fazioli + bechstein + grotrian + w. hoffmann pianos in vancouver

40th Fazioli sells in Vacouver

2012-02-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

Vancouver, BC - After being in operation for just over 4 years, Showcase Pianos sells it's 40th Fazioli piano. The piano was sold in the last week of December 2011, and is a special order 'Marco Polo' F212 which is being produced in Italy. The 'Marco Polo' features a work of art under the lid that is custom made for this piano.

Beautiful White Fazioli Delivered to West Vancouver

2012-01-27T23:14:00.000-08:00

WEST VANCOUVER, BC - After having waited 4 months for their piano to be custom made in Italy, a family in West Vancouver was delighted to receive delivery of their beautiful Fazioli baby grand piano in polished white finish.

The piano was delivered by Salmons Transfer, the finest movers in the Greater Vancouver area.

Fazioli pianos normally come with an elegant 'gold box' made out of cardboard that holds the warranty card, the beautiful red cloth for the keys, and a micro-fiber cloth to clean the piano with.

This Fazioli F156 in white was the first Fazioli piano received by Showcase Pianos that has now a beautiful wooden box with gold 'Fazioli' lettering. The box comes with it's own pouch, and the pianos now come with a new 'updated' piano cover that has more padding and doesn't leave red 'dust' on the piano.

New Piano at Wedgewood Hotel's 'Bacchus' Restaurant

2011-12-21T13:48:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Bryant Olender - one of the favourite pianists atthe Bacchus Restaurant- enjoyed his first evening at the keys of the new W. Hoffmanngrand piano on Friday the 16th of December, 2011! The W. Hoffmann piano was a welcome sight for the pianist as the previous piano had been in the restaurant for more than 20 years!

The Bacchus Restaurant is often rated the'most romantic restaurant in the city' and is one of only 5 establishments inBC to receive the coveted 'Relais & Chateaux' recognition!

The W. Hoffmann grand piano is a brand that is owned andproduced in Europe by the famous German C. Bechstein. Larry Fine, author of the book "PianoBuyer Guide" writes that the brand is "Great Value for theMoney", and yet others hail it as being "the most outstanding valuefor the money in the piano world".

W. Hoffmann pianos have quickly become bestsellers aroundthe world and is recognized as being the best European alternative toinstruments from Asian manufacturers.

Paolo Fazioli Visits First Fazioli Piano to Arrive in Victoria

2011-12-16T12:07:00.000-08:00

Flown directlyto Victoria, Italian ‘Fazioli’ piano is hailed as ‘World’s Finest’

VICTORIA, BC – Before heading over to Vancouver to do somepiano shopping, a Victoria-based physician and his wife consulted ‘The PianoBook’ – an in-depth guide to purchasing pianos by piano-guru Larry Fine. In it they cameacross an Italian brand of pianos called ‘Fazioli’ that the book describes asbeing “impeccably prepared” and “combining both great powerand great warmth in a way that few other pianos can”. The bookrates the Fazioli in class ‘1 A’, which is the highest possible ratingfor any piano. The factory was founded 30years ago by Paolo Fazioli – a pianist and an engineer that set out to make thefinest piano in the world.

Needless to say, their curiosity was piqued. Knowingthat even the smallest Faziolis are just under $100,000 meant that they hadonly planned to just see one to satisfy their curiosity and then they weregoing to continue their shopping. But things didn’t exactly turn out thatway.

Amazed by the beauty of what they saw and heard, theVictoria couple ordered a 6 foot long Fazioli that was priced at$110,000. All Fazioli pianos are made to order and are tested by thecompany’s founder Paolo Fazioli before they leave the factory. Eachone takes more than 1000 hours of highly specialized hand work to make, which meansthat if a buyer is not taking one of the pianos the store has in stock, thentheir piano will come 3 or 4 months after the order has been placed.

Factory founder Paolo Fazioli himself took at detour on his way to Calgary to stop in Victoria, and was interviewed by both the Times Colonist and Oak Bay News, two local newspapers that we excited to meet the famed piano maker at a media event where pianist Daniel Chow performed. Having only a few hours in BC, Fazioli flew back to Vancouver by helicopter.

Read TIMES COLONIST article here

Read OAK BAY NEWS article here

Today, a growing number of professional pianists are convinced that Fazioli makes the finest pianos available in the world – including jazz legend Herbie Hancock, and the world's leading interpreter of Bach music Angela Hewitt. Only around 100 pianos are made each year in this small factory just north of Venice. Fazioli pianos feature many innovations – the sum of which has caused the pianos to be hailed as the absolute 'pinnacle' of the piano world. They have many parts plated in 18K gold to prevent corrosion, and at the heart of each Fazioli lies a soundboard that is taken from the same trees in northern Italy where Antonio Stradivari once carved his wood for his famous violins. Their ‘F308’ model is the world's largest piano in production at staggering length of 10 feet and 2 inches.

Grand Opening of All New Aberdeen Centre Location!

2011-12-13T15:02:00.000-08:00

Richmond, BC - On the 25th of November, Showcase Pianos hosted a short visit by Italian piano maker Paolo Fazioli as they celebrated the opening of their new store and academy in Richmond's beautiful Aberdeen Centre.

Dr. Robert Silverman to conduct Masterclass at new Showcase Academy

2011-11-06T17:10:00.000-08:00

RICHMOND, BC - Recognized as one of Canada's premiere pianists, Robert Silverman has reached a level of musical and technical authority that can only be accomplished after years of deep commitment to the instrument and its vast literature. Many aspects of Silverman’s playing are frequently noted: a polished technique, an extraordinary range of tonal palette, an uncanny ability to sing his way into the heart of a phrase, and probing interpretations of the most complex works in the repertoire.

Robert Silverman resides in Vancouver where he was a faculty member at the UBC for thirty years, served a 5-year term as Director of the School of Music in the 1990s, and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters in 2004. He now devotes himself full-time to concertizing and recording. He is frequently heard on the CBC English and French radio network; and he has recorded for EMI, Stereophile, Marquis Classics, OrpheumMasters and CBC Records.

On Sunday the 13th of November he will conduct two masterclasses at the all new Showcase Academy on the 3rd floor of Richmond's Aberdeen Centre. Masterclasses are 2 hours long and open to the public, but seating is limited. Only 4 students are allowed per masterclass and for a cost of $100 each student is given 30 minutes. To enroll please call Rachel or Julie at (604) 270-8861 or contact them by email: info@showcaseacademy.com

Tribute Dinner to Dr. Thomas Fung at Pan Pacific Hotel

2011-11-06T12:56:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Enjoy a great night for a great cause in honour of agreat man. Join the LIVERight Gala in paying tribute to philanthropist andentrepreneur Dr. Thomas Fung at the Pan Pacific Hotel on Friday November 18! Click HERE for the details, or email info@showcasepianos.com

New Academy and Piano Showroom Opens in Richmond

2011-11-03T18:36:00.000-07:00

Highly soughtafter pianist will teach at new Academy in Aberdeen Centre

RICHMOND, BC - Much like celebritychefs that come to Vancouver open fine dining restaurants, Seattle residentDr. Sasha Starcevich is the Artist Director of a new piano school opening inRichmond's Aberdeen Centre: Showcase Piano Academy.

Concert pianist SashaStarcevich received his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from Yale Universityin 2003 and continues to thrill audiences around the world with his performancesin such venues as Carnegie Hall, Windsor Castle, Tchaikovsky Hall, and WigmoreHall in London.

Perhaps you remember readingabout some young performers from the local area - Tristan Teo, Evgenia Rabinovich, and Tim Zhang. Theyall had one thing in common: their teacher was Dr. Starcevich.

Dr. Starcevich is in frequentdemand as a performer, adjudicator and presenter of Master Classes throughoutNorth America, Russia and China. He will come to Vancouver once a month toteach master classes at the new Academy, and coach other teachers. Master classes are open for public viewing, and aspiring pianists of anyage can pay $100 to be one of four students in a two hour long master class.

"At $200 an hour his rateis one of the highest in the city - or maybe even the highest,"says Academy Manager Rachel Lam, "so I wasn't sure how long it would taketo fill up his schedule, but I'm happy to say that the response has beenexcellent - probably due to his fantastic reputation in Vancouver. We'vehad a number of students that have asked to be booked for every single upcomingmaster class with Dr. Starcevich."

The new school accepts studentsof all ages and also has some other well known teachers such as Bogdan Dulu,Lay Tuan Tan, Clare Yuan, Ross Salvosa, as well as the current presidentof the Richmond Association of Registered Music Teachers: Mimi Ho. Children as young as three and a half years of age can learn music togetherwith one parent in the very successful 'Music for Young Children' program thatis endorsed by famed Canadian concert pianist Angela Hewitt.

Call to arrange a lesson at 604-270-8861 or email info@showcaseacademy.com

China Musik Messe in Shanghai

2011-11-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

SHANGHAI, CHINA - Every year piano manufacturers are invited to at least 3 main shows to display their instruments for retailers and industry professionals to see. The largest and most important of these shows has now become the one in Shanghai, China. This year it started on Tuesday the 11th of October, and Showcase Pianos cashed in all of it's airline points to send a representative on their behalf to have a look.

Angela Hewitt performs on Fazioli in GuangZhou

2011-10-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

GUANGZHOU, CHINA - Showcase Pianos owners Manuel and Judy Bernaschek traveled to China for the first time in October of 2011, and stopped in GuangZhou on the way to the Shanghai Music Messe Exposition. Canadian concert pianist Angela Hewitt happened to be performing at a local concert hall to a sold out audience. This was the first time a Fazioli piano was used in a performance in GuangZhou.

Rise of the Piano of the Apes

2011-08-20T23:26:00.000-07:00

Showcase Pianos provided the small old upright piano that appeared in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes". Although the movie was set in San Francisco, many of the scenes were filmed in Vancouver. One Vancouver home near Cambie Street and West 13th Avenue was re-created at Mammoth Studios in Burnaby, where a piano was used in the bedroom of Charles Rodman, the character played by Oscar nominee John Lithgow. The movie also showed a large old upright on the main floor of the same house, but Showcase Pianos didn't provide the piano for that room.

