KeyAction Spring 2001: Page 2

Pittsburgh’s Piano 300 Festival Attracts 80,000

The people of Pittsburgh, PA really know how to stage a Piano 300 Festival. The ten day event held last December at Carnegie Science Center Works Theater attracted 80,000 people, making it the country’s second largest event to celebrate the piano’s tercentennial year. In conjunction with Trombino Music Centers, Western Pennsylvania’s oldest and largest piano and organ dealer, Yamaha placed three Clavinova CVP107 digital pianos in the theater-in-the-round and at Works Theater for recitals given by students of 27 area teachers.

Just some of the more than 300 participants at Trombino’s Piano 300 Festival

Performances featured 312 students, ages 4 - 80. The students were on center stage, surrounded by eight massive screens that projected their images all around the room as they played compositions representing all musical styles.

These concerts were the culmination of ten weeks of intensive student and teacher Clavinova workshops conducted by Trombino Piano Gallerie Technology Director Ken Bott. Free monthly teacher seminars were held at the store for all teachers who own a Clavinova purchased from Trombino’s. Loaner Clavinova CVP107s were provided to ten teachers, and three were sold as a result. More than a dozen CVP107s were also sold to area students and their families. All students of these teachers are eligible to perform in an upcoming “Monster Concert” slated for September.

“This Festival, and all the workshops leading up to it, established us as the technology experts in the city,” says Trombino Music Centers Vice President Patricia Neeper. “Every child and every piano teacher had one-on-one time with Ken prior to Piano 300.”

“Some were already ‘tech-friendly,’ but the vast majority were new to technology,” she adds. “The parents absolutely loved the entire offering. We have a huge scrapbook with pictures from Piano 300 and even now, almost three months later, we receive at least one photo daily from a proud parent. All this goodwill has tremendously expanded Trombino’s data base for future events,” Neeper adds.

“It was a lot of fun, a lot of hard work, and great exposure for our stores,” Neeper continues. “The Pittsburgh Piano Teachers Association was heavily involved, and we even saw some very classically oriented teachers ‘convert’ to Clavinova digital pianos. They really appreciate having the ability to orchestrate on the Clavinova.”

A full range of high-tech piano workshops, Yamaha piano displays, and concert programs attracted 8,000 people each day. Extensive coverage by CBS, NBC, and Pittsburgh’s KDKA television station helped create and sustain the buzz surrounding the exciting landmark event. And, once the crowds arrived, they couldn’t help but be amazed by the “special effects” that became the trademark of the Festival: fog machines, light shows, and an awesome 3D planetary show coalesced to enhance the universally high-tech musical atmosphere. “It was very, very cool,” Neeper exclaims.

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