Pianist magazine announces new partnership with Yamaha featuring acclaimed pianist Noriko Ogawa

Pianist magazine is delighted to announce a new partnership with Yamaha featuring the world-renowned concert pianist Noriko Ogawa. Over the next 12 months, Pianist will release six unique piano lessons taught by Noriko, with each video to coincide with the new issue of Pianist magazine. All six lessons are filmed on Yamaha’s revolutionary AvantGrand hybrid pianos – three on the upright NU1X, and three on the flagship N3X grand.

Filmed at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in the heart of London, Noriko presents superlative teaching with up-close demonstrations on six contrasting pieces, ranging from Mozart’s Rondo Alla Turca to Debussy’s Arabesque No 1. Oh, and there’s a Brahms duet too! Her advice is invaluable and will help piano players of intermediate to advanced level.

Yamaha AvantGrand, on which Noriko performs, is a truly unique series of Hybrid pianos combining the true touch, resonance and response of an acoustic instrument with the numerous benefits of a digital. A piano that doesn’t settle for acoustic approximations, AvantGrand instruments have genuine Yamaha acoustic grand and upright actions. These, combined with unique technology to recreate the subtle nuances and resonances felt, and heard, when playing a concert grand leads to a truly organic playing experience.

Of the AvantGrand Noriko said, ‘Playing the Yamaha AvantGrand feels completely natural and secure.  It is wonderful to know that I could practise for hours and the piano will be absolutely in tune, the touch is exactly how I know from acoustic Yamaha grand pianos, so, there would be no surprise when you go out to perform on a Yamaha concert grand on the platform.’

Both Pianist and Yamaha are delighted to have joined forces again. They share the same vision in that they believe the piano should be made accessible to as many people as possible, whether the concert pianist professional or the returnee amateur. They have collaborated on various projects in the past, including producing three inspirational amateur piano competitions, and they continue to strive towards the goal of urging people to fall in love (and fall back in love) with the piano. They believe that these new videos will continue to inspire.

The first video will be available for all to view on 28 September in which Noriko turns her attention to Debussy’s much-loved Arabesque No 1. Here, she performs on the Yamaha AvantGrand N3X.

Erica Worth, editor of Pianist magazine, stated, ‘There’s little doubt that Noriko Ogawa loves the pieces she is teaching. Her jaw-dropping technique allows her to effortlessly demonstrate the trickiest of places, but the way in which she demonstrates the softer and more ‘simple’ moments are equally as mesmerising. These lessons are utterly engaging and a great learning tool for the aspiring pianist. I can’t wait to see what people think!’

Yamaha’s Leanne Barrell said, ‘We are privileged to have been able to combine Noriko’s talents as one of the world’s most acclaimed concert pianists with her passion for teaching. Coincidently she is chair of the 2018 Hamamatsu International Piano competition, the home and birthplace of Yamaha pianos.’

Find out more about the Yamaha AvantGrand instruments here

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