DĀVIDS KĻAVIŅŠ

-David, you are not from Latvia, although your roots are Latvian, right?

DK: I'm Latvian, but I was born in Bonn, Germany. My parents were deported to Germany; they were not refugees. This happened during the German army's retreat from Latvia when the Russians came back in 1944. After the Second World War, they were brought to Germany, met in a refugee camp, and started a family. There were eight siblings in our family—five sisters and two brothers. We grew up in Bonn, Germany, but my parents were very patriotic, cherishing Latvian heritage and culture. They made sure we were educated and understood that we are Latvians, not anything else. I attended the only Latvian high school in the West, in Münster, Germany. I was sent there at the age of 11. I call it deportation because I didn't want to leave home. This experience helped shape my revolutionary spirit because my only reaction was resistance. I spent five years at that school, and in the end, I realized it was meaningful for my development in many ways.

-Where were your parents from in Latvia?

DK: My maternal grandparents were from Tukums and lived in Riga before the Second World War. My father came from the eastern part of Latvia, Latgale, specifically Balvu novads. My parents were musically educated and inclined. My mother played the piano beautifully, which made it my favorite instrument from an early age. My father played the violin, bass, and various string instruments. You could say he was a multi-instrumentalist. As a large family, we attended church regularly, and my parents formed us into an ensemble.

At the best of times, all eight of us would be on stage together. Typically, though, it was usually five or six of the older siblings performing. I grew up with music being a significant part of my life. While I wouldn't say we were professional, music was always present in our daily lives. That was my childhood in Bonn. When I was 11, I was sent to a Latvian boarding school. I returned at the age of 15, just before turning 16, and then continued attending German school for another half year. I became absolutely bored with the school program and how I had to spend my time every day on things that seemed meaningless to me. So, I decided to drop out of school. The only way to achieve this was by not attending lessons anymore. I would leave the house and go watch birds in the forest or do something else interesting until they finally kicked me out. There was no decent way to leave school otherwise, so this was the only way to succeed in getting out.

I wanted to do something meaningful, which was the reason I dropped out of school. This desire soon became evident. A family friend who was a violin maker suggested I consider piano building. He mentioned that piano builders were in high demand because it was an unpopular profession, and there weren't enough people from the next generation learning it. My father initially thought I could become a violin maker, which is why we visited the violin maker. However, he had no opportunity to educate me and no space in his workshop. So, he said, "Why don't you consider piano making?"

-Roughly, what year did that happen?

DK: That was back in 1970. In 1971, I applied to various companies, including a company in Braunschweig, which was, and still is, the largest manufacturer of pianos in Germany. They offered me an apprenticeship, and I started in April 1971. I finally finished the apprenticeship in April 1974, which means that now, in 2024, I will celebrate my 50th professional anniversary as a piano builder. That was the start of the process.

-And did you just start to work on your own at some point or did you continue working for different companies in Germany ?

DK: The only time I worked as an employee was for the first two years after my apprenticeship. I worked as a piano tuner for a piano store in Bonn. There were two big shops, and I worked for one of them. This experience allowed me to see what kinds of pianos people had at home, tuning an average of four pianos every day. Over two years, I visited hundreds of pianos. I learned about pianos from approximately the turn of the century, from the 19th to the 20th century, starting around 1900. These pianos, from today's perspective, are about 100 to 120 years old. Technically, they are like today's pianos but often worn out with various problems. However, when these old pianos are fixed, they often sound better than brand-new pianos manufactured today.

I learned that the shops were very reluctant to take care of old pianos because it required a lot of hassle and personnel for the workshop. I realized this was my niche, with close to no competition if I specialized in rebuilding pianos. My main consideration was to learn more in-depth about how pianos are built, why they are built that way, and what possibilities and options could open up. During my apprenticeship, I was told that piano development had ended by the end of the 19th century and that no further innovation was needed. I could not agree with that based on my own analysis and thinking, but I also understood that I lacked the knowledge to do more than listen and discuss.

