The North American premiere of the Groven Piano took place on May 2, 2002 at the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival. Three Yamaha Disklavier Uprights--each customed-tuned to create a 36-tone scale based on acoustically pure intervals. The pianists performed on a silent Yamaha GranTouch which controlled the Disklaviers via a computer interface. The presentation included a lecture and demonstration by the instrument's developer, David Loberg Code, music professor at Western Michigan University, and performances by Silvia Roederer, Kirill Gerstein, Igor Fedotov, Brad Wong, and Scott Thornburg.
Listen to excerpts from the performance:
Bach - Sarabande in B minor
Beethoven - "God Save the King" (in tune & out)
Groven - Balladetone (tuning comparison)
Hindemith - The Swan
Mr. GT - Blues
Bruch - Trio for Clarinet, Viola & Piano
Brahms - Sonata for Viola & Piano
Antheil - Sonata for Trumpet & Piano
Bach - Sarabande in D major
Thanks to the following people and institutions for their support:
Mike Bates, Yamaha Corporation of America; Shirk's Pianos and Organs, Mishawaka, IN; Yat-Lam Hong; Miller Auditorium; WMU Faculty Research and Creative Activities Support Fund; Eivind Grovens Institutt for Renstemming;
U.S.-Norway Fulbright Foundation; Norsk Kulturråd;
Western Michigan University School of Music and many others.