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Henry Lee, 15, of Irvine, CA, attends the Irvine YMES for studies in repertoire and practice, and the Harmony Music World YMES in Fullerton, for composition. He composed “Railroad Suite,” his largest contemporary work to date, on his Yamaha C5 conservatory grand piano, and performed its 3rd movement on a Yamaha C7 conservatory grand piano in a duet with alto saxophonist, Ann Patterson. “I incorporated some experimental, avant garde styles, such as playing rhythms on the strings inside the piano,” says Lee. “The piano at the Jamboree had a mellow, warm sound, a good feel, and the sound resonated very well.”

The post-concert reception featured comments by YMES General Manager Miki Yoshimori and Yamaha Senior Vice President Terry Lewis. A birthday cake and the singing of “Happy Birthday” added a festive note to this very important milestone in JOC history.

Disklavier at
National Arts Club

 Yamaha Disklavier® DC7 piano was the showstopper at a concert held last June at New York’s National Arts Club is a not for profit organization devoted to fostering the arts. Dr. Jay Wisnicki, a long time club member, both organized and performed at the yearly event, held this year to celebrate all things New York. The Disklavier was provided by Yamaha Artist Services.

Prominent New York ophthalmologist Dr. Jay Wisnicki sits at his own Yamaha Disklavier DC3

“Every year I do some kind of major concert,” says the classically trained Wisnicki. “The purpose is for fun.”

That “fun” includes showing audiences just what the Disklavier can do, and with several hundred people in attendance at the club’s Grand Gallery, Dr. Wisnicki gave what he calls a “wow” effect using the Disklavier.

“I opened with what was a piece of software called Home Concert,” explains Wisnicki, who has a love for electronics as well as music. “It’s not just a sequencer, it actually follows you along. I set my Mac laptop on top of the piano, with the score showing, and I played “Give My Regards to Broadway.” I played with one finger, and the Disklavier followed my tempo,” says Wisnicki, who has owned a Disklavier since 1993.

He went on to demonstrate a George Gershwin CD that had been specially developed for the Gershwin series on Disklavier. “I talked about how this is actually George Gershwin’s fingering playing the piano,” he says, adding that the demonstration was “like the ghost of George Gershwin” playing at the same time.

The rest of the New York themed program featured other performers, including Marilyn Volpe along with several other cabaret singers and Broadway Kids, a group made up of young singers ages nine through 13.

PTG has Them
Learning,
Leaves Them Dancing

hen the Piano Technicians Guild holds its annual national convention, Yamaha is always at the center of attention. This year’s gathering, held in July in Reno, NV, was no exception.

Yamaha staff led some of the event’s most informative seminars, including new service support strategies for the current Disklavier® Mark III series. These were explored in two settings: “A Day With Disklavier,” an all day tutorial taught by Yamaha Piano Service Manager Bill Brandom, Piano Technical Planning Manager Terri Niimi, and Tele-Support Applications Specialist Mark Wisner; and “The Well-Connected Disklavier,” in which Wisner demonstrated the Disklavier’s MIDI and Internet capabilities.

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