Musicians article index
This section provides news and information about leading pianists and synth musicians.
Has Susan Boyle bought a grand piano?
August 3, 2010
We’re not much into celebrity gossip at Piano & Synth Magazine, particularly when the source is a British tabloid paper, but then again we are quite interested in who gets their hands on a grand piano.
So…
The Sun is reporting that singer Susan Boyle, despite being on a £300-per-week allowance, has splashed out on a grand piano:
“Recent purchases include a grand piano, a top iPhone – worth £600 – and some new furniture from Edinburgh’s finest department store, Jenners, for her gaff in Blackburn, West Lothian.”
What amused me straight away is that journalist Gordon Smart obviously has no clue how much a grand piano costs. Note that he swoons at “a top iPhone worth £600″, yet an acoustic grand is likely to cost at least 20 times that.
If true, that’s quite some spend.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Jazz legend Chick Corea endorses the Yamaha AvantGrand hybrid piano
May 27, 2009
Legendary jazz pianist Chick Corea recently took Yamaha’s newly launched AvantGrand N3 hybrid piano for a “test drive.” Initially skeptical about the world’s first stringless piano to feature the sound, touch and action of a concert grand, the 67-year-old jazz superstar was quickly won over.
“My standard of comparison is the Yamaha CFIIIS concert grand piano with a gorgeous, beautiful sound, so I was a little apprehensive when I first saw the AvantGrand,” says the Yamaha Artist, who was recently named JazzTimes’ 2008 Artist of the Year.
“I thought, ‘look at this little thing, what’s it going to do?’ It blew me away,” recalls Corea. “I sat down and adjusted the volume to make it sound like a big piano and immediately went into reverence at the R&D department and how they pulled it off, because it’s quite an accomplishment.”
Priced at a fraction of the cost of a concert grand, the N3 features the exquisite sound of the acclaimed Yamaha CFIIIS concert grand piano in a stunning grand piano style cabinet.
Currently on tour as a member of the Five Peace Band, also featuring John McLaughlin, Corea will be making select solo appearances, including the Nice Jazz Festival in Nice, France and the Detroit Jazz Festival in Detroit, Michigan. He will also perform with Stanley Clarke and Lenny White for several dates in September.
“Once I started playing the AvantGrand and getting into the musical flow of it, I could lose myself in the music just like I like to do. I could certainly envision using this instrument in my louder bands, my electric bands.”
Fusing 21st century music technology with Yamaha’s century-long heritage of piano craftsmanship, the N3 features highly advanced sound reproduction and sampling technology, without the tuning, cost or footprint of a comparable stringed instrument.
One of the greatest challenges in creating a true acoustic piano experience electronically is to accurately re-create the vibrations integral to the playing experience. The AvantGrand Series are the first pianos to actualise the physical connection with their instrument that pianists could only experience – until now – with an acoustic grand.
Its innovative Tactile Response System transmits “string” vibrations through the keys to player’s hands. Even the foot pedal action became subject to Yamaha’s demanding criteria. In traditional pianos, resistance is created in proportion to how deep the pedal is depressed. To replicate this, Yamaha created a new, specialized grand piano pedal for AvantGrand that reproduces the finesse of acoustic pedals, duplicating the spring, friction and inertia of traditional pedals.
The placement of the four-channel, three-way Spatial Acoustic Speaker System mimics the points where the original grand piano samples were taken, while the Soundboard Resonator create a non-directional sound dispersion directly in front of the player, duplicating the subtle reproduction of the buildup of sound felt by concert pianists. These technologies combine to authentically re-create the depth of tone of the Yamaha nine-foot CFIIIS grand piano, the choice instrument of many of the world’s top musicians and performance venues.
In addition to the remarkable grand piano sound sample, the N3 also features electronic piano and harpsichord voices.
The AvantGrand N3 is slated to ship in July 2009. The AvantGrand N2 upright model will be available in September 2009. Both include a matching padded bench.
Popularity: 8% [?]
Artist Profile: Jade Simmons
May 27, 2009
Honing her musical creativity and electrifying audiences worldwide is merely the warm up for Jade Simmons. The Yamaha pianist, whose mission is to “expand the boundaries of classical music,” seeks nothing short of a musical revolution.
Simmons recently joined the Yamaha Artist roster, which includes acclaimed pianists such as Abbey Simon, Frederic Chiu, Alexander Kobrin, Oxana Yablonskaya, Olga Kern, Maria Joao Pires, Elton John, Alicia Keys, Gavin DeGraw and Norah Jones.
