I Am Somebody!: The Story Behind Ian Burgess-Simpson Pianos

Nestled in Muizenberg, next to the bridge on Beach Road, is the distributor for Kawai pianos in the Cape. We've decided to tell you this story because this is no ordinary business.

Kyle Shepherd playing a Kawai piano at our event

In September we held an event with The Kyle Shepherd Trio to celebrate the incredible individuals who pledged monthly donations to I Am Somebody!. The day before the performance was a busy one. Our amazing sound sponsors, Eastern Acoustics Pro Audio (www.eaternacoustics.co.za) spent the whole day setting up the sound system and returned early the next day to do sound check with the artists. At the same time, a beautiful baby grand piano with incredible sound was carried into the Novalis Ubuntu Institute venue in separate parts and reassembled on stage. Ian Burgess-Simpson Pianos not only sponsored this piano, they covered delivery and pick up and spent two hours tuning the piano late on a Saturday afternoon.

We realized there has to be a good story behind a company that is willing to make such a generous donation. After the event I spent some time with Ruan Strauss Kalis, Sales & Marketing Consultant and pianist at Ian Burgess-Simpson Pianos. He started by showing me around the shop. I’m a violinist, not a pianist, but as I was walking through the shop I wished I had become one because this would have been my dream come true.


A keyboard that will be refitted to a grand piano set.

Imagine room after room with pianos. A show room, repair room, storage room, a second show room filled with renovated pianos and even a warehouse... In the many rooms there are loose parts from soundboards to strings and keys. There are more pianos than you can imagine. From brand new pianos to old pianos, tiny little pianos the size of a microwave to the original upright pianos, baby and grand pianos. The pianos all come from two of the three best brands in the world, they are Kawai and Steinway pianos.

Of course behind such a miraculous operation are people with a passion for music. I asked Ruan how he got to working in such an interesting job. When he was ten years old his neighbor's daughter played piano and, in Ruan’s words, “I knew quickly that this was what I wanted to do with my life.” And so it was, Ruan explained, that he temporarily lost his social life in order to practice, compose and perform.

Ruan Strauss Kalis playing the piano.

A decade later, Ruan spent four years completing the Performer's Diploma in Music at UCT. Further, he spent two years studying for an honours degree in performance at UCT, which he did not complete, while also running a fine music radio show and working as a waiter. Then, with no teaching background to rely on, he took the courageous leap of starting up a very successful High School Music department. In the following years Ruan travelled and lived overseas and then returned to South Africa to work in various forms of marketing quality goods.

It may come as no surprise that eventually Ruan found his way back to the piano. It had been years since he’d had a piano in his house, yet working for Ian Burgess-Simpson Pianos he not only has access to pianos, he has been encouraged to play. These days, Ruan performs frequently. He is also composing an opera and will be performing his compositions to Antjie Krog’s poetry at Die Woordfees later this year.

We believe that the businesses that sponsor I Am Somebody! are as much a part of our community as the individuals who offer their support. These businesses are built and powered by "Somebody’s" who are following their dreams and creating lives of purpose. Thank you Ruan Kalis and the staff of Ian Burgess-Simpson Pianos for your support of I Am Somebody! and for sharing this story with us.