Aryo Wicaksono in Concert on Sunday August 21

2011-08-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

Sunday August 21, 2011 at 1:30pm

Showcase Pianos | FAZIOLI store Aberdeen Centre, Richmond

RICHMOND, BC - Hailed by the Arizona Daily Star as a pianist with “technical prowess, balletic grace, warm tones, and unwavering devotion to the score,” pianist Aryo Wicaksono has performed in many venues and festivals throughout the United States. Internationally, he has been a featured soloist in St. Petersburg, Russia; Dubai and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates; state of Sonora, Mexico; and throughout Indonesia.He has performed with the Nusantara Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg State Symphony, United Arab Emirates Philharmonic Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Tucson, Tucson Symphony, Arizona Symphony Orchestra, Arizona Wind Ensemble, and Arizona Percussion Ensemble, performing concertos and new works ranging from Liszt, Prokofiev, and Stravinsky to Philip Glass. As a musical director and pianist for the musical “Elegies – Looking Up” by composer William Finn, he won the Arizona Daily Star’s “Mac Award” 2006 for Best Musical in Tucson, and the Tucson Weekly “Best of Awards” Best Musical in Tucson for 2006-2007. Recent highlights of his performances are Prokofiev 3rd Piano Concerto with Nusantara Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Hikotaro Yazaki, Prokofiev 1st Piano Concerto with UAE Philharmonic Orchestra under Philipp Maier, a solo recital debut at the prestigious Embassy Series in Washington D.C., and a sold-out orchestral debut with the St. Petersburg State Symphony in St. Petersburg, Russia, performing Prokofiev’s 1st Piano Concerto. As the first Western classical music artist to hold a visiting Artist-in-Residence position at the American University of Sharjah, in Sharjah, UAE in November 2009, he presented his UAE solo recital debut, master classes and lectures. Recent tours include Prokofiev 3rd Concerto in Tucson AZ, Liszt Totentanz in Indonesia, East Coast Tour with the Dance Theatre of Harlem in the Fall of 2010, and recital debut and residency at SouthWestern College in San Diego, among others. Upcoming concerts will include San Francisco and Vancouver Recitals and residency, and another tour of Indonesia in Fall 2011. As a composer, he has made scores for short independent Japanese film “Dream of an Hour”, and has some of his music set into ballet by Teatro Jaguar Luna and other ballet schools in the U.S. and abroad. He was pianist-composer in residence for the American Academy of Ballet School this July 2011. For more information, press reviews, and touring schedule, please visit Aryo’s website at http://www.aryo-wicaksono.com. He lives in NYC and works for NYU Tisch Ballet School and 92^nd Street Y Harkness School.

RECITAL PROGRAM

Toccata in F-sharp minor BWV 910

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Etude in C-major Op. 10 no. 1

Waltz in c-sharp minor Op. 64 no. 2

Etude in c-sharp minor Op. 10 no. 4

Nocturne in c-minor Op. 48 no. 1

Etude in c-minor Op. 10 no. 12

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

Portrait of a Lady (Vancouver premiere) – c. 2010

Joshua Saulle (b. 1979)

Tembang Alit

Jaya Suprana (b. 1949)

Etude Tableaux in D-major Op. 39 no. 9

Sergey Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Isolde’s Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde

Wagner, arr. Liszt (1813-1883)

Mephisto Waltz no. 1

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Enroll for piano lessons before August 31!!

2011-08-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

RICHMOND, BC - The new Showcase Piano Academy in Richmond's beautiful Aberdeen Centre is offering to waive the $35 registration fee for new students that sign up for piano lessons before August 31!

Registration Opens for new piano school in Aberdeen Centre

2011-07-19T16:41:00.001-07:00

RICHMOND, BC - Registration for piano lessons has now begun as excitement builds for the new piano school that is due to open at the end of August in Aberdeen Centre! The new school offers both Private and Group Lessons.

The Artistic Director for the school is none other than the highly acclaimed Dr. Sasha Starcevich whose passion for teaching has earned him a tremendous reputation throughout North America. Teachers for private classes include two teachers for advanced students who are currently studying for their Doctor of Musical Arts degree under Jane Coop at UBC. The school also offers lessons for beginners and intermediate players, as well jazz lessons. Click HERE for more information on the teachers.

The school also offers special group lessons through the MYC (Music For Young Children) program where children as young as 3½ years old enjoy instruction together with their parents. Click HERE for more information on the MYC Classes.

Enroll today! Call Julie at (604) 270-8861 or email at: juliec@showcasepianos.com

ONE DAY SALE: Sunday July 17!!

2011-07-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Both the Vancouver and the Richmond locations of Showcase Pianos are doing a very rare promotion by including the HST on every piano in stock!!

NO HST: ONE DAY ONLY! Save the HST on all pianos only on July 17 from 12 to 5pm! Come and visit or make an appointment for your visit!

"Music Imitates Hockey"

2011-07-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Just days after Vancouver Canucks came in 2nd to the Boston Bruins in this year's race for the Stanley Cup, Vancouverite Daniel Chow placed 2nd to a person from Boston in the Boston International Piano Amateurs Competition! Daniel Chow, despite not owning a piano himself, is an accomplished pianist who has just received his official designation of Chartered Accountant.

Showcase Pianos appoints Dr. Sasha Starcevich as Artist Director of new school

2011-06-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

RICHMOND, BC - Showcase Pianos is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Sasha Starcevich as Artist Director of their new piano school in Aberdeen Centre.

Pianist Sasha Starcevich is currently enjoying a very rewarding career as an international performer and teacher. Since receiving his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from Yale University in May of 2003, he has continued to thrill audiences here in the United States, Canada and Europe.

Starcevich has given recitals at New York’s Carnegie Recital Hall, Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Hall, Windsor Castle, and in London’s Wigmore Hall. His solo recital there in May of 2002 was met with much critical acclaim, and a review in the Musical Opinion wrote: “The repertoire was brilliantly conceived; a thoroughly enjoyable recital at every level”.

Starcevich has recorded for CBS Television in the United States and has released two CD’s under the Britstar label in the United States and the Jacques Samuel Label in London, England.

Dr. Starcevich has been affiliate professor of piano at the State University of New York, department chair of music and professor of piano at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts, and has taught students attending the pre-college division at the Juilliard School in New York. This Summer, Dr. Starcevich will join the faculty of Musicfest Perugia, in Italy.

His students have been prizewinners of local, national and international awards, and have gone on to study music at prestigious schools such as the Eastman School of Music, the Yale School of Music, the Mannes School, the Juilliard School in New York and the Peabody Conservatory. Dr. Starcevich is in frequent demand as a performer, adjudicator and presenter of Master Classes throughout North America, Russia and China.

Through Showcase Pianos, Starcevich will present of Masterclasses for students and seminars for teachers. His students have included Evgenia Rabinovich, Tristan Teo, Jovian Cheng, and Tim Zhang.

The new location, due to open mid August, will have 5 private teaching studios and one group classroom for MYC (Music for Young Children) program. It will be located on the 3rd floor of Richmond's beautiful Aberdeen Centre will be #3480-4151 Hazelbridge Way. To enroll in piano lessons with Dr. Starcevich - or any of our other wonderful teachers, please contact Julie Chang at juliec@showcasepianos.com or by calling the new school at 604-270-8861.

Showcase Pianos annouces new School, expansion in Aberdeen Centre

2011-06-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

RICHMOND, BC - After a year and a half of experiencing success selling pianos out of a 500 sq ft store in the beautiful Aberdeen Centre, Showcase Pianos announces their expansion to a new 3,000 sq ft showroom and piano school on the third floor.

The new location, due to open late July, will have a separate room for high-end luxury pianos, as well as 5 private teaching studios and one group classroom for MYC (Music for Young Children) program.

Showcase Pianos has recently sold their 36th Fazioli since opening in October of 2007. The new address at Aberdeen Centre will be #3480-4151 Hazelbridge Way. To enroll in piano lessons, please contact Julie Chang at juliec@showcasepianos.com or by calling the new school at 604-270-8861

Daniil Trifonov wins first place at Rubinstein Competition

2011-05-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

TEL AVIV, ISREAL - Daniil Trifonov wins the 1st place award at the 13th International Rubinstein Piano Competition on Thursday the 26th of May, 2011. Trifonov also won the Pnina Salzman award for "Best Performer of a Chopin piece" as well as the prizes for the "Best Performer of Chamber Music" and also the "Audience Favourite Award".

Trifonov now immediately prepares to go to the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow.

Fazioli piano featured in new video by SR Auto

2011-05-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

SR Lounge+Patio Event, Spring 2011 from SR Auto Group on Vimeo.

VANCOUVER, BC - On a beautiful sunny day in April, SR Auto Group invited some of their valued clients to their first annual Lounge + Patio event which was held at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. The lunch time featured a performance by talented 18 year-old concert pianist Evgenia Rabinovich on the beautiful satin white Fazioli F212 that was custom made for the lobby of the hotel.

Showcase Pianos hires new Piano Consultant

2011-04-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

Vancouver, BC - Showcase Pianos is pleased to announce that we have added a new member to our team of piano consultant. Tina Hunko was born in XiAn in China, raised in Hong Kong, and is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Tina brings more than 6 years of experience selling pianos to Showcase Pianos, as well as a long history of teaching piano. Tina will work as the main piano consultant of Showcase's Richmond store, located in the beautiful Aberdeen Centre.

Reach Tina Hunko directly by emailing her or calling (604) 270-8883

It's finally here: The new Fazioli F228 was brought in because of popular demand!

2011-04-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

VANCOUVER, BC - The wait is finally over. After having many visitors request to 'test' the Fazioli F228 (7'6") piano, we decided to bring one in. It has unbelievably beautiful power and sound - - - and Showcase Pianos owner Manuel Bernaschek invites everyone to come and try for themselves.

Bernaschek says: "It makes for an interesting comparison, as we have it beside a C. Bechstein C234 (7'8"), a pre-owned Bosendorfer 225 (7'4"), and a Steinway Concert Grand. No other store in BC has such an amazing selection that players compare side-by-side."

For those that have not yet tried a Fazioli, the poetic description of one by pianist and F228 owner Garrett Glass might whet your appetite:

"Don't you wish you could have been at Joan Sutherland's Italian debut at La Fenice theater in Venice in 1959? Imagine the purity of her tones as she brought the bel canto beauties of 'Lucia' back to Venice for the first time in over 30 years. Or, imagine it is Easter Morning, you are standing at the foot of the campanile of San Georgio Maggiore, and now the church bells ring out. The sounds strike deep into the fiber of your being; the broad, resonant peals of the bass notes are as pure as if they were summoned from hand bells, and they are all equally distinguishable, even though the richness of the sound echoes back to you from the waters of the Grand Canal. The sound is sustained beyond your imagination, just as it might be if you were privileged, like the popes are, to hear the Schola Cantorum Romana sing Palestrina or Pergolesi at its home in the Sistine Chapel. If you can imagine all this, you can imagine what it is like to play a Fazioli."

Fazioli Pianos are handcrafted in Italy and are regarded by many pianists as being the finest in the world. In British Columbia, Fazioli pianos are available exclusively at Showcase Pianos.

Chopin Society presents Adam Neiman's Liszt Project for Fundraiser

2011-04-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Internationally acclaimed star Adam Neiman has embarked on a monumental nationwide project performing Liszt's Complete Transcendental Etudes and his complete Piano Concerti in commemoration of Liszt's bicentennial birthday.

On Saturday the 7th of May at 7pm, Adam Neiman will perform in Vancouver as part of the Chopin Society's annual fundraiser at the Aberthau Mansion Salon. Included among the guests of honour of the evening is pianist Daniil Trifonov, who will be performing at the Vancouver Playhouse on the following night. French hors d'oeuvres and wine will be served. Tickets $125 each (Tax receipt for $100)

Adam Neiman will perform on a Fazioli piano provided by Showcase Pianos. Neiman calls the Fazioli "a superb instrument capable of delivering the ultimate palette that can express every range of colour and brilliance. A perfected action and a luscious sound – an artist could not ask for more!"