A musical force of nature, Simmons champions a diverse mix of repertoire from the classics to the cutting edge, designs her own concert wear, writes articles on the arts, and maintains a busy performing, speaking and lecturing schedule. Simmons will also serve as the inaugural host for the Cliburn Competition’s first interactive live Webcast later this month. This confluence of imagination, talent and drive resulted in Simmons being named as one of Ebony Magazine’s 2007 “Young Leaders Under 30.”
According to the former Miss Illinois and 1st-runner up at the 2000 Miss America Pageant, her affiliation with Yamaha “was inevitable”. Recently, when considering some of her most significant and successful performances, it became clear which brand she had come to rely on the most.
“The one thing that was consistent was Yamaha; I really believe in their product,” said Simmons. “There’s a consistency there that is lacking with other brands. There’s a comfort level there. Even when you don’t have time to warm up, when your fingers are cold, a Yamaha piano will work with you and not against you.”
The Charleston, South Carolina native recently experienced the CFIIIS concert grand piano at a recent performance Dublin, Georgia. “I was drawn to it because of the variation in colour, and the responsive action of the keys,” she recalls. “It was 4:30 and I only intended to practice 15 minutes. I didn’t leave until 7:30 when it was time to change for the performance. Despite being road weary, the instrument made me want to practice.”
“Jade is the kind of artist you formally welcome into the fold after, it turns out, you’ve been working together all along,” says Yamaha Artist Services Director James Steeber. “She makes a brilliant impression, has a presence which fills the room, and plays with authority and dedication – something which benefits Yamaha tremendously. Additionally, her outreach to young people in the name of classical music is vital.”
Simmons’ latest CD release, Revolutionary Rhythm
According to the artist, Revolutionary Rhythm reflects her affinities and influences, highlighting American composers Samuel Barber, John Corigliano, Russell Pinkston and in pieces by DBR, she is complemented by Hip-Hop beats she co-produced. She sums up the recording as “the musical story of a pianist enamored with rhythm, indebted to classical music, drawn to modern music and surrounded by technology and popular culture.”
After a recent performance at the CD launch, an admirer offered Simmons “one of the best compliments I ever received. He said, ‘I feel like am witnessing the beginning of a movement.’ That personifies what I am trying to do. I want people to leave enjoying the whole musical package.”
Since her days as Miss Illinois, Simmons has spoken across the country to great acclaim, offering humorous and inspiring presentations as part of her “Where Do You Stand?!” speaking series. “The most fulfilling part of my touring is going to schools and community centers, speaking with kids and encouraging them to find their passion.” She has appeared on a variety of radio and television programs speaking on topics from the arts to youth suicide prevention, a cause that she’s “passionate about”.
As an advocate for the arts in education, she has created a presentation entitled “Mozart on the Move” for elementary school students. “My message is don’t let someone look at you and limit you,” says Simmons, who grew up listening to Lauren Hill and Missy Elliott, and is drawn to Beethoven, Timbaland and Rachmaninoff. “I am careful to say that what I do, meaning classical music, is not better than popular music,” adding that “the mixing of genres feels like second nature to me.”
At the 2000 Miss America Pageant, Simmons performed Chopin’s Etude in C-sharp minor, Op.10 No.4 live, before a television audience of millions. In 2006, she became the first ever New Music, New Places Fellow for the esteemed Concert Artists Guild organization. Under this initiative, she helps to build new audiences and generate interest in concert music by bringing traditional and new works to non-traditional and alternative venues.
Recent engagements include Symphony Hall with the Chicago Sinfonietta, Seattle’s Meany Hall, Detroit’s Institute of the arts, the National Academy of Sciences in Washington D.C. and New York’s Town Hall, Merkin Hall and Symphony Space. A soloist, recitalist and chamber musician, her performances have been broadcast on PBS and National Public Radio affiliates. Abroad, she has performed in Spain, France, Greece, Italy and The Canary Islands.
Winner of numerous awards and scholarships, Simmons is a graduate of Rice University’s prestigious Shepherd School of Music and received her Master of Piano Performance degree as a Provost Fellow. In 2001, she completed her undergraduate work at Northwestern University, where she co-founded the popular percussion and dance ensemble Boomshaka! As a follow up, Simmons formed the progressive, contemporary Collide Trio which performs a mash up of hip-hop, electronica and art music.
Simmons is Founder and Artistic Director of The Impulse Artist Series, which provides performance opportunities and career building support for emerging pianists. “It’s increasingly important that students coming out of art and music schools to present something different and exciting,” Simmons notes. “You have to be creative. I am lucky that I found a platform that is not a gimmick, but allows me to express myself as an artist.”
Simmons’ artistic and life philosophies seem to converge in her CD liner notes, where she writes: “If we’re lucky, when we die maybe a handful of people will remember us vividly. If we’re really fortunate, we will leave this earth having made an indelible impact, having rebelled for a purpose, having revolutionized something.”
