Fanny Gribenski

Fanny Gribenski, a historical musicologist and author of Tuning the World, dives into the fascinating and complex history of musical pitch standards. She explores why orchestras tune to an oboe and the historical variations of the A note. Discover the aesthetic and political debates surrounding pitch, from France's attempts for a rational standard to the U.S. push for A440. Fanny also discusses the 1939 BBC conference, the cultural anxieties surrounding pitch changes, and how modern conspiracies still grapple with these age-old standards.

Fanny Gribenski, a music historian and author who studies pitch and tuning, traces how the note A went from a local custom to a global standard. The conversation moves from orchestras tuning together to France’s scientific push for order, America’s role in spreading A440, radio engineers shaping consensus, and the odd rebellions that still surround musical pitch.

Fanny Gribenski, historical musicologist and NYU professor who studies material histories of instruments. She presents The Elephant in the Piano, tracing pianos through ivory, wood, felt, and metal. Short segments explore Adirondack spruce soundboards, local oral histories from Ivorytown, and why a book and podcast together deepen sensory and archival storytelling.