Click HERE for more information or to purchase tickets, please call: (604) 871-4450 or email: info@chopinsociety.org

Chopin Society presents Daniil Trifonov in Vancouver on Sunday May 8

2011-04-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Daniil Trifonov is emerging as one of the brightest new names of the next generation of master pianists. Last October, Daniil Trifonov acquired an international visibility receiving the 3rd prize and a special award for “the best performance of mazurkas” at the 16th International Chopin Piano Competition, but especially impressing great artists like Martha Argerich (in the jury) and Krystian Zimmerman, with his talent.

Trifinov will be performing on a Fazioli F278 Concert Grand on loan from Showcase Pianos.

The concert will be held at 7:30pm at the Vancouver Playhouse on Sunday the 8th of May.

Tickets are $35 through Ticketmaster. Click HERE for more information.

[Photos below left: Trifonov after his performance at the Fazioli Concert Hall with Paolo Fazioli, founder of Fazioli Pianoforti, and Showcase Pianos owner Manuel Bernaschek. Right: Signed programme with the Fazioli F278 that was sent to Chopin Competition.]

Vancouver's 13-year-old Fazioli owner Tristan Teo wins two more awards

2011-04-05T22:58:00.000-07:00

Vancouver, BC - Nearly a year after purchasing his Fazioli piano, 13-year-old prodigy Tristan Teo takes home two more prestigious awards in some major international piano competitions. Upon returning to Vancouver from the most recent one, Tristan Teo’s achievements were recognized in the Vancouver Sun on April 5, 2011.

Click here to read the article: VANCOUVER SUN

Music Video on Fazioli: "Precious" by Waka Shinko

2011-04-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

Vancouver, BC - Waka Shinko, the talented composer, pianist, and founder of the Piano123TV.com website, now has a music video to go with her popular 'Precious' song from her new CD "Princess in Love".

The new album, which is now available on CDbaby.com, includes many well liked songs that have quickly become popular because of social media.

The video features shots of Ms. Shinko performing on a Fazioli F278 Concert Grand at the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver. The piano was on loan from Showcase Pianos, the exclusive dealer for the highly acclaimed Fazioli brand.

Also appearing in the video is a very rare Alaskan 'Klee Kai' dog named 'Clicquot'.

2011 Knigge Competition Winners Perform on Fazioli Piano

2011-02-27T17:10:00.000-08:00

[From Left: Showcase Pianos owner Manuel Bernaschek, Hanne-Lore Knigge, Competition Winner Alexander Malikov, Dieter Knigge, and Dr. Richard Kurth of the UBC School of Music]

VANCOUVER, BC - On Sunday the 27th of February at 2pm, the four winners of the Knigge Competition performed their winners recital at the UBC Recital Hall on a Fazioli F278 Concert Grand piano.

Click HERE to see the official announcement.

Internationally acclaimed Louis Lortie to perform on Fazioli with VSO

2011-02-24T17:58:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC - On Friday March 18 and Saturday March 19, internationally acclaimed concert pianist Louis Lortie will perform Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 on a Fazioli F278 Concert Grand Piano. The evening will also include Bach's Concerto No 5 in F minor, which Lortie will play on a harpsichord, and Mendelssohn Symphony No. 5, which Lortie will conduct the VSO himself. The concert will be held at UBC's Chan Centre for Performing Arts. Click HERE to read more about the concert.

Louis Lortie has been performing on Fazioli pianos since the mid 1980's. The $180,000 Fazioli F278 that Lortie will be performing on is on loan from Showcase Pianos.

Paolo Fazioli tours new Fazioli Suite at Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel

2011-02-23T12:40:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Famed Italian piano maker Paolo Fazioli visits the new Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver. Mr. Fazioli was honoured to have a suite named after him in the hotel that showcases different aspects of the construction of the custom made $225,000 satin white Fazioli piano that is the centre-peice of their lobby.

The video, created by talented producer Kevin Li of Little Ram Media features interviews with Paolo Fazioli and his son Luca, as well as appearances by award winning 13-year-old pianist Tristan Teo, and jazz-pianist Max Zipursky.

An article about the new suite appeared in the Vancouver Sun and featured an interview with Mr. Fazioli. Click HERE to read it.

Showcase Pianos at 1224 W Broadway is the exclusive dealer for Fazioli Pianos in Western Canada. Please visit us in the store or on the web: http://showcasepianos.com

FREE CONCERT: Romanian Pianist Bogdan Dulu at Chan Centre on Fazioli F278 Concert Grand

2011-02-22T15:17:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC - As a winner of the 2011 UBC Concerto Competition, Romanian pianist Bogdan Dulu will have his Canadian debut with the UBC Symphony Orchestra on Friday the 4th of March, performing Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto in G. For this special event, Bogdan Dulu will play on a state-of-the-art $180,000 Fazioli piano, on loan through the support of showcasepianos.com. Fazioli pianos are exclusively made by hand in Sacile, Italy.

The UBC Symphony Orchestra will present a new work by UBC Composition student, Eileen Padget, entitled Waltz After Dark, Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major and Beethoven's impressive Symphony No 5 in c minor, Op. 67.

The concert, which also features guest conductor Roman Brogli-Sacher, will be at 8pm on Friday the 4th of March at UBC's Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.

Click here for more details: http://www.chancentre.com/whats-on/ubc-symphony-orchestra

Fazioli Concert Grand to make appearance at UBC's Knigge Competition

2011-02-22T00:03:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC - One of only two Fazioli F278 Concert Grands in Western Canada will make a rare appearance at the Knigge Competition on the 26th and 27th of February, 2011. The annual competition is open to Canadian pianists between 19 - 25 years of age. The competition is supported by a generous gift from Dieter & Hanne-Lore Knigge.

The Fazioli F278 has been provided by Showcase Pianos so that the 8 finalists can have a choice of instruments for their performance.

All events are FREE and open to the public.

COMPETITION: Saturday February 26 (9:00am - 5:30pm) Winners announced at 6:30pm

WINNERS CONCERT: Sunday February 28 (2pm)

UBC Recital Hall, 6361 Memorial Road, Click HERE for a map. Click HERE for more information on the Knigge Competition.

Showcase Pianos awarded prestigious "Roland" line of Digital Pianos

2011-02-17T16:18:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC - On the 17th of February, Showcase Pianos - Western Canada's top dealer of European pianos - was awarded the 'Roland' line of digital pianos. Roland is the world's first producer of digital pianos, is based in Japan, has more than 2,700 employees, and has annual sales in excess of $1 Billion.

"We wanted something that would be even more affordable than our current starting price, which was $7,998 for a European upright", says Manuel Bernaschek, owner of Showcase Pianos. "We had tried some pianos that were made in China, but we weren't satisfied with the quality. We also wanted to keep the image of having 'only European' acoustic pianos. We felt the Roland pianos were a perfect match - I have always known that they are the best digital pianos in the world, so in that respect it fits very well with the image of our store."

Roland digital pianos start at $2699 and are available at the 1224 W Broadway location of Showcase Pianos. Visit us on the web at: http://showcasepianos.com

Bernaschek featured in SR Auto's new 'Lifestyle' Magazine

2011-02-01T13:39:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Almost everyone in Vancouver has seen a car driving in front of them with the message on the back: 'Tuned by SR Auto'. This month, after years of combining unique style with luxury automobiles, SR Auto Group, has begun publishing a new magazine called 'Lifestyle'. Its very first issue features an article about Showcase Pianos owner Manuel Bernaschek.

Click here to read the article:

http://www.srautogroup.com/lifestyle/livinginstyle.htm

Paolo Fazioli interviewed on Shaw TV's Urban Rush

2011-01-26T11:51:00.001-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Shaw TV's Urban Rush hosts Fiona Forbes and Michael Eckford interviewed Italian piano maker Paolo Fazioli about his piano and his passion. The interview was conducted in the lobby of the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel, where a beautiful satin white Fazioli sits that was designed by MGB Design & Architecture in Vancouver.

Piano Pinnacle Duo to Perform FREE CONCERT at Aberdeen Centre

2011-01-24T19:09:00.000-08:00

RICHMOND, BC - Free piano duo concert to be performed by ‘Piano Pinnacle’ members Iman Habibi and Deborah Grimmett. The concert will be performed on two Fazioli grand pianos at the Showcase Pianos store in Richmond’s beautiful Aberdeen Centre on Saturday the 12th of February at 2:30pm. Come early because it takes time to find parking! The Canada Line Skytrain Station has a stop at this mall, and the store is located on the 1st floor.

ABOUT PIANO PINNACLE... Piano Pinnacle found its roots in 2006, when Deborah Grimmett and Iman Habibi gathered to perform a number of four-hand duets in joint piano and chamber recitals. The two musicians then went on to complete their studies, and have now joined forces again as a duo team. In their official debut as Piano Pinnacle, they won Thrid Prize, and The Audience Choice Award at the 2010 International Northwest Piano Ensemble Competition, and have since received much recognition and praise for their collaboration. The two pianists work under the guidance and mentorship of one of the most accomplished piano duos Kenneth Broadway and Ralph Markham.

Showcase Pianos | FAZIOLI, Aberdeen Centre #1900 - 4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond http://showcasepianos.com

Omni TV has a look at the new Fazioli Suite with Paolo Fazioli

2011-01-24T12:43:00.000-08:00

Vancouver, BC - OMNI TV's Lisa Wu interviews famed Italian piano maker Paolo Fazioli about the new Fazioli Suite in Vancouver's Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel. One of Canada's top young talent, 13-year-old Tristan Teo, was invited to play for the media event surrounding the unveiling of the suite. The first Fazioli buyer of Richmond, 16-year-old pianist Jessie Lin was also interviewed, as well as the piano maker himself, Paolo Fazioli.

Daniel Chow plays for Mr. Fazioli on rare $275,000 Fazioli piano in White Rock

2011-01-23T17:42:00.000-08:00

WHITE ROCK, BC - Italian piano maker Paolo Fazioli made a rare visit to one of the top 50 homes in the province of British Columbia where a beautiful brand new Fazioli piano sat in the living room.

The piano, finished in the exotic 'Amboina' wood from Indonesia was stained perfectly to match the shade of wood on the walls and floor of the room. Jazz-pianist Miles Black played for an appreciate crowd, as did concert pianist Daniel Chow (see the video clip below...)

Tom Zillich, the Entertainment writer for the Surrey Now, wrote a beautiful article about the evening. Please have a look here: http://www.thenownewspaper.com/Surrey+concert+welcomes+Fazioli+275K+piano/4139083/story.html

30th Fazioli Piano Sells in Vancouver!

2011-01-06T23:08:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Showcase Pianos is pleased to announce that they have sold the 30th Fazioli piano since opening their doors in October of 2007. This celebration also coincides with the 30th anniversary of the official start of Fazioli Pianoforti in Italy when engineer Paolo Fazioli produced his first piano.

