In addition to its impressive collection of concert instruments, BYU recently acquired a state-of-the-art Yamaha Disklavier, which has enabled the piano department to conduct masterclasses literally across the world. Most recently, BYU students used the Disklavier to collaborate with esteemed artist Frederic Chiu, who coached students from over 2,000 miles away in New York City.
One of the participating students, Alice Hyoung, responded, “I was amazed by the way Mr. Chiu described the nature of the piano. He helped me to understand that the performer’s job is to create an impression. We discussed the ways in which that is possible. I left with a greater desire to connect my whole mind and body to my music in order to present a more effective impression.”
For Nathan Schaumann (another participating student), Chiu’s extensive instruction on pedaling could hardly have been possible from such a distance without this incredible instrument. According to the Yamaha designers, the pedals on the Disklavier measure over 200 degrees of depth, enabling performers on both corresponding pianos to communicate with the utmost precision.
Attached is a link further explaining the technology: http://yamahaden.com/news/spotlight-on-disklavier/item/243-disklavier-brings-remote-learning-and-entertainment-to-a-global-audience
Attached is Frederic Chiu’s professional biography: Frederic Chiu performs in major venues on five continents, such as Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, The Chatelet in Paris, or the Mozarteum in Buenos Aires, as well as touring extensively in smaller and unusual venues. He collaborates with Classical music friends Joshua Bell, Pierre Amoyal, Gary Hoffman and the St Lawrence String Quartet, as well as non-Classical friends like jazz pianist Bob James, writer/storyteller David Gonzalez, Shakespearean actor Brian Bedford, and the clown Buffo, trying to bring the vivid live concert experience to as many people as possible. He has worked with conductors such as John Nelson, Stefan Sanderling, Rodolfo Fischer, Susan Haig, Bernhard Klee, Xian Zhang and Alexander Titov.
Among his recital programs, Frederic Chiu presents “Classical Smackdown”, a multi-year series where composers face off in head-to-head comparisons, with listeners voting for their favorite composer. After his first successful Smackdown between Debussy and Prokofiev, he presented Bach vs. Philip Glass, with results tracked at ClassicalSmackdown.com.
Frederic Chiu has released over 29 recordings, including the most extensive complete piano works of Prokofiev, and works of Chopin, Liszt, Ravel, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Schubert, Rossini and Grieg, as well as the Beethoven/Liszt Symphony V and VII, and the solo piano version of Carnival of the Animals. His recent projects include “Hymns and Dervishes,” music of Gurdjieff/de Hartmann, and Distant Voices: Piano music of Claude Debussy & Gao Ping. He is a regular on St. Paul Sunday and Performance Today, and a favorite of public radios across the country.
Chiu's teaching program Deeper Piano Studies – a philosophic and holistic approach to piano playing – has been presented at the Juilliard School, Indiana University’s Jacob School of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, the New England Conservatory, the Banff Centre and most of the National Conservatories in China. He currently teaches at both Carnegie Mellon University, as well as The Hartt School in Hartford, CT.
Chiu is co-founder and artistic director of Beechwood Arts and Innovation in Connecticut, focused on the crossroads between art, innovation and transformation. His efforts to promote music coincide with his desire to foster peace and understanding, recently recognized by a Senatorial Commendation from the United States Congress. He has been, for more than 30 years, a Yamaha artist, and has explored the integration of their instruments ranging from the highest-quality acoustic to the purely digital, and all the different hybrid combinations in between. https://www.fredericchiu.com/