I realized that if I focused on rebuilding, I could gain the knowledge I needed. Consequently, for about 10 years, I intensively rebuilt old pianos, taking them apart, putting them back together, and making changes along the way. For example, I would sometimes use a different string scale compared to the original. Gradually, step by step, I deepened my understanding of the acoustic piano, learning about all the elements and their interactions—particularly the significant elements for sound, such as the soundboard, the bridge, and the string scale. During this time, I eventually came to the conclusion that I needed to start building pianos on my own.

-Did you see that you can do it better and that not everything is yet said in the piano world?

DK: The main consideration was not necessarily to make a better instrument, but to create a different type of instrument. The very first piano I built was what I call a vertical concert grand piano. It's essentially a standard upright piano but larger in size. In today's terms, it's referred to as a Vertical concert grand (VCG). This concept has been established, and several of these pianos have been built. Currently, new orders are being discussed. This piano stands 4.5 meters tall, which is about 15 feet.

-Is it really the world's tallest upright piano?

DK: For sure, it is the world's tallest upright piano.

Photo by Ilmars Znotins - M470i

-Have you applied for Guinness World Record?

DK: No, I wouldn't apply because I'm not eager to be listed among such records. There are too many entries for things like eating the most pancakes in the shortest time or consuming the most sausage - honorable achievements, perhaps, but not where I feel I belong. My work was focused on improving and enhancing sound. The starting point for me was tuning concert grand pianos and experiencing their sound in large halls. Through this process, I came to the view that traditional concert pianos are simply too small. Secondly, it's not ideal for the sound to emanate vertically, to the floor and ceiling, as it is the case with all horizontal grand pianos. Simply making it bigger was prohibitive because a piano that cannot be moved poses practical challenges. So, I developed the concept that the ultimate concert grand, akin to the Formula One in the concert grand field, should be an upright piano- larger and integrated, akin to an organ if immobility is a concern.

-You mean the architecture?

DK: Yeah, in this context, where it belongs, similar to how you integrate a church organ in concert halls and churches. No one questions its size because it's impractical to move. This inspired me to develop pianos like that- large pianos. The first one, a kind of trial-and-error effort, had a frame intended to be 3,7 meters tall and two meters wide. This was in 1985 when I made the decision to begin.

-Did you already have a workshop in Germany at this time?

DK: I had a workshop, which I established in 1976. So, from 1976 onward, I was an entrepreneur. Throughout my life, apart from those two years as a piano tuner, I never worked as an employee; instead, I worked as a consultant for companies based on mutual agreements, etc., but not as an employee. In 1985, I decided to give it a try and build the first vertical concert grand piano. This instrument was completed in November 1987, and we held a public presentation with a famous pianist presenting it. The event garnered significant attention, not only locally but also from some German media. However, it was more of a one-time event because there was no continuity back then, mainly due to the absence of the internet.

I started recording CDs and established my own music label, Klavins Music, logically named. CD technology was brand new and rapidly evolving at the time. I began producing CDs featuring the sound of this vertical concert grand piano, inviting pianists to perform various programs from jazz to classical and more. However, I struggled to find enough distributors for the CDs because they didn't know where to place this unique sound that differed from everything else. Consequently, I faced a lack of support and interest, making it difficult to continue independently. As a result, I had to take a break, and the entire piano development initiative paused for more than 20 years.

In 1998, I moved from Germany to Latvia for the first time with my family—my wife and two daughters. Previously, I had a first wife and five children. Later, with my last ex-wife, we had three children, making a total of eight. We moved back to Latvia in '98. For eight years, I lived in Latvia, mainly focusing on political and public work, aiming to contribute to Latvia's transition into a democratic state and supporting its development.

-Thank you for doing this. There are so many good examples of how to build a country, right? I always wonder why they never follow these good examples.

DK: The problem was that Latvia was thrown into cold water, so to speak. The Latvian people had no experience in building a democratic society; they were starting from scratch. At the beginning of Latvia's regained independence, there were essentially two competing groups in society: ruthless careerists motivated by power and money, and intellectuals advocating for political change. Unfortunately, the power-oriented individuals quickly gained the upper hand, while the intellectuals tended to compromise rather than compete using the same aggressive tactics as the power group.