The purchaser of the 30th Fazioli to be sold through Showcase Pianos in Vancouver was to Waka Shinko, founder of the website HelpMyPiano.com. Ms. Shinko is well known in the Greater Vancouver area for being a talented piano teacher, piano technician, music composer and pianist. Please enjoy this example of her talent in composing beautiful piano music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZPdHIHkAyo

Ms. Shinko's specially designed satin white Fazioli in currently in production in Italy and will be a permanent feature of her evolving website when it arrives in March or April of this year. Don't forget to bookmark the website HelpMyPiano.com!

Maestro Bramwell Tovey plays Fazioli on Urban Rush

2011-01-04T10:37:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC - On Tuesday the 14th of December 2010, Shaw TV's 'Urban Rush' hosts Fiona Forbes and Michael Eckford enjoyed a visit with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's Music Director Bramwell Tovey. Maestro Tovey speaks about the exciting new opera he will be performing in Calgary, and was invited to play a few notes on the seven-foot long Fazioli F212.

Samuel Fung on Fairchild TV's News: Sunday January 9 at 7:40pm

2011-01-03T15:34:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Don't miss 12-year-old pianist Samuel Fung's interview on Fairchild TV's Cantonese News (Channel 181) this coming Sunday the 9th of January 2011 at around 7:40pm! The lively young student of Russian pianist Tatiana Tyulenev takes the Fazioli F156 (5'2") for a test drive after it was used at the 周杰倫 Jay Chou 2010 Era World Tour concert at Vancouver's Rogers Arena.

The segment also features a short interview in Mandarin by Showcase Pianos owner 白明威 Manuel Bernaschek.

KIWI Collection's 'WOW Travel' Magazine: "The Phenomenal Fazioli"

2011-01-03T11:19:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Jim Tobler, the editor for KIWI Collection's new "Wow Travel" magazine, invited Showcase Pianos owner Manuel Bernaschek to write an article for their January 2011 issue. The article was entitled 'The Phenomenal Fazioli', and includes a humorous story from Mr. Fazioli's earlier piano-making years.

The Kiwi Collection is a guide to the best 2,200 hotels in 128 countries. Forbes.com wrote of them: "Kiwi Collection is to luxury hotels what Michelin Guide is to restaurants."

Read the article here: KIWI COLLECTION WOW MAGAZINE

Raphael Sudan in Concert Saturday January 8, 2011 at 3pm

2011-01-01T17:31:00.000-08:00

Pianist, improvisator and composer, Raphael Sudan is an up-and-coming musician in Switzerland. Born in 1985 in Fribourg, he got his Master Degree in Musical Performance in June 2010, in the class of prof. Ricardo Castro. During his studies, he allready was gaining momentum all over Europe, which also brought him to play concerts in many european countries, as well as China and North America.

Raised in the classical music bosom, he has refused its shackles to develop a reinvigorating eclecticism. Rock, jazz, pop music, the pianist doesn't scorn any style; he has even played some progressive metal in a band, and recently created a mainstream musical. (Etumag, Swiss student's magazine, June 2010)

Active member of « ISIM » (International Society for Improvised Music) and prize-winner of the aucience's award at Versailles's Conservatory Improvisation Competition (France), he attaches a lot of importance to this discipline. It is a real joker for him, that he uses in most of his concerts, and that he also uses as a pedagogic support with his students.

He now teaches both piano and improvisation at the Musich School of Chateau-d'Oex, Switzerland, where he also conducts a choir and a brass band.

Performance is a FREE concert that begins at 3pm on Saturday the 8th of January in the Showcase Pianos | Fazioli store of Richmond's Beautiful Aberdeen Centre. Visit our website: http://showcasepianos.com

Fazioli Baby Grand Piano used at Jay Chow 周杰倫 Concert is up for sale at Showcase Pianos

2010-12-29T22:11:00.001-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC – On Thursday the 23rd of December, Taiwanese Superstar Jay Chou 周杰倫 performed at the Rogers Arena, and the $75,000 Fazioli piano that he borrowed from the local Showcase Pianos store is now available for sale. Jay Chou's concert in Vancouver was the only Canadian city that was part of his Era 2010 World Tour, and for it he borrowed the Fazioli F156 (5’2”) baby grand piano.

Showcase Pianos store owner Manuel Bernaschek 白明威 was invited to join Jay Chou 周杰倫 and his crew for dinner in Richmond after the concert, where the star showed Bernaschek 白明威 a drawing of an ‘art-case’ for piano that he designed himself, but has not yet been constructed. Jay Chou was impressed by a photo of the ‘M. Liminal’ Fazioli piano, saying it must be the most modern looking piano in the world. Jay Chou had never seen the ‘M. Liminal’ before, although there is one in the lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (文華東方酒店) in Taipei. All at the table were impressed that Bernaschek 白明威 could carry on the conversation with them completely in Mandarin Chinese.

The Fazioli F156 (5’2”) that was borrowed for the concert is the smallest grand piano made by Fazioli in Italy. “I used to be quite negative towards pianos that small”, explained Bernaschek, “but one day my wife and I visited the Fazioli dealer in London – Jaques Samuel Pianos – and tried the F156 on display there, and we were shocked by the beautiful tone and the great amount of power that the little piano was capable of. When Jay Chou’s team told us that they required one smaller than 6’ feet long for their concert, we did not hesitate to order one from the factory in Italy especially for his concert.” This is the first F156 ordered by Showcase Pianos.

Factory owner Paolo Fazioli will travel to Vancouver in January to dedicate the ‘Fazioli-suite’ that has been created in his honour at the new Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel.

The piano used at the Jay Chou 周杰倫 concert can be purchased by contacting Showcase Pianos: http://showcasepianos.com

Free Piano Duo Concert: Annie Lee & Jessie Chen

2010-12-18T14:14:00.000-08:00

Richmond, BC – Showcase Pianos | Fazioli is inviting everyone to enjoy the piano performance of Annie Lee & Jessie Chen on Sunday the 19th of December at 3:30pm. The concert will be held at the Richmond location of Showcase Pianos, in the beautiful Aberdeen Centre. Annie Lee and Jessie Chen will be performing on two Fazioli pianos, considered to the ‘Ferraris’ of the piano world!

As a duo, the two performers have studied with Corey Hamm, Kenneth Broadway, and Ralph Markham. In 2008, they participated in The Paris International Summer Sessions organized by The Fondation Bell’Arte of Belgium under the auspices of the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris “Alfred Cortot”.

In Paris, they had the opportunity to work with world-renowned pianists including Stéphane Lemelin, Marina Scalafiotti, Nelson Delle-Vigne Fabbri, Susan Shu-Cheng Lin, and Francesco Bergamasco. Jessie and Annie have also appeared in Christ Church Cathedral in Downtown Vancouver performing as a duo for the benefit concert held by BC Society for Educating Girls of Rural China in May 2009. Together, they have had their debut concert as a duo at the UBC School of Music Recital Hall in July 2009.

Taiwanese Superstar Jay Chou 周杰倫 to use Fazioli Piano for Vancouver Concert

2010-11-18T07:51:00.000-08:00

Showcase Pianos is pleased to announce that Taiwanese musician Jay Chou will be using an Italian Fazioli F156 grand piano for his performance at the Rogers Arena (formerly GM Place) on Thursday the 23^rd of December. Jay Chou’s visit to Vancouver is part of his Era 2010 World Tour.

Although being a talented director and actor, Jay Chou is known all over the world for his music – having sold more than 20 million albums in the last 10 years. Jay Chou is also starring in the movie “Green Hornet” which is being released on the 14^th of January.

Tickets for Jay Chou’s Vancouver performance are selling quickly, check for availability through Ticketmaster.ca

FMOV Ferrari Maserati of Vancouver Grand Opening

2010-11-18T07:38:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC - On Saturday the 13^th of November, Ferrari & Maserati of Vancouver held a grand opening party for their beautiful new 3-story $12M building on Burrard, which was designed by local architect James Cheng.

The opening was attended by 400 of Vancouver’s most prominent Ferrari owners and potential buyers. A beautiful Fazioli M. Liminal piano was displayed in the grand entrance of the showroom, and Vancouver jazz pianist Max Zipurski ‘tickled the ivories’ for the guests.

[Photos: Pasquale Cusano, Owner of Montecristo Jewellers and NUVO Magazine, Malcolm Hasman and son Michael with Manuel Bernaschek and Louis Liu.]

Four European piano factories

2010-11-09T21:11:00.000-08:00

A tour of four European piano factories

To get ourselves to Germany, Judy and I cashed in many of our British Airways points – meaning of course, that we would have to stop in London. I only wanted to spend one day in London, before my allergies started acting up – I have a reaction to extremely high prices. The fact that we stayed at the Fairmont Savoy didn’t help, but how could I resist - - - one of the most beautiful hotels in the world that has been closed for 3 years, and reopened on 10.10.10 after undergoing a $350 million renovation.

You’d figure the Savoy would have saved a few dollars to buy a Fazioli, after all their art-deco logo fonts match so well! But it is not to be – at least not for now. Terry Lewis, manager of London’s Fazioli dealer, told me the story of how the hotel had originally decided to put their old piano back in – but when they were giving a pre-opening preview to a group of critics, one of them was shocked that the centre-piece of this amazing hotel was an old worn out piano. Upon seeing the review, hotel management quickly purchased a Kawai, which is at least a step in the right direction.

[Photo: This photo was taken the night after we left.]

C. Bechstein: Full speed ahead

Bright and early on Monday morning Frank Hagemann – the sales director for C. Bechstein – picked us up at our hotel in Berlin, and we made our way to the main factory in Seifhennersdorf. This is where both the C. Bechstein and the Academy Bechstein products are made by 160 workers. It is a very small town, near the Czech border.

I appreciated that Mr. Hagemann always referred to his dealer network as his ‘partners’, and often talked about working together with us as a team.

Our entire visit at this factory gave us the sense that Bechstein has a great commitment to flawless quality. They have made tremendous investments into production technology, having full confidence that their market share will continue to expand in leaps and bounds.

In 1986, when German entrepreneur and master piano-maker Karl Schulze took over as President and CEO of C. Bechstein, annual sales were at $5M. Today they are at $33M. Whereas some of the key European manufacturers have sadly experienced serious shrinkage, like Petrof, Schimmel, and even Steinway, it seems Bechstein has managed to increase its foothold in the market. ‘Full speed ahead’ indeed!

[Photos: New state-of-the-art CNC machines turn items in top left picture into items in top right picture. Bechstein factory in Seifhennersdorf, Germany. Frank Hagemann explains the benefits of using a CNC machine to put the pins on the bridge. Different veneers used by Bechstein. Fallboard for Bechstein Academy. C. Bechstein Model Concert 8 in beautiful finish. Beautiful historic town of Seifhennersdorf can be seen from factory windows.]

W. Hoffmann: A product in great demand

On Monday night we crossed over into the Czech Republic by car, and ended up in a beautiful yet tiny hotel in Hradec Kralove – a city that has been home to the piano factories of Petrof and Bohemia for decades. Dinner was arranged for us with master piano-maker Uwe Streubel and his wife Anja, who both work in the factory.

You should know that this was probably the fifth day in a row that I could not control myself and ordered wiener schnitzel with french fries. That, and the little ‘bed & breakfast’ style hotel reminded me of the places my grandmother used to take my sister and I to when we came to Germany as kids.

