My history with the piano began when I was about three and a half years old. I started by playing with one finger on a piano bought for my sister. Much later I entered the Paris Conservatoire, and even now, I still sit at the piano every day, and devote myself to hours of concentrated practice. Piano practice takes an extremely long time, but has absolutely no meaning if you don't practice with the correct technique. Likewise, I think that it is also important to choose a good piano. And from that standpoint, I believe that this instrument is an appropriate choice. This time I chose to play Gottschalk's "Banjo", one of the most technically demanding pieces in my repertoire, along with other pieces by Chopin and Schumann that require a rich, profound expressive ability. The fact that I was willing to attempt such pieces on this piano should give you an understanding of just how capable an instrument it is. Of course the action and the touch of the keyboard are both good, but I was very surprised by the depth of its pedaling. It responds well to subtle changes when depressing and releasing the pedals. Of course, the sound quality of the instrument almost go without saying.
You can discern exactly where the sound is coming from for the entire range from bass right through to treble, just as you can in a grand piano. The design itself is elegant, and lets you feel the sound; a "musical" design if you will. This piano possesses qualities not present in any digital piano thus far, and it would be no exaggeration to say that it has in itself created a new genre of pianos. I would like to advise all of you studying the piano, please, try to play an excellent instrument, and don't waste your time practicing the wrong way.
I firmly believe that playing the piano is an artistic act that lifts the spirits of all those who hear you; and an act made possible by the communicative abilities of us as human beings. I think that when I play the piano in front of an audience, more than demonstrating technical perfection, I am communicating with those watching and listening, in a musical, artistic way. For me, the piano is an irreplaceable partner. Music is like my wife, and the pianos my girlfriends. I believe that the piano can become your lover too.
Cyprien Katsaris
Alexander Kobrin
To be honest, when I first saw the AvantGrand in Hamamatsu I didn't really have any great expectations for the instrument. I just thought... "OK, so they've released another digital piano." That changed completely when I actually played it - I could see that this was something very special.
It possesses enough potential to be called a real piano. The touch, the sound... even though it's a digital piano it actually feels closer to a grand piano; that is, you can really feel a connection to it as an instrument.
A key aspect of playing the piano is that getting the sound you desire requires a certain amount of practice.
To put it another way, with practice, the piano allows you to create a certain level of expression.
This is just my personal opinion, but generally speaking, acoustic instruments are destined to have individual differences, and, for pianists the first piano they encounter will affect them significantly.
That's why I would suggest that this piano, with its fixed, constant standards, might be a better choice when starting out than an acoustic grand piano in anything but perfect condition. I believe the AvantGrand just has that much potential for performance. The fact that such an instrument has emerged means that more people will be blessed with the chance to play the piano. The AvantGrand offers the pianist a truly broader canvas...
With a piano, there are always the concerns of where to put it, its surrounding environment, and the instrument's expressive capabilities as a piano. I hope that when this piano is released to the world and especially to my home city of Moscow, more people will be lucky enough to take the opportunity to experience the piano. Since my father was a piano teacher, I began to learn the piano at the age of five. And before I knew it, it had become a part of my life. I really began to take it seriously when I was about seventeen.
It's no exaggeration to say that becoming a pianist was a true gift from god, but I chose to play for much more than just this gift. Playing the piano well is not like a game; it is not something that offers you quick results. Even so, I believe that any rewards gained become an invaluable part of your life. This is not so much performing on stage but sitting at your piano by yourself at home. Even now, I think that such moments are when I am happiest.