There is a brief explanation as to why these two camps emerged. Until this day, many people still have no understanding of what a judicial state or judicial system truly entails, which forms the foundation of any democracy. For instance, taking the presumption of innocence seriously is crucial. However, in Latvia, the opposite often prevails: a presumption of guilt.

If somebody in the media picks a person and alleges, "There are rumors that they are corrupt," then people tend to think, "Well, maybe there's something to it," even though nobody knows exactly what's happening. Once it's stated, it often becomes accepted as fact. This is a terrible situation that led me to contemplate how to contribute to changing it. In 2006, I concluded that there was no hope, no chance; the system was too corrupt and interconnected. This is a widespread issue in small states where familial ties intertwine with roles in the system—one family member may be a politician, another a judge, another a lawyer, and yet another a prosecutor—all interconnected, as if they were discussing matters casually in a family kitchen.

That's a non-trivial problem to change, as some argue it will take generations. However, if there is no additional effort beyond generational change, nothing will ever improve because each new generation learns from the previous one. For instance, today, newcomers entering the system, aspiring to become judges or prosecutors, enter these institutions with idealistic aspirations to uphold the law and administer justice. Yet, they soon realize that their approach clashes with the entrenched interests of the corrupt establishment. In our system, the game is played by certain rules—rules that favor the corrupt. They explain these rules, making it clear that unless you comply, there is no room for you in this system.

-I wanted to emphasize unless you work in export, which is our case. I assume it's also your case, because then you can navigate the system by paying taxes, without facing the usual issues that businesses connected with state institutions encounter.

DK: Yes, of course, depending on the sector of the economy you're involved in - like in our case - you rightly say we don't clash with any local interests, political or otherwise. For example, if you were in construction, you would inevitably encounter conflicts with various interests. This applies to any field where business interests intersect with government structures or governmental interests.

-Of course, but it is getting better, right?

DK: Yes, things are improving somewhat, but there are still notable cases that highlight deficiencies in the system. It's gradually becoming more lawful, of course, albeit slowly. This is a fact, but more needs to be done in this regard.

-So after 2006, you realized that your true passion is piano building?

DK: Yeah, definitely. In 2006, a pivotal event occurred when a man from America called and asked if I had found a sponsor for my work. By then, I had a website. He asked if I hadn't found anyone yet, and then he said, "Now you have a sponsor. I would like to support your development." That's how I fully returned to piano building. He invited me to Los Angeles, where over the course of a few days, I presented my plans, principles, and vision for instrument building, particularly piano construction. As a result, on the fourth day of our meeting, he arrived with a stack of papers and we began drafting an agreement. This marked the beginning of my five-year period working in the United States. I obtained an O-1 visa, reserved for exceptionally talented or necessary individuals, based on this agreement. I worked in the States alongside this gentleman who sponsored our work, but unfortunately, he went bankrupt during the financial crisis around 2008-2009. So, he couldn't support the work anymore.

In 2011, based on my experience in Latvia, it was out of the question for me to return there. Instead, I went back to Germany. I didn't want to disrupt my former company, which still existed in Bonn, or disturb my former employees' routines. Therefore, I moved to southern Germany and took over a piano store near Stuttgart, insouth of the university city of Tübingen, in Balingen. There, I further developed my piano-building ideas.

The Tübingen university offered me the opportunity to place the first big piano I had built, the 370 vertical concert grand, in their main lecture and concert hall at the Faculty of Musical Science at the University of Tübingen. This allowed the piano to come to life in a beautiful new location. I was able to resume inviting pianists, recording music, and offering concerts. By this time, the internet was ubiquitous, and news spread quickly. In 2012, Native Instruments published a sample version of the 370 vertical concert grand, dubbing it "The Giant," which brought considerable attention to my work.

Una Corda 64

-So you became famous!

DK: Yeah, you could say in that field of professional musicians and recording studios. This, of course, sparked considerable interest among pianists who were eager to visit and experience the piano firsthand, both in live performances and recordings. One of the most significant visits, in hindsight, was by the German composer and pianist Nils Frahm, who came to my place in Germany in January 2014 to record his music on the vertical grand piano, the M370. He recorded the beautiful album "Solo," which you still can download for free from his website.

