Spettacolo
THE MAENE-VIÑOLY CONCERT GRAND
The novel instrument was developed jointly by master piano maker Chris Maene and renowned architect Rafael Viñoly. The piano's curved ergonomic keyboard matches the natural sweep of a pianist's arms rotating from the shoulders and facilitates effortless playing across all registers. The keyboard's radial arrangement is extended to strings that fan out over a much larger soundboard augmenting the instrument's capacity for nuance, clarity, and power.
Mr. Viñoly is an avid amateur pianist whose own experience and close friendships with master pianists has sharpened his awareness of the instrument's biomechanical demands and inspired his idea to curve the keyboard. In a 2016 conversation with legendary artists Maestro Daniel Barenboim and Martha Argerich , he was encouraged to develop the concept. Soon after, Viñoly sought out a partnership with Chris Maene , who had previously developed a straight-strung grand piano for Maestro Barenboim.
First, the team collaborated with noted piano kinematics researcher Renzo Pozzo , professor at the Department of Medical and Biological Sciences at the University of Udine ( Italy ), and German pianist and researcher Dr. Henriette Gärtner to determine the keyboard's ideal arc. The further technical and aesthetic development leveraged time-honored piano-building traditions, computer-aided design and acoustic modeling, and the generous feedback and support of some of the world's most prominent piano technicians and artists including Emanuel Ax , Daniel Barenboim , Kirill Gerstein , and Stephen Hough , among others.
After six years of development, we are proud to present a grand piano that exceeds our team's expectations of sound quality, ergonomics, construction, and aesthetics.
PRESS KIT AND IMAGES:
https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/yIS5zdyxPN
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Henk Swinnen , Senior Adviser
Atelier Chris Maene
+32 (0) 484 151 989
chrismaene.be
Raymond Lee , Communications Director
Rafael Viñoly Architects
+1 212 924 5060
vinoly.com