About Hubbard Harpsichords: Meet Our Staff

Meet Our Staff

About Frank Hubbard

Buying a Harpsichord

Eric Herz Harpsichords

Hubbard Harpsichords offers a full line of custom instruments based on originals produced in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. We are a small company, direct, honest, dealing in perfection according to the standards established from its beginning by Frank Hubbard (1920-1976).

Diane Hubbard, President of Hubbard Harpsichords, Inc., has been running the company since Frank's death in 1976. If you decide to purchase a custom instrument or kit, you will speak with Diane. One of the benefits of a small company is that you deal directly with the "boss."

Dr. Bernard (Bud) Fine is a member of the Board of Directors of Hubbard Harpsichords, Inc. He handles all of the initial e-mail contacts and e-mail promotional material. Again, you'll be dealing directly with a member of the Hubbard family. He is Mr. Diane Hubbard. Dr. Fine is a retired research scientist.

Hendrik Broekman is the Technical Director of Hubbard Harpsichords, Inc. Hendrik apprenticed with Eric Herz and Frank Hubbard and has been with Hubbard for more than 20 years. He is a walking encyclopedia of harpsichord knowledge in addition to being a world-class master craftsman. You will deal with Hendrik if there are artistic or technical problems involved with your custom or kit instrument.

Michael Collins, from El Paso, Texas, was trained at the Roberto Venn School of Luthiery in Phoenix, AZ. After completing a program in the design and construction of stringed instruments, he first worked at Entersound Music Company in Carlsbad, NM and later at Monroe Guitar Manufacturing in El Paso building, finishing and voicing guitars. A number of years ago, Mike visited the Hubbard shop to obtain parts for a harpsichord he was building " ... from a book." He has been here ever since.

He now is Shop Foreman having apprenticed under previous Shop Foreman Richard Riley who is now retired. Mike is particularly interested in early pianos and has recently built and sold a Viennese fortepiano after J. A. Stein and continues to restore fortepianos in his spare time. An avid music lover, he performs professionally on the guitar and also plays cello, piano and harpsichord.

Mario Donadio is from Medellin, Colombia. He trained at the prestigious North Bennet Street Industrial School, Department of Piano Technology in Boston, MA where he qualified as a Registered Piano Technician (RPT) graduating with highest honors.

During his two years in Boston, Mario worked part time in the Hubbard shop during vacations. After graduating from the North Bennet Street School, he continued his training in harpsichord making with Hubbard for two years. He then returned to Colombia to open his own shop in harpsichord building and piano rebuilding. He has also worked in Sacile, Italy, as chief voicer for the Fazioli Piano firm. A year or so ago, having acknowledged that harpsichords are his first love, Mario returned to Hubbard to stay. He is an accomplished harpsichordist.

Cesar Guidini is from Americana, Brazil. He studied woodworking technique at the Servico Nacional Aprendizajem Industrial in Sao Paolo. He then spent three years at lutherie school on a scholarship from the Brazilian Department of Culture. Cesar has also studied organ pipe construction in Minas, Gervais, as well as instrument restoration and acoustics at the Conservatorio Musical de Tatui. Before coming to the U.S., Cesar apprenticed in the shop of harpsichord builder, William Takahashi in Sao Paolo. While there he built two Italian harpsichords. Upon Takahashi's enthusiastic recommendation, Hubbard obtained a training visa for Cesar which brought him to the Hubbard shop. In his spare time, Cesar creates exquisite objets d'art in wood including, among others, an early viola and a miniature of an English Bentside Spinet.