Serbian Family Keeps Pianos in Perfect Tune

"My sister Ana handles the concert season and public relations, my wife handles the administrative duties, and I am a multifunctioning device," he jests.

After attending music high school in Belgrade, Vrbanec went on to receive a degree in piano and a Europiano technical degree.

Now 47 years old, Pianoland has been in Belgrade for all of Vrbanec's life, although business has not always been booming.

Serbia and the wider region have seen their full share of instability in recent decades.

In times of war and economic downturn, the buying and maintaining of expensive and prestigious musical instruments has not been seen as a priority for most people.

Preparations for a piano duo concert at Kolarac hall. Photo: Derek Dzinich

But Vrbanec says the market for both new and restored pianos is highly unstable in Europe in general, not just in Serbia and the Balkans.

According to data from the yearly meeting of Steinway dealers, annual sales of all pianos in Europe currently stand at a modest 15,000 compared to 25,000 in the Americas and a staggering 250,000 in Asia.

But this high degree of market volatility has only encouraged Pianoland to work that much harder to adapt to the times.

Tuning is a major part of the business. "Boris is the best piano tuner in all of Belgrade," says Stefan Cvetkovic, the public relations representative for the top pianist Ivo Pogorelic.

Pianoland services pianos for seven schools in Serbia, four in Croatia, and two in Bosnia and Hercegovina.

Despite the immense energy required for such a rigorous travel schedule, Vrbanec relishes his work and continues to find new and innovative ways to engage with the musical community.

One of these new engagements draws on Pianoland...