Gershwin Centennial Celebrations Feature Yamaha Disklavier Pianos Marking the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin's birth in Brooklyn, 1998 is the year of centennial tributes to this American musical genius. As a pioneering composer, Gershwin bridged the very separate worlds of classical and popular music and left behind melodies that just won't be forgotten. Evidence of his lasting appeal can be found in the many tributes planned this year. Yamaha is proud to share the spotlight at a number of events across the country featuring Disklavier® grand pianos. he Gershwin Centennial year kicked off in New England with the acclaimed Gershwin Tribute presented by the Boston Pops Orchestra in early January. "Rhapsody in Blue" ended the first portion of the program with Gershwin's own solo piano performance realized posthumously by the Disklavier. The Gershwin performance, which was originally recorded for piano roll, was converted from information encoded on a paper roll into digital data stored on a floppy disk and played back on the Disklavier. Boston Organ & Piano of Natick, MA provided the instrument for rehearsals and three concert performances. The format offered a fresh and novel presentation of an old favorite, "interesting to hear," according to Boston Globe music critic Richard Dyer. The performance also gave conductor Keith Lockhart a new experience in following the soloist: listening to Gershwin's piano roll performance, including both solo and orchestral parts through headphones, he synchronized the orchestra with Gershwin's tempos. The audience heard and saw only the solo piano passages realized by the Disklavier, as the orchestral parts of the piano roll were transferred to a silent track. continued page 2

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