the music arm of Riihiluoma's gift-oriented store in Hamilton.

They have purchased all Riihiluoma's music inventory and set up Pianos Plus inside the new Creative Interiors shopping mall at 129, Front Street.

Riihiluoma's will use its additional space at its Queen Street location to concentrate on its core business of retailing T-shirts and other gifts for tourists.

Pianos Plus is the exclusive local agent for musical products manufactured by Yamaha, for whom Mr. Shechtman is a certified technician.

Mr. Shechtman, who has backed the likes of Sammy Davis, Jr., Diana Ross and Tony Bennett on trumpet, was Riihiluoma's piano technician for the last eight years. He will perform a similar role at Pianos Plus.

He said: "Riihiluoma's has been a fixture in the music business for 30 years so, in many ways, this is the passing of an era.'' American-born Mr. Shechtman is a former music school teacher in New Jersey and came to Bermuda in 1975 to play trumpet with the Ghandhi Burgess Orchestra at the Southampton Princess Hotel.

He has also worked for the Harrahs Casino Showroom Orchestra in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

Mr. Shechtman currently plays with the local band, Shinbone Alley Cats, two nights a week at the Coral Beach Club.

Mrs. Gail Shechtman has left her job as assistant manager of Darrell Travel to handle the administrative side of Pianos Plus.

Pianos Plus will deal in all types of musical instruments and accessories, including the revolutionary Japanese-made Disklavier upright and grand piano, which uses a compact disc to reproduce the sounds of some of the world's greatest pia nists, such as Liberace and jazz pianist Teddy Wilson.

"It's like having the artist perform for you in your own living room,'' said Mr. Shechtman. "It reproduces all the nuances and the touch of the pianist.'' The Disklavier retails in Bermuda for $10,395, the same price as in US stores.

Pianos Plus, which also rents out pianos, is open from 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., Monday to Saturday.

TUNING UP FOR SUCCESS -- From left are sales manager Mr. Ormond Hodgson, chief administrator Mrs. Gail Shechtman and piano technician Mr. Carl Shechtman.