Paul McNulty

Paul McNulty (b. 21 October 1953, Houston, Texas) is a prolific Czech-American maker of historical fortepianos, husband of pianist Viviana Sofronitsky, who has lived and worked in Divišov, Czech Republic, since 1995. Paul initially studied classical guitar at the Peabody Conservatory before he grew interested in historical instruments; in 1978, McNulty enrolled in the North Bennet Street School in Boston, Massachusetts. He got a job offer as a piano technician after attending a seminar at New York's Steinway & Sons factory but ultimately decided to focus on historical instruments. Paul McNulty apprenticed for two years with Robert Smith in Somerville, Massachusetts. In 1986, harpsichordist John Gibbons invited McNulty to accompany his European tour with Frans Brüggen's Orchestra Of The 18th Century; Paul relocated to Amsterdam the same year. Following the pursuit of the best possible wood source, McNulty decided to move closer to Schwarzenberg Forest in southern Bohemia (contemporary Šumava in the Czech Republic), where many renowned Viennese piano makers sought the material. McNulty specializes in replicas of early fortepianos, most suitable for historically informed performances of authentic repertoire by C.P.E. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, and Brahms. Some of his best-known pianos include reproductions of the 1749 Silbermann, ca.1788 Johann Andreas Stein, a few instruments after Anton Walter (2) and Conrad Graf, the 1812 J.Fritz, the 1830 Pleyel, the 1868 Streicher, and many other models. He has produced over 300 instruments since 1985, shipped worldwide and used by numerous performers in the USA, England, Europe, and China, including Paul Badura-Skoda, Trevor Pinnock, Malcolm Bilson, Robert Levin, Vladimir Feltsman, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Pawel Siwczak, Katia Et Marielle Labèque, Geoffrey Lancaster, Ronald Brautigam, as well as many prominent academic institutions and concert venues, such as Harvard University, Cornell University, Stanford University, Oberlin College, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, London, Volksoper Wien, Opéra National de Paris, Conservatoire National Supérieur De Musique Et De Danse De Paris, Australian National University, Narodowy Instytut Fryderyka Chopina, Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Trossingen, Musikhochschule Köln, Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover, Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Koninklijk Conservatorium, Den Haag, Norges Musikkhøgskole, and Central Conservatory Of Music, Beijing.