Miracle in a Box with John Callahan

Week of January 30, 2027

Miracle in a Box
John Callahan introduces this 56-minute video, narrated by John Lithgow.  A film by Oscar-winning documentarian, John Korty. The restoration of a Steinway becomes a lyrical meditation on following the heart’s true passion in this beautifully crafted documentary. A wonderful Bay Area tale, the film traces the path of a 1927 grand piano owned by a music teacher who bequeathed her treasure to her alma mater, UC Berkeley, with the stipulation that the university ultimately reward it to “a worthy student of piano.” Before it can be given away, however, it must be restored, and here the essence of the story unfolds, as Korty follows the piano’s rebirth under the masterful care of Oakland’s venerable Callahan Piano Service.

The Secrets of the Steinway Grand Revealed
What makes a Steinway Grand so special that 98% of the pianos in Concert Halls around the world are Steinways? Concert Piano Technician John Callahan will take you inside Rancho’s Steinway Model B and show you why. John and his team have replaced every one of the 10,000+ moving parts in this instrument over the past several years. He will explain how and why – and what makes these fascinating instruments the top choice of so many pianists.

 

John Callahan, the Owner/ Operator of Callahan Piano Service since 1975, is a member of the Piano Technicians Guild and received the highest classification of Registered Piano Technician in 1978. Under his guidance, Callahan Piano Service has grown to be the largest piano service organization in the San Francisco Bay Area with over 11,000 customers including numerous churches, recording studios, recital halls, and musicians.