Louis Collins

Louis was born in 1997, in Carcassonne (the wonderful walled city in the South of France). The town is surrounded by hills and vineyards, where cicadas may be heard all summer. At the age of five, Louis took his first piano lesson. Many years later, he became a little more studious about it. Years later still, Louis moved to England, and read Geology at the University of Southampton. Naturally, the study of such an absorbing and wide-ranging subject meant limited time for music, and naturally, a musical career followed; employment was found in pipe organ building, and thoroughly enjoyed. It was during this time, that Louis purchased and restored (very slowly) his first square piano -a delightful 1829 Broadwood. Several pianos, harpsichords and clavichords later, after having broken new ground in terms of restoration practice, stringing, tuning, actions and timber instrument making generally, Louis started his own business. It was named the Collins Piano Forte Workshop, and is dedicated to the maintenance, tuning, and restoration of early pianos across France and England (including his own collection). The new workshop is based close to Carcassonne, in Rouffiac d’Aude, and will be ready to welcome projects from June 2025 onwards.