C. Bechstein purchased the Bohemia factory in 2007, and still employs Bohemia’s previous owner, Mr. Kremenak. Bechstein has also invested more than $10M in updating the production technology of this factory, which currently makes the W. Hoffmann piano. It was incredible to see how they’ve been able to build up this factory to its current state in less than 2 years – and so quickly have a product that is in great demand all over the world.

The factory currently employs 185 workers – about 40 of which had previously built pianos in the Petrof factory. Uwe Streubel, who oversees production in the Czech Republic for Bechstein, spoke to us with a true heartfelt sadness about the great reduction Petrof’s output: “They were the biggest in Europe, and had 550 workers. Today there are around 80 workers left, and with a work-week that is only four days long – two days to work on pianos, and two days for kitchen cabinets.”

The W. Hoffmann factory is already producing pianos at maximum capacity, and most of the 185 factory workers are working long hours six days a week, and sometimes half of the seventh day.

W. Hoffmann is an amazingly well built piano. Since all of the important oversight, training, and technical work is carried out by a number long time master piano-builders from Germany, the result is a piano of surprisingly good quality. The fact that these pianos are produced in the Czech Republic just two hours from the C. Bechstein factory means that they are also surprisingly affordable – making this a piano that is sure to give giants like Yamaha a run for their money.

[Photos: W. Hoffmann factory manager and master piano-maker Uwe Streubel shows how the tuning-pins need to have the right torque on a grand piano, how the action parts are put into an upright piano, and explains how delicate the work of putting in dampers is. Middle left shows a pounding machine that plays each piano very loudly. Bottom two are taken in the Bechstein Piano centre in Berlin.]

Grotrian: Steady and consistent

On Wednesday night we were picked up in Hannover and brought to Braunschweig by the CEO of the Grotrian piano factory, Burkhard Stein. For those that don’t know why we call it the ‘Grotrian’ piano while the rest of the world calls it a ‘Grotrian-Steinweg’, here’s the quick history lesson: In 1835 the company was founded by two people, financier Fredrich Grotrian and piano maker Heinrich Steinweg. In 1851, after having made nearly 500 pianos, Heinrich Steinweg sold his shares to Mr. Grotrian, immigrated to the US and changed his name to Henry Steinway. In 1853 he founded Steinway & Sons in New York.

A century later, as piano factories started recovering after the World War II, Grotrian did not renew their name patent soon enough. Steinway took advantage of that and sued them over the use of the name in different courts. Because it was easily proven in court that Grotrian had the rights to the ‘Grotrian-Steinweg’ name, they won the case everywhere – except in the US, where their patent wasn’t renewed in time. In North America they drop the ‘Steinweg’ portion of the name.

In recent years, a growing number of piano rating books and websites have placed ‘Grotrian’ above the US-made ‘Steinway & Sons’, including the Larry Fine in his well-known books ‘Piano Guide’ and ‘Piano Book’. One thing I found, though, in talking to our respective tour guides in the different factories about the ratings systems that exist around the world – it seems like there is a common sentiment among the top quality piano factories: a person should not rely on ‘ratings’ to choose their piano – the should sit down and listen to the sound and feel the touch.

The Grotrian piano factory employs 60 workers, and has been in its present location since 1974 when their old ‘WWII bombed out’ factory was sold to the government. Those old buildings are now used by the university.

The hallways are lined with photos and artifacts supporting their long history of making quality pianos. One that stood out in my mind is German musician and composer Clara Schumann, a pianist that was considered to be one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era. Clara Schumann, who appeared on the 100 Deutsch Mark bill, loved Grotrian pianos and performed exclusively on them.

The selection room had on display one of each of their grand piano models, and also the very first Grotrian-Steinweg ever made. As Mr. Stein toured us around the factory, we learned about the care that goes into making the Grotrian pianos. Everything inside a Grotrian comes from Germany, making the quality of the end result very high and consistent.

[Photos: Grotrian factory today. Antique piano refitted with a new Grotrian upright inside. Picture of factory building until 1974. Factory CEO Burkhard Stein points out aspects of the construction of the rim.]

[Photos: The cross section of a piano. Specially designed rim press ‘one size fits all’. Beautiful new Model 124 ‘Classic’ in Walnut. First piano built by Heinrich Steinweg. ]

[Photos: A great amount of time must be spent to position dampers properly in both uprights and grands. A special anniversary model with a built in hygrometer. What was left of the old Grotrian-Steinweg factory after WWII has been used as a university since 1974.]

Fazioli: For the love of the piano

From Germany we moved over to Italy, where we spent a night in a new Venetian hotel designed by Philippe Starck that we had seen on CNN just a few days before.

Our next visit was to the Fazioli factory in Italy for the international dealer meeting. It was interesting to see how many Fazioli dealers had been recently offered the opportunity to represent another lucrative piano brand – but with the only condition that they drop the Fazioli line.

The Fazioli dealer in Germany has sold more than 300 pianos for Fazioli over more than 25 years. Owner Dieter Fischer has been offered to carry the Steinway line on many occasions. I was impressed to see how he, and many dealers who had been offered the same, favoured supporting Mr. Fazioli’s dream and passion, knowing that this choice would also bring less profit and more opposition – at least in the short term.

A factory tour followed the meeting, and a feeling of being part of something truly special permeated our entire visit. As Paolo Fazioli himself walked his dealers around the production floor, you could see the excitement in his eyes as he described what innovations he was working on, and what makes his pianos special. You’ll often hear him say with pride, a big smile, and an Italian accent: “No one else is doing this!”

Most of us could not help but feel that we were witnessing history being made before our very eyes.

Also among the dealers were some piano makers and rebuilders, including the new dealer for Quebec – the world famous Andre Bolduc. Bolduc is responsible for making piano parts for many of the worlds piano brands, including the pinblock for Fazioli. It was incredible to see these very ones point out so many areas of the construction of a Fazioli where the quality and attention to detail goes so far beyond what any other maker in the world is doing – makers that the world (including me) holds in high regard.

The icing on the cake of our visit was a flawless performance by the incredibly talented Daniil Trifonov, who only weeks ago took the third place award at the 2010 International Chopin Competition in Warsaw.

Ninteen year old Daniil is originally from Russia and played on the F278 Fazioli that was used at the competition. Daniil is unquestionably talented and incredibly passionate about beautiful music – someone you are sure to see have a strong performance career in the coming years.

At dinner, it was an honour to have been invited to eat at the same table as pianist Daniil Trifonov, Paolo Fazioli, and the most prominent Fazioli dealers in the world: Terry Lewis (London), Dieter Fischer (Germany), Alec Weil (Japan), and Warren Sly (New Zealand).

[Photos: Showcase Pianos presentation at international Fazioli dealer meeting.]

[Photos: Pianist Daniil Trifonov with Paolo Fazioli. Program of performance at Fazioli Concert Hall signed by Daniil Trifonov, next to the F278 from the Chopin Competition.]

[Video: Daniil Trifonov plays La Campanella as one of his encore peices after a flawless performance Chopin concert at the Fazioli Concert Hall]

[Photos: Andre Bolduc of Bolduc Pianos and Paolo Fazioli talk about the wood used for the soundboard ribs. Paolo Fazioli talks about some modifications to the way he makes the dovetails for the beams. Dieter Fischer of Fischer Pianos uses wood shavings to help Manuel Bernaschek look a little more ‘hip’.]

[Photos: Pianist Daniil Trifonov, with Terry Lewis, Managing Director of Jaques Samuel in London, and Fazioli Marketing Manager Elena Turrin. Andre Bolduc, builder of pinblocks for Fazioli pianos, describes their unique construction. Paolo Fazioli together with Fazioli F212 in dark Amboina finish and special legs for customer of Showcase Pianos. Paolo Fazioli and son Luca listen to Daniil Trifonov describe the beautiful sound of the Fazioli.]

[Video: Paolo Fazioli demonstrates a new optional feature available on Fazioli pianos: the new slow fall lid.]

Showcase Pianos Brings $450,000 Fazioli 'M. Liminal' to Richmond for Free Public Concert

2010-09-18T17:08:00.001-07:00

Tiny Piano Dealer Recognized as Top Dealer of World’s Most Expensive Pianos

VANCOUVER, BC – On Saturday, September 18th at 11:30 a.m., Showcase Pianos staged a free public piano concert at Aberdeen Centre, showcasing one of the world’s most expensive pianos - a $450,000 futuristic-looking Fazioli M. Liminal - one of only 8 in the world.

Three young local piano luminaries, 17-year-old Evgenia Rabinovich, 17-year-old Raymond Zeng, and 13-year-old Tristan Teo performed for almost 300 appreciative spectators. Rabinovich entered UBC at 15 and recently received the top award for piano performance in her age group in Canada’s CMC Competition and Teo is a frequent prize winner at local, regional, and international competitions. Both Evgenia and Tristan are students of the renowned Dr. Sasha Starcevich.

The concert is a celebration of sales success by Showcase Pianos, a tiny piano store opened in 2007 by Manuel Bernaschek. In just three years of operation, the store has become a global leader in sales of the Italian ‘Fazioli’, a luxury piano brand that is winning raves with the world’s top musicians. In 2008 Showcase was named ‘Top Fazioli Dealer in the World’ and placed second in 2009 among almost 40 dealers around the globe.

In Vancouver, two Fazioli pianos sold by Showcase Pianos, can be seen and heard by locals and visitors; one a custom-made Fazioli in the lobby lounge of Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver and the other a $225,000 one-of-a-kind Fazioli in the lobby of the Fairmont Pacific Rim.

Background:

Originally expecting to sell 2 or 3 Fazioli pianos each year, with prices starting at $75,000, Showcase has sold 27 since opening in 2007.

In the piano industry, simply surviving the economic typhoon is a feat in itself. The meltdown hasn’t been kind to retail stores and factories alike. In the last few years, the famous Austrian piano maker ‘Bosendorfer’ was purchased by Yamaha. Last year ‘Schimmel’, Germany’s largest piano maker measured by unit volume, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Probably the most shocking of all changes occurred late in 2009 when piano giant ‘Steinway & Sons’ sold 1.7 million shares to ‘Samick’, a Korean musical instruments company. Samick now owns 19% of Steinway.

How has the Fazioli piano factory faired during this difficult time? Factory owner Paolo Fazioli, the pianist and engineer behind Fazioli pianos, answers from his office just north of Venice: “We are quite satisfied with the number of orders we are receiving. There are still signs of life in the United States, and when things slowed down in the US, we experienced an increase in orders from other countries. We continue steadily producing close to 100 pianos a year.”

Locally, Showcase Pianos store owner Manuel Bernaschek feels fortunate to have survived the difficult period. About to begin his fourth year of operations, he can boast of now having 2 locations, and of having sold Fazioli pianos to two of the top hotel lounges in Vancouver, the Shangri-La and Fairmont Pacific Rim, where musicians are hired to play daily.

