The Piano Tuner

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https://www.sff.org.au/program/event/the-piano-tuner/

Date Reviewed: 28/05/2026

Let me start with, I am a piano teacher. I am very in love with the instrument that is the piano. I once found a beautiful but neglected piano - then two pianos - with every intention of learning to tune and restore them. However, I find out the hard truth and that is that, some pianos are just not worth saving. My piano restoration dreams aside, The Piano Tuner fed that tiny ember of a dream just that little bit. 

In this documentary style film, we follow Martin as he journeys from Hobart in Tasmania north to Darwin in the Northern Territory. He meets with a number of existing and new clients along the way, tuning and fixing their pianos. Subsequently, we meet a number of pianos, with all their quirks and character that old pianos come with. Martin treats the pianos just like their owners; like meeting old friends. 

Martin’s passion and enthusiasm for acoustics is evident from the very beginning. Barefoot and completely at ease amongst nature, he listens intently to the sounds surrounding him, sensing the vibrations and isolating even the smallest nuances to the ear. His highly trained ear becomes especially apparent as he tunes each piano entirely by ear, without the use of any electronic devices. Only true passion drives such levels of expertise, which shines through in this documentary style film. 

Martin brings with him tools collected from tuners past and gifts from piano-owners, and you can almost feel through the screen the community that he carries with him. I can’t emphasise enough the character layered on, in both person and instrument, that you just can’t buy in the modern world. This is history through the perspective of pianos. Which is interesting as, stereotypically, we think of European or American style musics tied to the instrument. To learn of the piano’s footing in Australian history is a refreshing take on the instrument, and one that is not commonly found in music education. 

The Piano Tuner is a subtle love letter to the piano. Unfortunately, there are too many old pianos and not enough use and worth in them to warrant keeping them all. As the instrument is slowly getting replaced by newer models or the lower maintenance digital derivative, the old, character-filled ones are left to deteriorate. History left to burn, however inevitable, is melancholic. This was an earthy film that, if you love history or piano music, would be a recommended watch by me. 

Reviewed by Juliet Morelli