building a square spinet after J.H. Silbermann (1767), precision is practiced, which characterizes the institute. Only hand tools are used, allowing the trainees to practice the confident use of the planer, hand-hewn file, or scraper.

The apprenticeship to become a piano and harpsichord maker lasts three and a half years and ends with successful completion of theoretical and practical examinations. Students with a high school diploma can take the management assistant exam (HwK) through the additional education program offered by OWS Ludwigsburg Management in Craftsmanship.