Biography Pepito Arriola was born on the 14th of December, 1897. A careful investigation of his ancestry reveals that no less than twelve of his forefathers and relations have been pronouncedly musical. His father was a physician, but his mother was a musician. His early musical training was given to […]
Musicians
24 posts
We’ve just heard that Rick Wakeman is a headline act at next year’s Stone Free Festival (18/19 June 2016, O2 Arena, London). As part of the 12-hour-per-day multi-stage festival, Rick will be performing the album “The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table” in […]
Update: Just realised the post in question is nearly four-and-a-half years old. Apparently, though, it’s OK for a “scrapbooker” to make a six-figure annual salary, but not a piano teacher. We tend to let people alone here at Piano & Synth Magazine, but when we read this rant (passed on […]
Teenager Ryan Green missed out on a place in The Voice UK after he failed to secure a single vote from the four-strong judging panel at the first blind audition in the BBC’s reality show. The judges seemed torn, and due to not being able to see the 16-year-old, hadn’t […]
At first glance it may seem like an unlikely pairing – a virtuoso Chinese pianist and an iconic metal band teaming up to perform together. Yet that’s exactly what Metallica and Lang Lang are going to do at this year’s Grammy awards, being held on 26th January. “This performance will […]
Sad to announce that we’ve read confirmation that jazz/R&B/fusion/funk keyboardist legend George Duke has passed away, aged 67. Duke was being treated for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia but lost the battle yesterday (5th August), his record label Concord-Telarc confirmed. It follows a difficult year in which his wife Corine died. His […]
Yamaha has announced a number of pianists who will perform at its sixth International Piano Series to be held at The Malvern Theatres in Worcestershire, England. The series commences on 18th October with John Lill performing works by Haydn, Chopin, Beethoven and Brahms. The Malvern recital is to form a […]
Quach Hoang Nhi, aged 9, beat 21 other candidates aged between 7 and 9 in Group D of the Mozart International Piano Competition 2013, held in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday. They were marked on their ability to play a sonata piece judged to be difficult for their age. Quach Hoang Nhi […]
Daniela Liebman will make her Carnegie Hall debut this coming October, aged just 11 years. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, she began to learn the piano at age 5, and by seven she was named a winner in the eight to ten year old category at the Parnassos National Piano Competition […]
Utah-based band The Piano Guys have just released their latest self-made music video “Don’t You Worry Child (Khushnuma)”, featuring Indian vocalist Shweta Subram. It was filmed in “Little Sahara”, a desert sand dune in central Utah known for its soft white sand and beautiful Indian temple. The Piano Guys are […]
Appropriately enough for Friday 13th, we’re pleased to promote Oleg Prodeus’s album “The 13”. Although the album sits in the alternative pop/rock genre, it goes far deeper than that. It oozes class and depth, and so it should as it took the multi-instrumentalist Oleg three intensive years to complete. Listen […]
Multitalented Dane Francis Bowie provides the perfect soundtrack for the approaching summer months with “Sunny Day”, a track from his EP launched in October last year. Producing in the electronic/intelligent pop music style, his EP features a range of soaring synthesiser lines together with orchestral backing. The style is light […]
New York City based Alex Nackman is no musical novice, having five albums under his belt as well as being a proficient writer and producer, and his work takes a further turn in his latest album “This Revolution“. Taking influence from a plethora of ’90s sounds including Duran Duran, New […]
By Alan Beggerow Like many composers in the 19th century, Brahms made his reputation by playing his own and other composers pieces on the piano. From what I’ve read, he was not the most brilliant of pianists as far as technique, but he was very musical. In his later years […]
By Alan Beggerow Franz Liszt was a musical genius, as a performer on the piano, conductor of an orchestra, and as a composer. He also had a tremendous drive to succeed and be all that he could be. He knew he was blessed with talent, and he felt obligated to […]
The Las Vegas Review Journal has published a really interesting interview with Nick Rhodes, the keyboard/synth player in Duran Duran. Not only do we get a glimpse of some of his influences — including Kraftwerk, Wendy Carlos, David Bowie, Brian Eno, Bjork and Portishead — but an interesting look at […]
In crafting his latest release, The Bowie Variations, celebrated composer, pianist and session musician Mike Garson relied on the Yamaha Disklavier performance reproducing piano not only to unleash his creativity, but to singlehandedly compose and create works in ways previously unimaginable. According to Garson, The Bowie Variations was the perfect […]
In 1984, renowned piano player Chick Corea worked with Harold Rhodes in the creation of the Stage 73 Mark V electric piano. Over the next ten years, Corea and his team developed what they called the Number One, replacing hammers, developing custom electronics and creating an instrument that reflected the […]
Fred Falke, known for producing music in the French House genre, gave Music Radar a tour of his home studio. As you might expect, it’s pretty impressive. Take the tour and see his Yamaha CS-80, Roland TR-909, ARP Solina String Ensemble, Korg Trident, Univox Minikorg, Moog Polymoog, plus the all-important […]
Next Saturday, 8th October, 7.30pm, Merseyside composer Alexandra Dariescu will premiere her new piano work Mesmerism at the Pacific Road Arts Centre in Birkenhead. Mesmerism was commissioned from Oxton-born composer, Emily Howard, by the Liverpool Mozart Orchestra (LMO), to celebrate the orchestra’s 60th anniversary year. Mark Heron, the LMO Musical […]