Bernaschek’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, as he was recently nominated for the ‘Top 40 Under 40’ award for BC. Jess Alfonso, president of Seamark Development, said of his efforts: “His promotional efforts and his capacity as a rainmaker are seldom seen in any individual. This is a story of entrepreneurship that needs to be recognized.”

See articles printed this week: Richmond Review, The Vancouver Sun (Scroll half way down the page...), VancouverObserver.com . Please visit our website: http://showcasepianos.com

New Fazioli F278 Concert Grand arrives in Vancouver

2010-08-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

Vancouver, BC – On Wednesday the 4^th of August Showcase Pianos in Vancouver received their new Fazioli F278 (9’2”) concert grand piano. The piano made its way from Sacile by airplane, and arrived in Vancouver just a few days after it left.

It was delivered from YVR to Showcase Pianos by Salmons Transfer, the best piano movers in the city. It replaces the previous Fazioli concert grand which was sold to a gentleman who purchased it to upgrade his 2007 Steinway & Sons Model D concert grand.

The new concert grand will be made available to professionals who are performing in major venues in the area until the time that it sells. Pianists interested in ‘taking it for a test-drive to see what all the fuss is about’ are free to do so at any time.

Visit Showcase Pianos on the web to see our store hours, or email owner Manuel Bernaschek directly to set up an appointment.

Fazioli Piano to appear in new movie with Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson

2010-07-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Showcase Pianos received three signed photographs from actors Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson to thanking the piano store for the use of a beautiful Fazioli grand piano.

The three 'kings of comedy' are starring in a movie called "The Big Year" which is due to be released next year. The plot summary on IMDB reads: "Three avid bird watchers compete to spot the rarest birds in North America at a prestigious annual event."

The Fazioli piano was delivered to a beautiful $15 million dollar home that was used as the set. The movie also starrs Rashida Jones, known for her appearances on the hit TV series 'The Office', Brian Dennehy, and Anjelica Huston.

Showcase Pianos Releases New Fazioli Commercial

2010-07-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Although he has turned down other requests to appear in commercials, young pianist Iain Ang graciously accepted our invitation to appear in a new commercial about Fazioli pianos. Unfortunately the new commercial does not let us hearor see Iain's amazing talent, but we're sure you'll be hearing about his concerts one day. Iain Ang was the 9 year old pianist that played the opening song for the concert in honour of Mr. Fazioli's visit to Vancouver in January of 2009. The commercial was produced by Kevin Li of Little Ram Productions.

Bechstein's 'W. Hoffmann' Pianos

2010-07-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Showcase Pianos is pleased to announced that it has now begun making available the 'W. Hoffmann' line of the famous German piano maker Bechstein.

Alberta's preeminent concert technician Michael Lipnicki - who has been known to fly out to tune pianos in Vancouver at the request of certain well known pianists - recommended the piano line after having brought some in for himself. Mr. Lipnicki was impressed with the W. Hoffmann's excellent tone, and mentioned that they are so very well prepared in Germany.

The "W. Hoffmann" is not to be confused with the piano with a similar name that is made in China. The "W. Hoffmann" is completely made in Europe by Bechstein. Prices start at $7,998 for an upright, and at $25,998 for a grand.

Larry Fine's new 'Piano Buyer' Guide places the 'W. Hoffmann' piano in the 'Performance Grade' category 3, just one down from New York's well known 'Steinway', and higher than the Yamahas and Kawais that are in the 'Consumer Grade' category.

See pages 46 and 47 here: http://www.pianobuyer.com/

We warmly welcome you to come and try the pianos for yourself! The "W. Hoffmann" line of pianos is on display at both locations of Showcase Pianos, together with Grotrian and Fazioli pianos. Please visit our website for more information: http://showacasepianos.com

Hedley video featuring Baldwin grand from Showcase Pianos wins 2010 Much Music 'Video of the Year' Award

2010-07-08T05:53:00.000-07:00

Vancouver, BC - Canadian pop rock band 'Hedley' borrowed this Baldwin grand piano record the music video for their new song 'Perfect', which just won ‘Video of the Year’ at the 2010 Much Music Video Awards on the 20^th of June!!

The piano, a 5'2" Baldwin M1 grand piano is currently available for sale at Showcase Pianos. Although the video shows the satin finished piano being sat on by the singers, the piano was completely refinished upon its return to Showcase Pianos, and is now listed as a used piano, but it has never been sold before.

Hedley's music has been heard by millions around the world as they performed their hit song "Cha Ching" at the closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Click here to see the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nBU9VR2X5g

White Fazioli F212 at FREE Jazz Festival Venue

2010-06-30T17:37:00.001-07:00

Vancouver, BC - The $225,000 centre piece of Vancouver's newest 5-star luxury hotel can be heard as part of the Coastal Jazz / Vancouver Jazz Festival. The Fairmont Pacific Rim's beautiful white Fazioli F212 will be played on by the groups and bands listed here:

http://www.coastaljazz.ca/venue/lounge_fairmont_pacific_rim

The one-of-a-kind piano was designed by the same architects that designed the lobby of the hotel - MGB Architecture. The piano sits under the 180-foot light sculpture crafted by origami master Joseph Wu.

Face the World Foundation 2010 Raises $1.25 Million

2010-06-30T16:27:00.000-07:00

Vancouver, BC - On Saturday the 5th of June, Jacqui Cohen's Face the World Foundation held it's 20th Anniversary Fundraiser Gala and raised a record $1.25 Million dollars for worthwhile groups and organizations throughout Greater Vancouver.

The Foundation was founded in 1991 and has disbursed over $6 Million dollars to the less fortunate members of our community.

Ace boogie woogie piano player Michael Kaeshammer entertained the crowd on a beautiful $100,000 Fazioli F183 grand piano.

Kaeshammer is in great demand all over the world. His latest album "Lovelight" is considered to be the great step forward in the advance of boogie woogie piano. This summer he will give concerts in the US, Canada, and his native Germany.

Kelly E. K. Hwang: "The Blossoming" Art Exhibit at the Shangri-La Hotel

2010-06-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

Vancouver, BC - On Monday the 14th of June 2010, artist Kelly E. K. Hwang exhibited her art collection publicly for the first time. It was held in the Conway Room of Vancouver's beautiful Shangri-La Hotel. A lovely Fazioli F183 piano was provided by Showcase Pianos for the occasion, and was played on by a very talented local concert pianist.

ABOUT KELLY E .K . HWANG

Kelly pursued her passion of fine art throught high school, following her best friend to another boarding school in Seattle for her final years. After graduation, Kelly was accepted into the prestigious schools of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Rhode Island School of Design.

However, while attending a summer school program at Parson's School of Design, Kelly was impressed by the quality of their instruction and stayed to cotinue her learning and to experience the virbrant New York lifestyle.

Completeling one year at Parson's, Kelly returned to Korea to begin another life chapter as a wife and mother. Consumed by her new responsibilities, Kelly lacked channels of self-expression and sought a creative outlet through a course in Children's Art Analysis at the Hong Ik University in Seoul. But it wasn't until Kelly's move to Vancouver in 2003 that she was encouraged and liberated to pain again.

Late in Vancouver was a chaotic adventure. Transplanted into a lonely new city, Kelly explored courses in hospitality and business managemnt. She met many new friends and began to rekindle her own social life along with her artistic love of self-expression.

The abundance of magnlia trees in Vancouver reminded Kelly of her father's garden. Each Spring, Kelly's father would meticulously prune the magnolias from his park and flourish their home with the magnificient blossoms. The first time Kelly gazed on Vancouver's magnolias she was flooded with these memories and was wonderfully inspired to paint again. This re-growth of artistic life also became a time of therapeutic reflection and healing after the death and lingering loss of Kelly's father.

From Kelly's perspective, the magnolia blossoms symbolize life: they bud, blood and fall. She sees them as transient, vulnerable and beautiful. May you look at her blossoming expressions and treasure the delicacy of your life and the relationships it flowers.

Barenaked Ladies Celebrates Vancouver's Newest Venue for Live Music

2010-04-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

VANCOUVER, BC - During a private reception on Wednesday evening, Canadian alternative rock band group 'The Barenaked Ladies' performed a few songs for a large group of appreciative spectators in the lobby lounge of the all new Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel - including one song about the Fazioli piano!

The performance celebrated a new partnership between Fairmont Hotels and EMI Canada, and helped kick off the new hotel's lobby lounge as the city's freshest venue for live music.

The lobby will feature free daily performances from 5pm to 8pm for the enjoyment of anyone who happens to comes and enjoy a cocktail or a bite to eat from their new sushi bar.

The hotel opened in January under the experienced hand of General Manager Randy Zupanski. The opening came just in the nick of time for the Olympics, which made Vancouver's newest 5-star hotel the center of excitement and activity.

Visitors to the lobby lounge will be quick to notice a stunning and unique center piece - a satin white Fazioli piano. Known to musicians as the 'Ferrari of the piano world', this instrument was built by hand in Italy. The $225,000 piano has a wood inlay that echoes the 150 foot long sculpture made by local origami master Joseph Wu that soars directly above it.

Click here to see a mini-documentary of the Fairmont's new white Fazioli piano.

The director of food and beverage for the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel is none other than Mark Steenge, a name that will be quickly recognized by longtime lovers of fine-dining in Vancouver, as Mr. Steenge was the general manager of the famous Lumiere Restaurant for many years.

Mr. Steenge would be quick to recommend ordering the lounge's signature item: a 24-hour braised beef short-rib poutine with hand-cut fries and house-made thyme curd.

Photos by Scott Adolph, Sculptures of Light Photography

The story of the Fairmont's new white Fazioli piano

2010-03-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

VANCOUVER, BC – Enjoy interviews with world renowned piano maker Paolo Fazioli, award winning architect Michelle Biggar, international concert pianist Angela Hewitt, and the general manager of all new Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel Randy Zupanski.

The new white Fazioli is now in its permanent location as a centerpiece in the lobby of Vancouver's new Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. The piano was commissioned by the hotel's owner for design by award winning BC architects McFarlane + Green + Biggar.

The $225,000 Fazioli piano in satin white features a stunning 3D design underneath the lid, has many parts plated in 18K gold, and will be a permanent centerpiece of the hotel lobby.

Founder Paolo Fazioli travelled from Italy to personally unveil the one-of-a-kind white piano at a media event for the piano at the new Showcase Pianos Fazioli store in Richmond's Aberdeen Centre. The video also features performances by Tim Zhang, Scott Xiao, Spencer Zezulka, and duo Michael & Jamie Onwood.

Click here to view the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7VHybfr2Hg

Hedley band borrows Baldwin piano for new 'Perfect' music video

2010-03-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Canadian pop rock band 'Hedley' borrowed a Baldwin grand piano from Showcase Pianos on Broadway to record the music video for their new song 'Perfect'.

Hedley's music has been heard by millions around the world as they performed their hit song "Cha Ching" at the closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

The band's lead singer Jacob Hoggard placed 3rd during the second season of the reality TV series Canadian Idol in 2004. Tommy Mac is on bass, Dave Rosin on guitar, and Chris Crippin is on drums.