And to commemorate this special recording, he decided to create a special event: Piano Day. This idea was closely tied to his desire to present the recording in a unique and meaningful way. Around this time, we had already agreed that he would commission the next vertical concert grand, which I had decided should be 4.5 meters tall, as I found the 370 to be too small. Nils had already agreed to sponsor this new project. In 2015, during the Piano Day event, we officially announced our collaboration on this project. I would build the 4.5-meter concert grand, and he would finance it, inviting his fans to contribute if they were excited about the project. Thus, the 450 came into existence based on Nils' initiative once again.

And then, building on the success of the 450 and inspired by the Una Corda, which is actually the most significant part of the story. The Una Corda piano was conceived in January 2014 - a small piano with only one string per note. The original Una Corda had only 64 keys and was designed to be lightweight and practical for travel. We discussed this idea when Nils visited to record his music. After explaining my earlier idea stemming from my experiences restoring pianos - where many people requested a softer piano sound even if it sacrificed volume - we decided to proceed with building the Una Corda. Nils commissioned me to build it, and without hesitation, I completed it. In June 2014, we presented the piano at the Hotel Michelberger in Berlin, on June 7th. It was a tremendous success, with enthusiastic reception from the audience, including representatives from Native Instruments. After the event, they inquired about my plans to build more and how we would proceed.

So yes, of course, if there's a demand, I would continue to build them. Native Instruments asked if they could create a sample version of the Una Corda, and we agreed. They sampled it and released it under Native Instruments in 2015. This, of course, drew additional attention to my work, and people worldwide began to learn about it. Orders for the Una Corda pianos started coming in and have continued ever since. Now, we're in the tenth year since the initial release, and we've built more than 60 Una Corda pianos, distributing them worldwide. Currently, we have around 10 new orders. This is typically the cycle we're in - after sending one away, a new order usually follows, though we never know exactly when. I believe in some divine assistance, like angels up there who know when I need a new order and help initiate connections accordingly.

Nils on his M450

-At a certain time you decided to move the whole company back to Latvia right?

DK: That was actually by coincidence, as you might say, although personally, I believe in fateful happenings. The major event began when I received an order right after we built Neil's vertical concert grand. The order came from Ventspils, Latvia, to build a similar concert piano for the city. We completed and installed this piano in Ventspils in the summer of 2019. Then, as we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. In March 2020, I had returned to Latvia.

-So the one in Ventspils was made in Germany?

DK: back then I was already in Hungary, I spent about five years in Germany before being invited to participate in a piano building project in Hungary. I lived there for nearly five years until 2020 when, in March 2020, I came to Ventspils to tune a piano for a concert. Due to the COVID-19 developments, politicians decided to close borders, cancel flights, and restrict all forms of travel. Consequently, I was unable to leave Latvia. This marked the initial event. Thankfully, I was already acquainted with local artists, the Līcīšu ģimene, who kindly invited me to their country house for what we called the "big quarantine." In the end, I ended up staying in Latvia for three and a half months before being able to return to my company in Hungary.

During this period, I realized that returning to Hungary and continuing my work there would pose significant challenges, especially since I only had two employees in Hungary.

And both of them are still in the learning phase, so they cannot work independently without me. At that moment, we had eight orders pending, and I realized I would encounter significant challenges if we couldn't catch up with the order situation while finalizing the pianos in Hungary.

Simultaneously, I had some friends in Latvia, including a guy I knew from 20 years ago whom I highly valued as an artist and specialist in woodworking, metalworks, etc. I invited him to join my team if I moved to Latvia, and he agreed. I found several other highly skilled artisans who were similarly interested. It became clear that I could assemble a perfect team here in Latvia. That's when I found the place where we are currently located. Davis is a friend of mine who I initially worked with and he knew this place, which was in a very devastating situation back then, but the owner liked the idea that we would build pianos here. So he promised to restore everything perfectly, and he did. It was formerly a truck repair facility, so we have very high ceilings, more than five meters, and large spaces.

