Recent years have seen diminishing opportunities to perform pieces for extended piano techniques (prepared piano, performance inside the piano, live electronics, etc.). The purpose of this project is for musicians, concert hall managers and researchers to raise problems related to the promotion and dissemination of extended piano technique works, improve the visibility of these problems, and address the issues from their different standpoints.

Key members are pianist Satoko Inoue, musicologist Susumu Shono, composer Yuji Itoh and Yaeko Kurosaki, director of Ryogoku Monten Hall.

Activities under this project took place under two key categories, workshops and research.
In the project’s third year, activities of the “Concert hall research” category within the general research category were expanded, and preparations were made to work directly on improving the environment in which expanded piano playing techniques can be practiced.
Some initiatives were subsequently postponed for a year to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
In the project’s final year, a report session and symposium were held on all activities to date in each category.
A pamphlet, “Piano maintenance guidelines for extended piano playing techniques” (downloadable from the official website for the project), was produced, and a debriefing session on the pamphlet was held.
The project’s official website, “All about extended piano playing techniques – Experiment of piano music to be handed down to the future,” was launched and all project activities made public.

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Experiment of piano music to be handed down to the future

Year 1 activities
(1) Workshops
• Introduction and lectures on extended piano techniques (expanded playing methods).
(2) Research
• Literature review-based research into works featuring extended piano techniques.
• Surveys targeting concert hall managers and artists on the status of extended piano techniques.

Year 2 activities
(1) Workshops (continuing from Year 1)
• Introduction and lectures on extended piano techniques (expanded playing methods).
(2) Research (continuing from Year 1)
• Work towards building an archive for works featuring extended piano techniques.
• Interview-style surveys with domestic concert hall operators and piano tuners. A survey will be conducted of the current situation regarding the implementation of concerts featuring extended piano techniques. A survey of the current situation regarding the implementation of extended piano techniques in various countries (in preparation for recommendations on piano maintenance guidelines).
• Public events: “Round-table discussion by composers on the extension of piano techniques.”

Plan for Year 3 activities
(1) Workshops
• We will run extended piano technique workshops on practical application (ensembles, others) (Continuing from Year 1)
• Verification of creation and performance process for pieces for extended piano techniques:
Commissioning and concert performance of new works featuring
extended piano techniques)

(2) Research
• Musicology-style research on works for extended piano techniques (continuing from Year 1)
• As well as setting up a seven-member concert hall research division for the holding of closed study groups and public round-table meetings (targeting those involved in concert hall management), we will present surveys on the situation for the implementation of extended piano techniques in theaters, music venues, etc. at academic conferences.

Year 3 (*postponement of some initiatives to prevent the spread of coronavirus)
(1)Research
-The results of research to date were released as “Database of works for extended piano playing techniques” and “Literature database” on the project’s official website, “All about extended piano playing techniques – Experiment of piano music to be handed down to the future.”
-On August 7, 2022, together with a report session on activities to date in each category, a symposium was held entitled “The possibilities for extended piano playing techniques – from the perspective of composition, performance, concert hall management, and instrument maintenance/conservation.”

Presenters
Workshops: Satoko Inoue
Works research: Mai Ikehara
Concert hall research: Yaeko Kurosaki

Symposium speakers
Seiji Choki (Moderator)
Yuji Itoh (Composer/project member)
Satoko Inoue (Pianist/project member)
Oriyo Kanegae (Former concert hall employee/research member)
Jo Kondo (Guest composer)
Akimichi Miura (Piano tuner/ workshop instructor)

“Piano maintenance guidelines for extended piano playing techniques” were created, followed on January 30 2022 by a report meeting on the creation of the guidelines, and the making of related recommendations.

* The guidelines were printed in pamphlet form and sent out in April 2022 to facilities that cooperated with the survey and people who wished to receive a copy. The pamphlet can also be downloaded for free from the project’s official website.

拡張ピアノ奏法時のピアノ管理ガイドライン

(2)Website launch
The project’s official website compiling all project activity records, “All about extended piano playing techniques – Experiment of piano music to be handed down to the future,” was launched and made available to the public.

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