Click here to view the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nBU9VR2X5g

Release of beautiful new Bentley 'Mulsanne' accompanied by music from Fazioli

2010-03-11T15:59:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC - Fazioli piano owners were invited to join Bentley Vancouver to enjoy a preview of the new Bentley Mulsanne on Thursday the 11th of March. Much like the Fazioli piano, the all-new Bentley is hand-crafted, and delivers the world's most sublime experience.

Fazioli M. Liminal in New Percy Jackson Movie

2010-02-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

Vancouver, BC - The new 'Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Theif" opened on Friday the 12th of February. It is a movie based on Greek Mythology that follows Percy [Logan Lerman], a teenager that discovers he is a descendant of a Greek god who must find the thief who stole Zeus' lightning bolt.

The star-studded film includes such A-list actors as Pierce Brosnan, Alexandra Daddario, Sean Bean, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson, and Uma Thurman.

In the movie, when Percy visits the mansion of the character played by Steve Coogan, a Fazioli M. Liminal grand piano can be seen during the scenes in the main room. Vancouver's Showcase Pianos had loaned the piano to the set, which is one of only eight in the world. The piano's stunning design is credited to Philippe Gendre of NYT Line in France. Store owner Manuel Bernaschek was invited to tour the impressive set in Burnaby where a mansion was recreated inside a warehouse, together with a stunning recreation of an entire section of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Showcase Pianos Fazioli was invited to the pre-screening of the movie before its official release on Friday the 12th of February, 2010, which coincided with the opening day of the Olympics. Although the script didn't call for any piano playing, the production stills show that the actors enjoyed taking the Fazioli for a test-drive at least for a few moments between filming.

Read article in the Richmond Review: http://www.bclocalnews.com/richmond_southdelta/richmondreview/news/84808047.html

[Pictured with piano above: Chris Cholumbus listens to actress Alexandra Doddario playing the Fazioli M. Liminal, Pictured with piano below: Actress Rosario Dawson leans on Fazioli M. Liminal]

Unique white Fazioli arrives in new Fairmont Pacific Rim lobby

2010-02-07T20:25:00.000-08:00

VANCOUVER, BC – The new white Fazioli is now in its permanent location in Vancouver's new Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. The piano was commissioned by the owner for design by award winning BC architect McFarlane + Green + Biggar. The $225,000 satin white Fazioli piano features a stunning 3D design underneath the lid, has many parts plated in 18K gold, and will be a permanent attraction of the hotel lobby.

Founder Paolo Fazioli travelled from Italy to personally unveil the one-of-a-kind white piano at a media event for the piano at the new Showcase Pianos Fazioli store in Richmond's Aberdeen Centre.

About Fazioli Pianos: Thirty years ago Paolo Fazioli made pianos with the goal of making the best one in the world. Now the Fazioli is widely regarded as being the fine st piano in the world, and is one of the key players on the concert stage. Since their arrival locally just over 2 years ago, 23 Fazioli pianos have been sold through Showcase Pianos, and the Fazioli pianos have been featured on TV news over 40 times, some of which can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/OneGreatPiano

Meeting the First Lady of Taiwan at the Cloud Gate Dance Performance

2010-02-05T23:50:00.000-08:00

Vancouver, BC - Taiwan's first lady Chow Mei-ching (Christine Ma) arrived in Vancouver Thursday as the honorary head of the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, the first time Taiwan's first lady has visited Canada since diplomatic ties were severed between the two countries in 1970.

Chow was greeted at the airport by a group of more than 40 Taiwanese expatriates.

She pictured here with Showcase Pianos owner Manuel Bernaschek after the Cloud Gate performance on Friday at the Cultural Olympiad being held in the Canadian city.

The first lady will also attend a book donation ceremony at the Vancouver Public Library and read story books to local children.

She will also visit the "Lantern Forest" -- a corridor that displays thousands of lanterns decorated by children from Canada and Taiwan -- and an exhibition featuring the works of Taiwanese installation artist Michael Lin at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Before arriving in Vancouver, the first lady had accompanied the Cloud Gate dancers to Washington, D.C. and Chicago.

They are scheduled to return to Taiwan Feb. 9.

Italian piano maker Paolo Fazioli unveils Fairmont Hotel's new masterpiece

2010-01-22T12:57:00.001-08:00

Unique white piano to be permanent attraction in new Fairmont hotel lobby

VANCOUVER, BC – The new Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, due to open late in January, has commissioned award winning BC architect McFarlane + Green + Biggar to design a Fazioli piano. The $225,000 satin white Fazioli piano will feature a stunning 3D design underneath the lid, has many parts plated in 18K gold, and will be a permanent attraction of the hotel lobby.

Founder Paolo Fazioli travelled from Italy to personally unveil the one-of-a-kind white piano at a media event for the piano. Architects Michelle Biggar and Seng Tsoi from McFarlane + Green + Biggar were also present together with Fairmont Hotel General Manager Randy Zupanski.

An in-depth interview with Mr. Fazioli was conducted by Vancouver Observer, and can be found here:
http://www.vancouverobserver.com/blogs/indievan/2010/01/25/italian-piano-maker-paolo-fazioli-dedicates-white-grand-piano-vancouvers

Bernascheks meet Larry Fine with Paolo Fazioli at NAMM Show

2010-01-15T18:58:00.000-08:00

ANAHEIM, CA - On the first day of the NAMM Trade Show in Anaheim California, I looked over at the name tag of the person talking to piano maker Paolo Fazioli and discovered that it was Larry Fine - - - author of many editions of the famous "Piano Book" and the all new "Piano Buyer" Book, that teaches people what to look for when they are buying a piano. (See here for more details: http://pianobuyer.com/ )

It was a tremendous joy and privilege to meet Larry Fine, a very humble and kind individual.

Our trip to the NAMM Show also reunited us with long time friend Alan Merriam and his son Daniel - owners of Merriam's Music in Toronto, and distributors of Perzina Pianos. We also met Rick Baldassin, the Fazioli piano dealer of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Showcase Pianos | Fazioli opens all new 2nd location

2010-01-03T21:45:00.000-08:00

Richmond, BC – On Friday the 25th of December, Vancouver’s Showcase Pianos opened a 2nd location in Richmond’s beautiful Aberdeen Mall. Sixteen year old concert pianist Tim Zhang who now studies in New York was on his way through Vancouver to perform a series of concerts in China. Zhang was asked to perform for this special occasion.

Fairchild TV News came to interview Tim Zhang and film him playing a few notes on the unique avant-garde half-million-dollar Fazioli ‘M. Liminal’ piano that is on display in the new store. The 'M. Liminal' Fazioli was designed by world renowned architect Philippe Gendre of NYT Line in France.

It was estimated that in excess of 2,000 people visited or saw the new store on the first day alone.

This ‘M. Liminal’ Fazioli is the actual piano that will be seen on screen at the side of Pierce Brosnan and Uma Thurman in FOX’s new $200-million production of the movie ‘Percy Jackson’ in February. So far only eight ‘M. Liminal’ Fazioli pianos exist in the world – and one of them sits in the lobby of the new Mandarin Oriental in Taipei.

Aberdeen Centre
#1900 – 4151 Hazelbridge Way
Richmond, BC
T 604.270.8883

Angela Hewitt Performs Live on Global TV News

2009-11-29T15:17:00.001-08:00

Vancouver, BC - The Canadian concert pianist that has been hailed by the Guardian Newspaper as the "pre-eminent Bach pianist of our time" was invited to appear live on the weekend edition of Global TV News.

Angela Hewitt is considered to be the foremost exponent of Joahnn Sebastian Bach. On Sunday the 29th of November, Ms. Hewitt was interviewed by Global TV news achor Sophie Lui.

A beautiful Fazioli F183 (6') piano was sent to the studio for Angela Hewitt to perform on. The Fazioli piano is made by hand in Italy, and is now widely regarded as the finest piano in the world.

See the news item here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_2VKKSELig

Vancouver's Fazioli Piano Owners Treat Angela Hewitt to Dinner

2009-11-29T14:52:00.001-08:00

Vancouver, BC - Some of the 20 or so owners of Fazioli pianos in the area were invited to have dinner with Angela Hewitt at the Shangri-La Hotel's beautiful 'Market by Jean-Georges' Restaurant during her visit to Vancouver.

Angela Hewitt, an internationally acclaimed Canadian pianist, was in Vancouver for two sold-out performance with the Vancouver Recital Society.

Photos by Leo Cai: http://lionlightphoto.com/

Fazioli Opens Store in Milan

2009-11-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

Italy's famed piano factory opened it's own store in Milan on the 21st of November 2009 making it easier and more accessible for the Italian people to take one for a test drive. Previously, Italians had to travel directly to the factory in Sacile, a small town around 60km north of Venice. Canadian concert pianist Louis Lortie performed a mini-concert to inaugurate the new store.

The Best of the Best! But which one is faster?

2009-11-09T16:18:00.000-08:00

The Bugatti Veyron Sport 16.4 might have 1001 horsepower, but compare that with the 'speed of sound'! The price tag for the Bugatti is a whopping $2.2M - making the half-million dollars for the Fazioli M. Liminal beside it look like just pocket change!

The Bugatti has a second key, that lowers the car when inserted in preparation for the extra high speeds. In case you left the 'hard-top' at home, it comes with a handy 'umbrella-like' soft-top that folds up very small.

Weissach Vancouver is Western Canada's exclusive dealer for Bugatti automobiles, visit them at: http://www.weissach.com/

The Fazioli M. Liminal shown here is the only one in Canada, and was designed by world renowned architect Philippe Gendre of NYT Line in France. The piano is on display and available for purchase at Showcase Pianos in Vancouver, 1224 West Broadway: http://showcasepianos.com/

Craning a piano in West Vancouver

2009-11-04T15:28:00.000-08:00

Moving a piano with a huge crane is actually much easier than it looks! The fantastic views of the city from this beautiful West Vancouver home made for some excellent photos. Enjoy!

Showcase Pianos is located at 1224 West Broadway in Vancouver, and is the exclusive dealer for Fazioli and Baldwin pianos in Western Canada. Showcase Pianos is also the new dealer for China's highest rated upright piano, the Perzina.

Single Largest Concert Grand in Western Canada Breaks Two Legs

2009-09-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

EXTRA LARGE CONCERT GRAND PIANO BREAKS TWO LEGS, BUT SHOW MUST GO ON

CALGARY, AB – If this would have happened to a horse, the outcome would have been much different. On Wednesday morning, western Canada’s single largest concert grand piano was being picked up from Mount Royal University, and during the initial stages of the move, the massive piano broke two of its legs.

Thank goodness they didn’t shoot it.

The piano is a rare Italian piano called a Fazioli. Though they produce a very limited 100 grand pianos a year in many sizes, they also make the largest piano currently in production. Whereas a normal Steinway concert grand is less than 1,000 pounds and just under 9 feet long, the Fazioli F308 weighs nearly 1,500 pounds and is more than 10 feet long!

The piano is being borrowed by our country’s most famous concert pianist, Angela Hewitt. She will perform on it with the CPO for audiences at the Jack Singer Hall today and tomorrow.

New piano legs were immediately sent out from Vancouver which arrived to the Jack Singer Hall late Thursday night. Manuel Bernaschek, owner of Vancouver based Showcase Pianos, installed the legs together with local concert technician Michael Lipnicki.