The owner renovated the first part of the building in 2020, and then continued, resulting in a space that is now 200 square meters for the workshop and piano production, along with a 300 square meter concert hall right adjacent to the production area.

Funkhaus - Berlin

-What about keyboards?

DK: We used to import the keyboard from Germany, but the company Laukhuff, our supplier, went bankrupt in 2021. As a result, we had no choice but to develop the keyboard manufacturing process in-house. Now, we make the keyboards ourselves. The material we still need to import from Germany including the action parts, as I mentioned earlier, and the soundboard wood. This wood is a very special mountain spruce that we get from a specialized company in southern Germany. The soundboard is highly important because it is the most crucial component, quality-wise and material-wise, for determining the sound of the piano.

-So you rely on the competence of the company?

DK: They know my specifications, and they specialize in tonewood. They don't handle regular wood; they only process wood for musical instruments, such as pianos, guitars, and violins. They are aware of the specific requirements for each type of instrument. When I tell them I need a particular type of grain or depth, they know exactly what to provide. The wood they process comes from the Alps in Germany, sourced from very high regions in the mountains. This is because you need very narrow grain, which means the tree has to grow very slowly.

We have the same spruce in Latvia, but it grows much too fast, resulting in a grain that is too wide. Ideally, we would need wood from mountainous regions, but our highest mountain in Latvia is only 327 meters. To get the right conditions, we would need to raise it five times and then wait for the spruce to grow at the top.

-You do most of the science and assembly and most of the parts, including strings, right?

DK: We order the material for the strings from France and Germany, and then we do the copper winding and the entire string production ourselves. For the assembly process, we have a supplier of metal frames here in Latvia. This company provides the stainless steel frames, and they are based in Grobiņa, which is roughly an hour's ride from here.

Una Corda 64

-It's a very particular science on how to create a string, could you tell me about it?

DK: Yeah, there are certain formulas, of course, by which you can calculate or determine the physical parameters of a string, like, for example, the tension, the percentage load in terms of tension concerning the breaking point, the inner velocity of the string, and all sorts of such physical parameters. But these parameters don't mean anything if you look at each parameter in isolation. You need to be able to translate that into different sound characteristics, and that's a matter of experience only.

Since I focused on rebuilding pianos, one of my main points of attention was string scale calculation. I compared the calculations with the practical results: how does the tone sound if you determine those factors, like a certain dimension, or the string material? What's the outcome? I gained a lot of experience in that field, and eventually, I perfectly understood what kind of material, what kind of dimensions of strings, or scaling you have to use to create a certain sound that you would like to achieve. So, that's one of my earliest fields of research, where I came to understand how to do it according to the instrument you want to create.

And then, of course, creating new instruments. For example, when we created the Una Corda EL, we used a wooden structure except for the hitch pin panel, which is the panel where the strings are anchored. That's made of steel and connected to the wood design, resulting in a new design altogether. Based on my experience, I determined an initial scaling for the strings, and then we built the piano. We listened, checked, and I analyzed whether I liked what I heard or if any changes were needed.

Most of the time, if you're doing something for the first time, you need to adjust at least some parameters slightly. However, very little adjustment is usually needed. My experience and insights typically save time. I am also convinced that heavenly forces assist me, giving me the right ideas on what and when and how to do things. As a result, new pianos and new model versions we build usually work out fine on the first try.

-So whenever you create a string based on the initial specifications it never turns out to not sound like intended?

DK: String winding is a special art, you could say. It's not easy. If you were to start winding strings, they wouldn't sound right at all. Fortunately, one of my team members is very talented with delicate manual work and has learned string winding. I trained him, and at the beginning, it was pretty rough. About one-third of the strings sounded right, while two-thirds had to be replaced. But that's an inevitable part of the learning process.

You have to go through that, and eventually, the artistic and technical aspects of winding the string become perfect. Every string must sound well, though sometimes material problems or small defects can create false beats. These issues are checked in the finished piano, and if necessary, specific strings are replaced. This happens regularly.

-Is it completely manual work?

