Yamaha AvantGrand Hybrid piano impresses and astounds at annual European Piano Teachers Conference

Building on recent acclaim from Classic FM, Pianist Magazine, Piano magazine and a range of international classical artists, the much talked about Yamaha AvantGrand 'Hybrid' piano took to the stage during August at both the European Piano Teachers Association (EPTA) conference and world famous Chetham’s International Summer School and Festival for Pianists, held at Chetham's specialist music school in the heart of Manchester.

Founded in 1978 EPTA is the European co-ordinating body for piano teachers and the profession, with associations in almost every European country. Highly respected and influential, current EPTA vice presidents include Philip Fowke and Dame Fanny Waterman.

The annual UK conference rotates throughout regions in the country each year where members gather for a week of seminars, workshops and evening recitals. This year the AvantGrand was the subject of much high praise from delegates whilst the event provided a hugely important platform to demonstrate and explain the concept behind the world’s first hybrid piano to a highly influential international audience.

Opening the conference, EPTA Chair and head of keyboard at Chetham's Murray McLachlan gave a short recital on the N3 AvantGrand to delegates following which the audience were invited to play the instrument. McLachlan was extremely impressed with the richness of the AvantGrand’s tonal range, the beautiful sounds it could create in every register and at every dynamic level, and the fact that such a high quality instrument is so economical not only in terms of price, but also in terms of saving space. ‘Many of our most talented students have real issues with how to house a conventional grand piano. The AvantGrand provides a wonderful solution to this headache, and in addition is much more affordable than a comparable acoustic instrument’. Reaction was overwhelmingly and unanimously positive - most comments referring to the quality of the sound, action and response with many EPTA members expressing their surprise at these characteristics coming from a non acoustic instrument.

This was followed by an evening concert with the extraordinary virtuoso pianist and improviser Harry Harris, where the AvantGrand shared the stage with an acoustic instrument, drawing much praise from the audience. Robert Webster from Yamaha comments, "This is a major breakthrough for us, the sound of the AvantGrand in the historic Baronial Hall at Chetham's was truly phenomenal, we have been deluged with enquiries from eminent educators from throughout Europe, and are very proud to have been invited to showcase this hybrid instrument to much acclaim at this very important and influential event. All feedback has been incredibly positive with the AvantGrand having now been embraced by many of Europe's top piano teachers."

A further significant compliment was paid to the AvantGrand in the Chetham’s International Summer School and Festival for Pianists (http://www.pianosummerschool.com) when Peter Donohoe selected the instrument for part of his teaching sessions. Participants on the summer school at Chetham’s, now the largest event of its kind in Europe for piano, were equally enthusiastic and positive about the beautiful and vivid sounds which the instrument can create.

About the AvantGrand

The extraordinary new AvantGrand 'Hybrid' piano symbolises a defining moment in contemporary musical instrument development and design, opening a new chapter in the evolution of the pianoforte as innovation and tradition combine in this remarkable creation from Yamaha.

The true hybrid nature of the piano is a result of the combination of a traditional concert grand piano keyboard action - complete with hammers - and some of the world's most advanced digital audio sampling technology developed specially for the AvantGrand.

Yamaha occupies a unique position as the world's most popular producer of award winning acoustic pianos, and an acclaimed pioneer in the area of digital audio. The company has a history of piano craftsmanship and production spanning over 100 years, and the AvantGrand characterizes this legacy; a remarkable instrument that combines the very best elements of the traditional piano with futuristic state-of-the-art digital audio technology.