Angela Hewitt to play rare Italian Fazioli with Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

2009-09-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

CALGARY, AB – The monstrous Fazioli F308 is more than ten feet long, and is the largest piano in western Canada. It is the prized possession of Mount Royal University, who won’t let ‘just anyone’ take it for a test drive.

Well, Angela Hewitt isn’t ‘just anyone’. She is one of Canada’s most famous pianists, world renowned for her incredible interpretations on the piano. Hewitt will be taking the Fazioli ‘for a spin’ later this month during her two concerts with the CPO at the Jack Singer Hall.

Hewitt will play Mozart’s beautiful Piano Concerto No. 21, the “Elvira Madigan”, and Symphony No. 40 with the CPO this month in an all Mozart program that will offering Calgarians a rare glimpse of the Fazioli piano that is being trucked in especially for her.

In an interview last year with the Globe & Mail, Hewitt expressed her wish that more pianists would discover a Fazioli and see ‘how much more you can do with a piano’.

Since the opening of the retail Fazioli store in Vancouver in 2007, two families in Alberta have discovered the Fazioli piano for themselves and chosen to make it the centrepiece of their home. The 6 and 7 foot ‘home’ sized models start at around $100,000 – which is half of the price of their concert grand pianos, but still double the price of the more popular US made Steinway & Sons.

Founder Paolo Fazioli, himself a pianists and engineer, started the company in 1979 after his dissatisfaction with other pianos led him to believe that he could use his knowledge of both worlds to produce something vastly superior, something that would be quickly recognized as a real masterpiece of workmanship.

Now, 30 years later, Fazioli is a key player on the concert stage, and can boast of converting illustrious pianists like Herbie Hancock and Louis Lortie.

Media coverage of Fazioli arrival into Calgary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXJZr-eJrGI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbfZAQX43Tc

Media coverage of Fazioli arrival into Edmonton:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dadGYFiuGyM

Information on Angela Hewitt’s concert with the CPO:
http://www.cpo-live.com/main/event_detail.php?event_id=389

A Surprise For My Wife...

2009-08-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

Before I tell you about what was possibly the greatest anniversary surprise of all time, you should first of all know that my wife Judy is nearly impossible to surprise - she can almost always tell when I'm up to something, or when any little thing is out of the ordinary. I knew I would also have to create clues for a fake surprise, in addition to working on the real one.

Two years ago, for our first wedding anniversary, we took a trip to Orcas Island and stayed in our friends empty house. So, to lead Judy in the wrong direction, I arranged for that same friend to leave a message on our home phone saying: "Hi Manuel! Umm... This doesn't sound like your cell phone - but any way, August 23rd is fine!"

I knew Judy would stumble on the message, and she would assume that I was trying to surprise her with another trip to Orcas Island. I had her fooled right down until the last minute, but once we arrived at the airport, she quickly figured out that our plane wasn't going to Orcas Island, but rather to the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort near Tofino: http://wildretreat.com/

I don't normally write about our personal life on this blog, but I thought I would mention it since this is the vacation package that we are giving away with the purchase of the Fazioli 'M. Liminal' piano.

The anniversary surprise didn't start at the resort though. Our first night was actually spent at the beautiful Shangri-La Hotel in Vancouver. Judy said that Vancouver's Shangri-La was equivalent to, or even surpassed New York's Carlyle, and London's Connaught.

Our stay at the Shangri-La was also a surprise for Judy. She thought we were going to visit a friend there. During that day, I kept mentioning the friend's name. I had also stepped out from work for a few minutes, and I ran down to the Shangri-La to check in and leave our bag in the room - I had to secretly pack it a few days before!

Then, when we went down to the hotel at 5:30pm, which was the time Judy thought we were suppose to meet our friend. As we were pulling up, I told her that the friend had mentioned we could get to their apartment from the hotel side, and it's unit number 1414.

When we got there, she rang the doorbell, but no answer. Down the hall, there were some orchids, so I asked said: “Do you think those orchids are real?” I knew the curiosity would get the best of her, so she walked over to check.

Then I waved the key in front of the door, and it opened and I walked in, and Judy ran back and walked in right after. She walked all the way in saying “Hello? Hello??” - and then she started to realize something was up. She looked at me and said “What’s going on here???” - frowning, but still not able to contain her smile.

The picture you see here was taken just after that moment.

We had dinner at 'Market', and were treated to a couple's massage at the 'Chi' Spa in the morning - the most fantastic spa treatment we have ever enjoyed!

The room had it's own 'Nespresso' machine, and even a little TV in the bathroom mirror! It had buttons to control the drapes, sheers, and all the lights. Nice TV's in both the bedroom and living room, and a nice balcony too.

After the couples massage at the 'Chi' Spa, we checked out and made our way to the float-plane terminal near the Vancouver airport. Here are some photos of the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort:

Andre Rieu in Vancouver

2009-06-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

My wife and I attended last night’s performance by Andre Rieu. Shortly after arriving to our seats, we wondered what kind of piano was on the stage.

We were delighted to find out that he had a beautiful Fazioli piano on the stage as part of his orchestra!

Our subsequent research revealed that Andre Rieu has two Stradivarius violins (made in 1667 and in 1732), and two Fazioli grand pianos!

The Fazioli dealer in Holland confirmed that he has travelled with a Fazioli since 1993, and he later bought another Fazioli to use in his studio in Maasticht.

The ‘Ferrari of Pianos’ arrives in Edmonton

2009-04-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

LOCAL MUSIC LOVER BUYS RARE ITALIAN ‘FAZIOLI’ PIANO

Edmonton, AB – At a time when housing prices continue to fluctuate, an Edmontonian has decided to put some money into a different kind of investment – a piano. In the world of piano makers, the Fazioli is considered to be the closest thing you can get to a Stradivarius.

International concert pianist Boris Konovalov makes Edmonton his home, and has performed on hundreds of pianos in concert halls all over the world. He calls the Fazioli an “instrument of great beauty”, and “a dream for any pianist to perform on”. Konovalov has been invited to give a small demonstration on the Fazioli piano at a media event.

Konovalov is widely praised for being ‘one of the most brilliant pianists’ with a powerful technique, a sensitive musician that leaves deep impressions on audiences all around the globe.

Fazioli is the new kid on the block in the world of piano making – a place that doesn’t often get newcomers. In 1979, Paolo Fazioli – himself a pianist and an engineer – decided that he wanted to create the best piano known to man.

It has parts plated in 18K gold, and the soundboard is carved from the same trees that Antonio Stradivari used for his famous instruments.

Fazioli has been gaining a strong following in recent years, including jazz legend Herbie Hancock, and the world’s leading renowned Bach-expert Angela Hewitt.

This Fazioli F183 is the third Fazioli piano to arrive in Alberta, and the first to arrive in Edmonton.

Edmonton Journal Newspaper article:
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/fp/Ferrari+piano+world/1480619/story.html

Edmonton Sun Newspaper article:
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2009/04/03/8987506-sun.html

Paolo Fazioli delivers F183 toVancouver's new Shangri-La Hotel

2009-01-24T15:00:00.000-08:00

Private Concert & Reception for Mr. Paolo Fazioli at Pan Pacific Hotel

2009-01-24T14:37:00.000-08:00

M. Liminal Fazioli arrives in Vancouver

2009-01-02T11:18:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JANUARY 2, 2009

MOST EXPENSIVE PIANO TO EVER VISIT CANADA MAKES PIT-STOP IN VANCOUVER

VANCOUVER, BC – It’s called the “M. Liminal” and it’s built by Paolo Fazioli in Italy. There are only five in existence and it is the most expensive piano ever to visit Canada.

Many have said that it’s the most futuristic looking piano they have ever seen. The impressively ‘avant-garde’ art case stretches to a length of almost nine-feet! This beautiful work of art is on display at Showcase Pianos in Vancouver, 1224 West Broadway.

The piano was designed by renowned architect Philippe Gendre of NYT Line in France.

Sixteen Fazioli grand pianos have been sold through the relatively new Showcase Pianos store since they opened a year ago.

“This proved to me that bringing these amazing instruments to BC was long overdue”, says store owner Manuel Bernaschek. “For many years there was much talk in the piano community about a man in Italy who was making the finest pianos in the world. We kept hearing that more and more famous pianists were converting to playing on Fazioli pianos, so I really wanted to bring them here.”

Paolo Fazioli is the new kid on the block in the world of piano making, a place that doesn’t often get newcomers. In 1979 Paolo Fazioli – himself a pianist and an engineer – decided that he wanted to create the best piano known to man. Now, 30 years later, Fazioli Pianoforti in Italy is widely regarded as the finest piano maker in the world.

STORE OWNER THROWS IN LUXURIOUS VACATION GETAWAY WORTH $11,000

In recent months many retailers have been creating their own ‘economic bailout’, throwing in ‘a little something extra’ as an added encouragement for consumers to spend their hard earned dollars.

Bernaschek is giving away a three night’s vacation package for two at the incredibly luxurious Clayoquot Wilderness Resort on Vancouver Island.

Located in the fragile Clayoquot Sound Biosphere reserve, this all-inclusive resort is one of the most unique and exclusive eco-destinations in the world, and in recent years has become a popular destination among celebrities.

The M. Liminal can be seen together with a Fazioli that is finished in the exotic Amboina wood from Indonesia – one of the rarest woods in the world.

http://showcasepianos.com

http://wildretreat.com

Amboina Fazioli F212 arrives at Showcase Pianos

2009-01-01T15:10:00.000-08:00

Amboina Wood is obtained from an Indonesian tree (Pterocarpus indicus), and is highly valued for ornamental woodwork, originally fround on Ambon Island and is now mostly grown on Seram Island.

Amboina is the rarest wood used for veneer.

International Dealer Meeting at the Fazioli Piano Factory

2008-11-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

London's famous 'Connaught Hotel':

Fazioli Piano factory in Sacile, one hour north of Venice.

Ing. Paolo Fazioli speaks to dealers in Fazioli Concert Hall
about this years numbers: Fazioli's market share and

production continue to climb.

Luca Fazioli, 20 year old son of Mr. Fazioli

New showroom to be built beside factory. Chinese-Italian Concert

Pianist Jin Ju performs a stirring concert for the dealers.

Mr. Fazioli points out the Amboina wood, telling the group

that it's the rarest wood in the world. Two are in currently in

production at the moment, the one here is destined for Vancouver.

We asked to see the Shangri-La Hotel's Piano. Samples of the lobby's wood

had been couriered to the factory so they could match the inside of the rim

perfectly. I had been so camera happy that by this point I had run out of

batteries. These two photos were taken on my Blackberry. The piano was

just coming out of the room where they apply the black paint to the case.

Judy with the M. Liminal piano - the beautiful piano designed by Philippe Gendre of NYT Line in France, and a short video clip of the fall-board closing on the same piano. Notice the part behind the fall-board also moves to a new position when the piano is closed.

A trip to the Baldwin Piano factory in Arkansas

2008-09-24T15:08:00.000-07:00