DK: Yes, we have a string winding machine. We fix the steel core for the copper strings and put it on a certain tangent. Then, we start the machine and manually wind the copper around the steel core. Everything that's crucial for the entire assembly and creation of the piano happens in-house. The only external inputs are some materials we get from suppliers and cooperation with specialists, like blacksmiths for creating steel parts. So, you could say 99% of the work is done on our premises.

-On technical nuances, do you use any software for the technical drawings or does that happen by hand?

DK: I do use software. I am not an expert in technical drawings and such. Of course, you learn technical drawing when you study piano building, especially for the Masters examination, where you need to draw a piano from scratch to finish. I learned to do this manually before computer technology became widespread. I had a huge board with rulers and everything. When computers became popular, I started utilizing computer technology. I bought the very first computer available; I was on the DOS side of computers, so I bought the Commodore 64/32. They were interesting computers.

I was looking for software that the average person can understand, like me, and I came across a program called TurboCAD. It's much simpler than other options. You can use it for nearly everything, but the entire system is not as complicated as AutoCAD. AutoCAD is highly professional and takes a long time to become familiar with all its functions. TurboCAD, on the other hand, is much easier to handle and fulfills the same tasks.

I use TurboCAD to do all the initial technical drawings. I don't draw out the piano from the first to the last line, but I cover all the technical aspects, like the design of the strings and various details needed for instructions to the team or our external partners. In that regard, I do those drawings myself.

-If someone wanted to copy your pianos and steal your business, is it possible? Or are there some hidden tricks and know-how that only come with experience?

DK: Exactly. And not only with experience but also with materials and processes that are specific to our pianos. For example, certain items are processed in unique ways during the building process, which you can’t see in the finished instrument. We use different materials that may look the same but have distinct properties. So, if someone were to copy the Una Corda, say a Chinese company decided to reverse engineer it, their version wouldn't sound like ours. You would instantly notice a very low quality in the sound, even if they did everything as perfectly as they could. The knowledge and expertise required in the design and building are prohibitive. Additionally, the industry today still doesn't produce piano builders, but rather piano technicians.

It's still the same as it was 50 years ago when I was learning piano building. You learn how today’s pianos are built, how to take care of them, how to adjust the action, how to tune them, etc. But there is no place where you can learn about the inner workings of all the piano elements and the reasons behind them. For example, the cast iron frame is a key element. In traditional piano building theory, they teach that the only way to make a piano frame is with cast iron.

However, we use only steel frames, not cast iron. The basic difference is that instead of an inner support frame, we have an outer frame that picks up the string tension. It's a completely different concept. I developed this concept on my own through logical thinking and asking myself why it shouldn't function perfectly if you use the right material, the right construction, the right design, etc.

So, step by step, I developed what we are building today and discovered that using an outer steel frame not only functions perfectly but also allows for entirely new innovative installation methods for pianos. For example, you can install any of our pianos within a concrete hall, which is not feasible with a normal piano - it would be impractical. Our pianos can be integrated into a wall as an integral part, or you can add materials to the steel frame, transforming them into unique sculptures or designs vastly different from traditional piano aesthetics. The core remains the piano, but this sculptural approach opens up countless creative possibilities for architects and interior designers. This uniqueness in our piano construction allows for creative uses that traditional piano concepts cannot achieve.

-Are there competitors or many companies experimenting in the same field, developing pianos from scratch and coming up with new concepts or something revolutionary?

DK: Extremely few. There are people who innovate, and in Denmark, there is a small company attempting an Una Corda even lighter than ours. However, I have never heard the sound of this piano live, and the recordings I've heard were very bleak, lacking quality sound. So that's the only exception I know of that comes close to what we're doing. Additionally, I have a few friends who happen to be innovating in the field. One is Wayne Stuart of Stuart & Sons in Australia, who creates super exclusive, perfect pianos, but they retain the traditional piano shape without theany “wild”, out-of-the-box features. His innovations are meaningful within the classic appearance of the piano. Another innovator is Stephen Paulello in France, who builds his own pianos and innovates in various ways while also generally preserving the traditional visual appearance. Their pianos are beautiful and unique in their own right, blending traditional aesthetics with internal inventions that set them apart. However, they are much closer to the traditional piano in terms of sound quality compared to ours, whether it's the small or the large one.

