Specialties
Robert Lowrey Piano Experts is Canada's premier piano sales, restoration and service facility. For over thirty years, Robert Lowrey's highly trained piano experts have proudly served the community from its central location in Toronto.
In many parts of Canada, it's difficult to see any new pianos at all - at best, you'll find only a modest selection of entry-level models. When you visit Toronto, it's an eye-opening experience to visit to Robert Lowrey! You'll not only see Canada's largest selection of the world's very finest pianos, but also have the opportunity to see how pianos are built, maintained and refinished in the amazing piano workshops - just ask for a tour!. You will never see more pianos, carefully selected to be the very best value, from inexpensive, quality uprights to hand-built concert instruments. To quote Peter Oundjian, Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, "if a piano is going to be part of your home, you must visit Robert Lowrey."
History
Established in 1978.
Robert Lowrey began doing piano repair and rebuilding in the family garage. Then when a space previously occupied by the Leaside Post Office became available, he rented it and opened a small shop. Shortly thereafter, the Heintzman piano factory closed and he hired several piano technicians who had lost their jobs to work with him. In 1977 the Philips factory on Eglinton Avenue began to be converted in to a retail space, Rob could not resist the extraordinary location, and decided to move his operation into the 7500 square foot space.
For many years after that Rob's arts background collided repeatedly and painfully with the realities of running a business. It was not until 1984 when he married, and his wife became his business partner too, that a course was set which would make Robert Lowrey Piano Experts the largest piano retailer and piano service company in Canada, and perhaps North America.
Meet the Business Owner: Robert L.
Robert (Rob) Lowrey comes from a musical family; in fact his father was touring through Toronto and singing at Toronto's legendary Casino Theatre, when he met and married Robert's mother. It was as true in the 1930's as it is today, that making a living as a musician can be very difficult, so Rob's dad began to tune pianos to supplement his income.
Fast forward to the early 1970's! Rob Lowrey was leaving the University of Western Ontario, aspiring to be a songwriter. At that time his father was diminished with Parkinson's disease, so Rob would take his father out on his tunings, and actually do the tuning, with his father correcting him. As well as being able to help his family, Rob's thought was; " if I learn to tune a piano then I can do one or two a day, make enough to live on, and have the rest of the time for reading and writing." Little did he know how wrong that would turn out to be.
