Yamaha Artist


A Yamaha Artist is a prestigious designation bestowed by Yamaha, by invitation, to notable musical artists, considered to be critically acclaimed in their instruments or genres. Acceptance as a Yamaha Artist is tantamount to a reciprocal endorsement by Yamaha. Like other musical instrument manufacturers, Yamaha supports its artists in various ways.

History

Yamaha's music artist program is managed by Yamaha Corporate Artist Affairs in Franklin, Tennessee. There is also an office in New York City which exclusively handles Yamaha Artists in the classical music field, as relates to Yamaha Pianos and Yamaha Band and Orchestra instruments - namely those in the brass and woodwind families. Other offices relating to Yamaha Guitars and Yamaha Drums are located in Buena Park, California. The office in New York is known as Yamaha Artist Services, Inc., was founded in 1987, and serves the world of Yamaha classical piano artists.

Endorsement component

Endorsements from product manufacturers, certainly in the case of musical instruments, requires a personal relationship between an artist and professional services representative. Paraphrasing Peter Erskine, endorsement relationships go beyond providing free equipment, clinic support, advertising, logistical assistance, and the like. The relationships are often very personal and depend on good communication.

Selected Yamaha Artists (past and present)

Contemporary musical artists
Jazz artists
Classical and experimental musical artists
Yamaha offers Yamaha Artists Services in select cities that include Paris, Seoul, London, Tokyo, and Moscow.

Yamaha Artist Services Piano Salon in New York

Yamaha Artist Services, Inc. in Midtown Manhattan is the home of the Yamaha Artist Services Piano Salon at 689 Fifth Avenue at East 54th Street, northeast corner. It features rehearsal space, recording space, performance space, a high end brass and woodwind workshop, and a concert bank of Bösendorfer and Yamaha pianos. Cyrus Chestnut recorded an album there. Concerts and festivals rely on the support of the YASI. The space is also set up to broadcast live masterclasses and performances with audio and video, but through Disklavier technology, the actual live performance itself can be heard on a piano in a different space – in real time.

Selected initiatives involving Yamaha Artists

Yamaha introduced the Yamaha Disklavier in 1987, a high-tech piano that has been widely used in teaching piano and music theory as well as composing and performances. Yamaha Corporation of America, Yamaha Canada Music Limited, and Yamaha Artists New York have sponsored national seminars for music educators and Yamaha Artists using the Disklavier."Before and After: What to Listen for in Assessing Our Students," by Midori Koga, George Litterst, Janet Lopinski, Scott McBride Smith, and Peteris Zarins, American Music Teacher, Music Teachers National Association, Vol. 57, No. 2 October/November 2007, pp. 21-23

Musical artists programs of other manufacturers