-A little bit of the company itself, how many people are involved in the team now and what are their roles?

DK: Yeah, now my team consists of six people in total, including five team members plus myself. They are all specialists, either carpenters or metalworkers, with qualifications in highly precise artisan work within their respective fields. The work is divided into specific areas: Woodworks, which involves finalizing the soundboard and attaching it to the piano, or manufacturing the keyboards. Then there's Mechanical Works, where the action is assembled, and dampers and hammers are glued into place. This process requires careful adjustment to ensure everything functions correctly.

Of course, finding professionals in this field in Latvia isn't easy; you have to train them yourself. That's why I personally trained all our team members. It's been an organic process seeing the team grow from two to five people, besides myself. I'm aware there are others interested in working with us, so if we need to expand - which I hope to do gradually - I already know there are potential candidates for joining our team.

-Roughly how long does it take to produce a piano?

DK: Typically, the entire process from order to delivery takes about six months. In the past, delays were quite common, especially when we had to include and newly establish keyboard manufacturing, which added significant time - almost a year or so in total for delivery. Now that everything is in place and the workflow is well-established, we can fulfill orders for small pianos in six months or less.

-If not confidential, how many pianos per year can you create?

DK: Currently, we produce about 25 pianos per year. I anticipate that we will need to expand this capacity once we become better known in markets where we are still relatively unknown, such as Japan. Last year, we established a branch in Tokyo and engaged with a top-class pianists to represent our company. It takes time to build recognition and generate interest, but we expect things to pick up soon. Every piano we deliver and every time one is played or used by a composer or pianist in public, it serves as valuable advertising that contributes to our growth.

-Contributes to divine intervention.

DK: Yes, absolutely. I firmly believe that divine intervention is one of the best things that can happen when you believe in it. It costs nothing, has no negative consequences, and doesn't hurt, so why not embrace it? The beauty of it is that divine forces can orchestrate things in ways we can't even imagine. For instance, all the events that led to my move to Latvia were beyond any plan I could have made. I simply had to say yes to the green lights and open doors that appeared. This philosophy extends to my life overall—I plan very little, especially when it comes to the day-to-day. For my workflow, I typically plan no more than half a day because the other half tends to unfold on its own.

-I've noticed in our business that we're a well-known company, but we still operate as a boutique synthesizer maker. Our business is deeply personal because our customers are musicians who use our instruments and know the people behind them. It's not like Yamaha, where you might not know anything about the creators behind the product. In our case, it's different. How about you?

DK: Exactly, our business is very much based on personal relationships. These connections typically develop when someone, who initially falls in love with the Una Corda sound, reaches out to me. They express their admiration for the instrument, and then I proceed to build the pianos. Through these interactions, I often form friendships with our clients. For instance, this month on the 27th of February, I'll be traveling to Paris, France, where we have a concentration of Una Corda clients — around eight or nine in Paris alone. Three or four of these individuals have even formed a Klavins fan club. We're planning to have dinner together upon my arrival on the 27th of February, purely as a gesture of friendship, not for any business purposes.

As we know, people have vastly different characters—some resonate perfectly with your own frequency, while others are completely off track. Most of our clients align with my principles and views on life, sharing an emotional connection with the world we live in. It's fascinating for me to observe these developments.

-Who are some well known musicians you have worked with?

DK: I would say among all the pianists I've connected with, Nils Frahm is undoubtedly the most famous or popular. There are also other high-profile pianists whom I can easily name. Some of them are regular users, while others occasionally use our instruments. For example, Wouter de Bakker, known by his artist name Gotye, recorded a new project featuring the Una Corda, which hasn't been released yet.