For more information on Yamaha artists or the extensive Yamaha product catalog, please visit www.yamahaartists.com.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Joseph Bertolozzi’s Bridge Music: is this one of the biggest object to be sampled?
May 9, 2009
I’ve just read an interesting article over at the Naxos blog which talks about Bridge Music, an album by composer Joseph Bertolozzi.
The composition features ten movements comprised of nothing but sounds recorded from the Mid-Hudson Bridge itself, including “Bridge Funk” and “Rivet Gun”. There’s also an “audio tour” bonus track.
In something of an irony, the bridge’s designer, Ralph Modjeski, was a skilled pianist, so it’s fitting that his engineering feat is being used for music creation.
Both as a pioneering engineer and as a musician who loved the music of his own time, I think he would be intrigued to experience this boundary-shattering synthesis involving his beloved bridge and the music of our own time,” writes Bertolozzi.
Not sure when or if the album is going to be available, but apparently “Bridge Music is available free to the public, beginning in June 2009, through Listening Stations on the towers of the Mid-Hudson Bridge and FM transmitters in waterfront parks along the Hudson River.”
Popularity: 2% [?]
Cello meets computer: Zoe Keating creates classical music with technology
May 9, 2009
There’s a fascinating article and video over at Wired.com featuring classical cellist Zoe Keating.
She uses her Apple MacBook Pro to record her cello, and then creates loops and layers based on that.
Instead of trying to get fifty cellists together in one room, she is the sole instrumentalist. In fact, it probably gives her more creative freedom – why try to organise a load of human musicians when you can do it all yourself?
It’s reminiscent of some of the work Mike Oldfield has done, building up layer upon layer of instruments.
“My music is the fusion of information architecture and classical music,” Keating says in this Wired.com video. “The way that you problem-solve in the world of technology … really lends itself to problem-solving with the kind of music that I do.”
Software wise, she uses Ableton Live, SooperLooper, and some DIY AppleScript, plus a set of ten MIDI foot pedals which can control it all.
Definitely worth watching.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Lang Lang chosen as worldwide ambassador to 2010 Shanghai World Expo
May 6, 2009
Superstar Chinese pianist Lang Lang has been chosen as one of three official worldwide Ambassadors for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, alongside NBA player Yao Ming and the actor Jackie Chan.
Lang Lang, the most popular contemporary classical musician in the world, will be involved in various Expo activities including the opening ceremony, music videos promoting the event, plus various marketing and promotional activities.
The theme of this year’s Expo, which takes place from May 1st through October 31st, is “Better City, Better Life”.
By dedicating a 3.28-square-mile area at the core of the city to exhibitions, events, and forums on this theme, Shanghai hopes to build a powerful and lasting pilot example of sustainable and harmonious urban living. Officials anticipate that more than 70 million people will visit the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.
Popularity: 3% [?]
iPhone musician to play Wembley Stadium
April 29, 2009
When the iPhone was first launched it didn’t immediately jump up and shout about its music creation credentials. Sure, it’s an iPod, but that’s really about playback of music — the closest I really expected it to get to music creation was by hooking two or more together with some digital decks and DJing with them.
Nevertheless, two years on and with third-party applications aplenty, the iPhone has such gems as Star Guitar, noise.io, PaklSound1, Bloom, SynthPond, and numerous other music composition and synth creation tools.
Perhaps, then, it’s no surprise that the iPhone will be the gadget star of forthcoming concerts at Wembley Stadium:
The London Evening Standard reports:
Singer, songwriter and producer Gary Go will be playing his iPhone instead of guitars and drums at a series of Take That concerts in July.
Go, 24 – real name Gary Baker – has already written several tracks for his first album using software downloaded to the phone. He used it to recreate guitars, drums, piano and horn sections.
All the demos for his album were laid down using a virtual four-track recording studio installed on his phone.
“I think it’s pretty amazing that I’m going to be using a mobile phone on stage at Wembley Stadium in front of so many people. I grew up behind the stadium, and used to listen to concerts in my back garden, ” said Go, whose single Open Arms is released on 11 May.
“My biggest worry is that my phone will ring mid-song.”
We’ll be ramping up our coverage of iPhone musical apps over the coming weeks, because (particularly for a mobile phone/entertainment device) there’s some pretty nifty bits of software available to complement or even replace recording studio and live performance gear and PC software.
Popularity: 3% [?]
Classical piano improvisation is the order from Gabriela Montero
March 31, 2009
While there’s some element of improvisation (interpretation is probably a better word to describe it) in all performances of classical piano music, pianist Gabriela Montero takes this to a different level by taking requests from the audience and improvising her show.
