Casio Brings Hiroshima's Historic 'Akiko's Piano' to Hamburg Festival

The project, managed by CASIO Europe GmbH, meticulously captured the resonance of each of the 1926 piano's 88 keys to create a high-fidelity digital source. During the festival at Hamburg’s Laeiszhalle, the technology was integrated into the CELVIANO digital piano series, allowing attendees to interact directly with the instrument's legacy.

On June 27, pianist Akane Sakai utilized the digital sound for the stage production "The Postman of Nagasaki." This performance preceded the June 29 world premiere of Dai Fujikura’s "Akiko's Piano - Piano Concerto No. 4." Sakai performed the concerto on a CELVIANO, drawing a standing ovation from the audience. By digitizing the piano, which was restored in 2005 and previously played by Martha Argerich, Casio aims to preserve the instrument's unique timbre and its enduring message of peace for future generations.