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Franz Mohr

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Franz Mohr
Picture of an elderly man with a mustache and smile
Mohr in 2012
Born(1927-09-17)September 17, 1927
Nörvenich, Germany
DiedMarch 28, 2022(2022-03-28) (aged 94)
Lynbrook, New York, US
OccupationPiano technician

Franz Mohr (September 17, 1927 – March 28, 2022) was a German-born American piano technician. As chief technician of Steinway & Sons from 1968 to 1992, Mohr frequently tuned pianos for numerous leading concert pianists, including Glenn Gould, Vladimir Horowitz, Sviatoslav Richter, and Artur Rubinstein.

Life and career

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Franz Mohr was born in Nörvenich, Germany on September 17, 1927.[1] The second of three sons, Mohr's family enjoyed music; Christianity Today remarks that "Mendelssohn, Mozart, and Beethoven were as familiar as bratwurst and potatoes".[2] His father—Jakob Mohr, a postal worker—was an amateur musician who sung and played the guitar, mandolin, and zither.[2] His mother Christina (née Stork) Mohr and the elder Mohr moved the family to the town of Düren in Franz's early years.[1]

In his youth, Franz Mohr attended the University of Music in Cologne and the Academy of Music in Detmold;[3] at the former, he survived a bombing raid, which damaged the university's organ.[4] His initial music interest was in playing violin and viola, while he also played both guitar and mandolin in German dance bands.[1] While playing Dixieland jazz in dance bands, he met Elisabeth Zillikens, whom he married in 1954; together, they had two sons, Michael and Peter, and a daughter, Ellen.[1] Issues with tendonitis in his left hand compromised Mohr's goals as a violin soloist, so he abandonded the instrument.[4]

External videos
Excerpt from the 2007 film Note by Note
video icon Franz Mohr discusses his craft and career

Mohr was chief technician of Steinway & Sons from 1968 to 1992.[1]

Throughout his career, he tuned the pianos of concert pianists such as Van Cliburn, Emil Gilels, Glenn Gould, Vladimir Horowitz, Maurizio Pollini, Sviatoslav Richter, Artur Rubinstein, and Rudolf Serkin.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Barron, James (April 14, 2022). "Franz Mohr, Piano Tuner to the Stars, Is Dead at 94". The New York Times. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Johnson, Peter K. (May 20, 2022). "Died: Franz Mohr, Master Piano Tuner and Evangelist". Christianity Today. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  3. ^ Predota, Georg (May 9, 2022). "Fine-Tuning Vladimir Horowitz: Franz Mohr". Interlude.hk. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Franz Mohr was the man who made great concerts possible". The Economist. May 7, 2022. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
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