Last week I had the pleasure of attending a tour of the Fazioli piano factory in Sacile, Italy. The headquarters of this illustrious firm of piano makers is based a short drive from Venice. Fazioli was established in 1981 and is swiftly becoming an increasingly popular choice of instrument amongst pianists and institutions; from celebrated artists (Angela Hewitt, Louis Lortie, Daniil Trifonov, Boris Giltburg, to name a few) to international competitions (many finalists are now requesting to perform on a Fazioli), music schools and conservatoires, who all realise the vast array of tonal possibilities available from this hand-built, high quality piano.
The trip was arranged beautifully by Jaques Samuel Pianos, and a whole day was spent looking around the factory. We observed how the instruments are constructed (every stage was fully explained and demonstrated), enjoyed a lecture by owner and founder Paolo Fazioli, and finally, were able to thoroughly appreciate the Fazioli sonority in a recital given by young Australian pianist John Granger Fisher, winner of the Chappell Gold Medal at the Royal College of Music, amongst many other accolades.
After the tour, I had the opportunity to chat to Paolo Fazioli in the elegant concert hall and here’s what he said:
Publications
Melanie Spanswick has written and published a wide range of courses, anthologies, examination syllabuses, and text books, including Play it again: PIANO (published by Schott Music). This best-selling graded, progressive piano course contains a large selection of repertoire featuring a huge array of styles and genres, with copious practice tips and suggestions for every piece.
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Melanie Spanswick 