What might be sacrilege to some, she incorporates soap opera themes, pop music tunes and even nursery rhymes into her original works.
Sounds interesting. You can catch some of her work on her MySpace page (how many classically trained pianists have that, I wonder) or her official web site. Certainly sound like an impressively talented musician however she chooses to interpret the classics.
(Via BlogTO)
Popularity: 2% [?]
Korg announces Lifetime Achievement Award 2009: Herbie Hancock and Keith Emerson [NAMM09]
February 16, 2009
Last month, Korg announced its annual lifetime achievement award, giving the accolade to two quite different keyboard musicians.
Herbie Hancock: Jazz legend and innovator has been a musical innovator for his entire career. Not content to be pigeonholed as a traditionalist, Hancock has gained new exposure through his recent collaborations on albums such as 2005’s Possibilities, which featured vocalists John Mayer, Paul Simon, Sting, Christina Aguilera and more. And on his latest Grammy-album-of-the-year-winning release,River: The Joni Letters, he brings in guest artists like Norah Jones, Tina Tuner and, of course, Joni Mitchell.
Throughout his career Hancock has often found the right instrument for harnessing his innovative composition and performance style in Korg keyboards. But for him, it goes beyond hardware into the personality of the brand. “[The people at Korg] exhibit their care for not only their product, but also their care for the people that play their product. And their care for a bigger picture – what it can mean for music lovers. That they care about the future development of the music,� he commented.
Presenting the award, Korg Senior Product Manager Jerry Kovarsky commented, “The aspect of Herbie’s persona and career that most appeals to Korg is his constant innovation both personally and musically. He keeps searching out new inspiration, new ways of reaching out to the public, and adapts to new technology in his never-ending quest for artistic growth and personal communication. These are goals that everyone would do well to strive for.�
Keith Emerson: Prog-rock pioneer is an icon of prog-rock and a keyboard legend known for his musical sophistication and larger-than-life theatrics. He relies on Korg as his first choice. Emerson shot to fame in the late ‘60s as a member of The Nice, and subsequently went on to make his name in the progressive rock supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP). Today he’s gearing up to tour in support of his newest release, Keith Emerson Band featuring Marc Bonilla. And of course, he’ll be bringing a stable of Korg keyboards along for the ride.
“My Korg instruments are reliable and Korg has a great team that helps me out. Quite honestly, all the Korg keyboards have gone through tornadoes, they’ve gone through playing out in the open air, they’ve gone through extreme humidity and probably are thrown in the back of the truck at the end of the gig. But the next day you just plug them in and they work great. Come to think of it, I can’t remember a time when a Korg didn’t work for me!� Emerson remarked.
In presenting the award to Keith, Kovarsky stated, “Keith is the artist who made playing keyboards a cool thing to do, and became a hero to throngs of budding players throughout the years. But while doing this he also exposed his fans to classical composers and compositions, and a harmonic and musical sophistication that was unheard of in rock and popular music. We didn’t realize that we were growing artistically while we were rocking out to his thrilling performances – that’s a winning combination!�
Popularity: 4% [?]
Myleene Klass creates classical piano version of Daft Punk’s “Aerodynamic”
February 12, 2009
As part of her endorsement of hair-care product Pantene, classically-trained pianist and TV celebrity Myleene Klass has created her own piano-based interpretation of Daft Punk’s “Aerodynamic”.
View a range of products by Myleene Klass
Imagine the original track but played on a grand piano. In fact, you don’t need to imagine because the track is available on Myleene’s official YouTube channel:
What’s the piano? It’s hard to catch a glimpse, but on a couple of frames it’s possible to see that it’s a Bohemia grand piano.
The Bohemia company was founded in 1993, though it’s possible to trace its history as far back as 1871 to the town of Jihlava, when Josef Bavek, a skilled piano-maker, opened his small workshop and gave work to several local craftsmen who were to become the first of many generations of piano-makers.
In 2007, the company was officially renamed to C. Bechstein Europe, with headquarters in Jihlava, Czech Republic.
And turning to Myleene? Everyone’s entitled to their opinions, but perhaps some of the negative comments on her YouTube videos spring from jealousy, or ignorance, or snobbery based on the fact that she was in a British pop band.
Those who say that she plays “like a beginner” might like to note that she won a scholarship with the Royal Academy of Music, and subsequently graduated. She’s classically trained and has worked as a session musician. All of these prove that she is no beginner, but is in fact a talented pianist. The fact that she’s involved in a range of other activities doesn’t detract from that.
You can find out more about Myleene Klass at her official web site | View a range of products by Myleene Klass
Popularity: 7% [?]