David Paul Jensen

life story

A beloved Harpsichord Maker and Artisan

David Paul Jensen, harpsichord maker, artist, and beloved husband, father, grandfather, and brother, died August 31, 2026, in Farmington, Minnesota, with his wife Janet at his side. He was 79.

About David

David was born in Fargo, ND, to Christen Jensen, a Danish immigrant, professor of bacteriology and president of the Fargo ACLU, and Virginia May Jensen, a string instrument player with the Fargo symphony and a beloved music teacher. He grew up in a house full of music, creativity, and science with his brothers Peter and Eric, and carried all of it into everything he made.

He graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul in 1968 with a degree in fine arts and a minor in music, and spent his early career as a professional photographer and photography teacher. In 1976 he built his first harpsichord. He never stopped. Over the next five decades, in workshops in Manitoba, Ontario, and Indiana, David built well over 140 instruments from scratch: harpsichords, clavichords, and portative organs, each one closely modeled on the great instruments of the 17th and 18th centuries, each one hand-painted, and no two alike. He wrote that in harpsichord making, quality “is not merely the main thing, it is the only thing.”

In 2003 David joined the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University as its harpsichord, fortepiano, and continuo organ technician, where he built, restored, tuned, and cared for the school’s early keyboard collection and lectured on historical temperaments. He was a fixture of the early music community there and left an enduring mark on the students and performers who played his instruments. Even after retiring, he was called back for years to do the jobs no one else could.

In Janet Scott, a professional organist, harpsichordist, and pianist, David found his perfect match: the harpsichord maker and the harpsichord player. They were married 33 years. He built her a portative organ, her favorite instrument, and she played his instruments in a multitude of concerts.

David was a true Renaissance man, a lover of fine food, good wine, art, and music, with a sharp, irreverent wit and a lifelong devotion to cats, who adored him back. He thought for himself, went against the grain, and stood up for human rights even when it cost him something to do so. He loved his children and grandchildren fiercely, and taught them to do the same.

He is survived by his wife, Janet Scott; his daughters, Cathrine (Trina) Corrao and Laura Jensen; his stepson, Matthew Offer; his granddaughters, Ariel Wright and Sophia Corrao; and his brother, Peter Jensen, and Peter’s wife, Gail. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Eric.

A celebration of David’s life will take place on Sunday, September 27 at The Legacy of Farmington Retirement Community, 22300 Denmark Avenue, Farmington, MN 55024. Visitation will begin at 1:30pm and the event will end at 3:30pm.

memorial service

David's Celebration of Life

September 27, 2026

Legacy of Farmington Senior Living 22300 Denmark Ave, Farmington, MN 55024, USA

Visitation will begin at 1:30pm and the event will end at 3:30pm.