Terry Harper, a man who can barely play a chord, has spent the last 40 years ensuring that countless melodies at the Sydney Opera House sound flawless. Though not a pianist himself, Harper has become indispensable to some of the world’s greatest performers, one of whom once likened him to a doctor treating a singer’s throat. His job has been to get under the lid of grand pianos and tune them with expert precision, making sure each note rings true. Over the decades, he has worked with world-renowned musicians such as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gary Burton, and the late Chick Corea. Despite his limited ability to play, Harper insists that musical skill isn’t a requirement for tuning. He recalls trying to learn piano as a child, only to give up after about a year and a half. Instead, he mastered the art of tuning, playing one key at a time to reach perfect pitch.
Now, Harper is stepping away from the keys, ending a remarkable career and closing a chapter on a family legacy at the Opera House. His connection to the iconic venue began in the late 1960s, when he was just ten years old. He toured the then-unfinished structure with his father, Ron Harper, a respected pianist who played in jazz bands and orchestras. Terry remembers the concert hall as a vast, empty space, open to the harbor on both sides, with only bare concrete terraces in place. He also recalls playing drums alongside his father, who was not only a skilled musician but also a piano tuner.
Shortly after the Opera House officially opened in 1973, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra faced a rehearsal disruption when its pianist refused to play on an untuned piano. Ron Harper was called in, tuned the instrument while the orchestra waited in the Botanic Gardens, and impressed everyone involved. As a result, he became the first official piano tuner of the Sydney Opera House. Terry followed in his father’s footsteps, getting his first chance to tune pianos at the venue at the age of 19 after completing his studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Initially, he tuned various pianos throughout the building as an apprentice. He later gained international experience with Steinway’s head office before returning to the Opera House in 1986 to take over his father’s role.
One of Terry’s long-time collaborators, renowned British concert pianist Sir Stephen Hough, has performed at the Opera House for over three decades. He equates Terry’s work to that of a throat specialist, someone who prepares his voice—in this case, the piano—so that he can perform. Terry, he says, is the reason he’s able to “sing.” Harper’s understanding of musicians’ unique needs has made him a quiet yet essential part of hundreds of performances. Concert pianists often seek a warm and mellow tone, while pop musicians prefer a brighter, more vivid sound. Regardless of style, Harper has been responsible for fine-tuning over 240 strings to ensure every piano is stage-ready.
As he approaches his 69th birthday, Harper is retiring 59 years after first walking onto the Opera House construction site, and 50 years after he first tuned a piano there with his father. His ears have been finely tuned by a lifetime of practice—he can now instantly detect when a piano is out of tune, whether he’s listening to a live performance or a recording. Even in retirement, he admits he’ll always be listening for pitch imperfections when attending concerts at the Opera House. It’s something, he says, that simply never leaves you.
But beyond the sound of the pianos, it’s the people of the Opera House that Harper says he’ll miss the most. The backstage staff, the musicians, and the many unseen workers who help bring performances to life have all contributed to what he describes as a warm and welcoming environment. For Harper, the Opera House has always been a joyful place—one where every corner carries memories, and every face tells part of a story. Even though he rarely took a bow on stage, his contribution to the music world, quietly rendered in every perfectly tuned note, has been nothing short of extraordinary.
