Japan shows off sound of Yamaha

19 October 2019

Talented students from the Department of Music at the University of Pretoria showed off their talent on a recently tuned Yamaha piano at the residence of Mr Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan in South Africa. Guests enjoyed Mozart, Haydn, Liszit amongst others.

Photo: Mr Norio Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan pictured with musicians Natascha Mertz, Elri Myburgh and Colette du Toit (Ryan Keet, Embassy of Japan)

Anton Stella from Yamaha South Africa took guests through a brief journey of the history of Yamaha. The first piano to be made in Japan was an upright built in 1900 by Torakusu Yamaha, founder of Nippon Gakki Co., Ltd. — later renamed Yamaha Corporation.

By 1965, Yamaha was producing more pianos than any other manufacturer and today Yamaha pianos have become the official piano of more than 20 major international competitions.