And then we have quite a few artists who may not be globally famous but are well-known within their circles. One example is Richard Sears, who regularly works with the Una Corda, though he doesn't own one himself. Another artist we've collaborated with is Hania Rani; I'm currently in the process of inviting her back to Latvia for concerts and other engagements. She's a fan of our instruments. In Germany, there are several artists doing similar things to Niels Frahm, using or recording as fans of our latest releases. We've recently received requests from some quite famous musicians, and I believe it's only a matter of time before more composers, like Yann Tiersen, discover the Una Corda. Once they do, there's no doubt they'll appreciate its sound, especially in combination with their beautiful music—it's the perfect match

-He explained to me that he doesn't see himself as just a performer; rather, he's more into sampling and exploring sounds to find the right instrument. He believes that becoming famous for his soundtrack to a movie is not accurate; in his view, it's misguided to create music for a picture. Instead, he thinks pictures should be made to fit the music.

I see you have a 300 square meter concert hall. Was your vision also to invite people here to hear the instruments?

DK: Yeah, absolutely. First of all, life is much more interesting when you communicate with the people who use your pianos. If we were just building pianos and sending them away, that would be pretty boring in my view. Now, we meet the musicians who are using our instruments, and other musicians visit because they like the space, or to record on our one-of-its-kind Concert Una Corda, the M189. We also host various events, not just piano concerts, which enriches my personal life through cultural activities. Moreover, being able to contribute to the community and make people happy is immensely satisfying. Visitors appreciate our cultural events and the diverse range we offer. So, in addition to manufacturing instruments, fostering and supporting the use of pianos and other instruments is a fantastic and beautiful part of what we do.

I absolutely support and have always appreciated artists who have ideas on how to utilize our pianos in new concepts or ways. I highly value that openness; my doors are always open. We also promote an offer on Instagram called "Night Sessions," recording sessions held at night due to some outside noise during the day. Currently, our concert hall isn't fully soundproofed, but it becomes very quiet after 6 PM. Several pianists have already booked sessions for the upcoming months and weeks. It's a great way to collaborate because, for example, if someone wants to record a concert using the , this is the only place they can do it. Occasionally, we've moved pianos to Riga, such as to Hanzas Perons, for concerts, but it's not common. Usually, people come here to work and record.

-To wrap up our conversation, we agree that while you may not make plans, having a vision is crucial to achieving your goals. How do you envision yourself in the next 10 years?

DK: I definitely have a vision, and that vision entails the continuous growth of our company up to a healthy limit. For example, I don't envision the company expanding to employ 1000 people for large-scale industrial production of products or other instruments. It's not my main aim. I prefer to keep it at a size that remains manageable and overseeable. I could imagine, for instance, expanding to handle a team of 50 people instead of five. But that's about as far as I envision going. I'm not aiming for larger or more extensive growth.

On the other hand, I'm open to collaborating with serious and honest partners, even if they are in China. For instance, if a Chinese company expressed interest in acquiring a license to produce and sell our pianos in China, I would consider assisting them in establishing this venture. I don't see it as a risk because the pianos we produce at our location will always remain the original Klavins pianos. Therefore, I don't see others who make similar instruments as direct competitors. I am completely open to various kinds of collaboration.

Depending on how the order situation for the Una Corda evolves, that will mainly determine the company's growth. The larger pianos could also be a game changer, depending on demand. Recently, I discussed with a friend who is actively promoting the concept of vertical concert grand pianos. We have plans to build 10 more such pianos. Realistically, I need to be personally involved in building the 450 pianos and the vertical grands, as my team can already build Una Corda pianos independently. Given my age, which, of course, I'm approaching 70 this year, but look at me, I'm far from your typical 70-year-old guy. So, my plan is to remain active until I'm 90. When I retire, I plan to spend another 20 years writing books, giving advice, traveling, and enjoying all kinds of wonderful experiences. My goal is to reach around 110 years old, if God is willing and supports my journey. However, I have to remain realistic about it.

So, depending on how that situation develops, it will also determine in part the speed and type of growth of the company. Growing the company is, of course, a major interest of mine, for sure.

-But please let's do it in Latvia.

DK: Of course, I will never, ever move away from Kuldīga. I have done enough traveling. This is the most beautiful place to live, work, and be. I feel at home here. It's the perfect setup. Thank you, and good luck with your business and vision. You're more than welcome here anytime.-

-Thank you!