Celebrated Marine Life Masterpiece Realized on Disklavier
BUENA PARK, Calif. — For his latest masterwork, world-renowned painter and musician Christian Riese Lassen employed an extraordinary medium to bring his remarkable vision to life. Forgoing canvas, he painted the lid of a Yamaha Disklavier® player piano.
Created as an expression of Lassen's passion for wildlife, art and music, the instrument showcases the graceful image of a mother dolphin with her young calf. The one-of-a-kind piano was unveiled this fall at Gallerie Lassen, located at the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
Known throughout the world for his marine art, Lassen's diverse body of works includes abstracts, modernism, cubism, nudes, wildlife and Picasso-influenced pieces.
A collector's item valued at $325,000, the remarkable performance reproducing piano also plays and performs in sync with Lassen's original CD Turn the Tide.
This isn't Lassen's first foray into painting on non-traditional media, however. He has painted a selection of motorcycles, as well as a Lamborghini Diablo automobile. According to Lassen Gallery Director Paul Olson, the Disklavier painting idea was inspired by several piano-playing gallery employees who urged the artist to try his hand at painting a piano. "Being a musician, he loved the idea," states Olson, citing that the interactive instrument also enabled him to showcase his musical talents.
Given the artist's acquaintance with Yamaha artist Elton John, and the gallery's relationship with Southern Nevada Music, they turned to Yamaha retailer Bob Lynch to provide the instrument, and something more. Lynch's musical talents were enlisted to create a special piano arrangement of Lassen's pop-rock album, Turn the Tide, for the piano, so that it can play in sync with the CD recording, also housed within the instrument's hard drive.
"It's a fantastic piano," states Olson, noting that the unveiling was breathtaking. "It was fabulous, everyone cheered and clapped."
The event was crowned by a special gesture of friendship towards Yamaha, when the Gallery and the mayor's office declared Saturday, October 21st "Paul Calvin Day" in Las Vegas, in honor of Yamaha's piano division manager, who was in attendance.
An international philanthropist, Lassen will donate a portion of the proceeds from the piano to charities committed to the preservation of wildlife. To learn more, visit lassenlasvegas.com.
For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, Calif. 90622, telephone (714) 522-9011, or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.
 Southern Nevada Music's Bob Lynch (seated) joins Lassen at the unveiling event. Lynch's musical talents were enlisted to create a special piano arrangement of Lassen's pop-rock album, Turn the Tide, for the piano, so that it can play in sync with the CD recording, also housed within the instrument's hard drive. |
Known throughout the world for his marine art, Lassen's diverse body of works includes abstracts, modernism, cubism, nudes, wildlife and Picasso-influenced pieces.
A collector's item valued at $325,000, the remarkable performance reproducing piano also plays and performs in sync with Lassen's original CD Turn the Tide.
This isn't Lassen's first foray into painting on non-traditional media, however. He has painted a selection of motorcycles, as well as a Lamborghini Diablo automobile. According to Lassen Gallery Director Paul Olson, the Disklavier painting idea was inspired by several piano-playing gallery employees who urged the artist to try his hand at painting a piano. "Being a musician, he loved the idea," states Olson, citing that the interactive instrument also enabled him to showcase his musical talents.
Given the artist's acquaintance with Yamaha artist Elton John, and the gallery's relationship with Southern Nevada Music, they turned to Yamaha retailer Bob Lynch to provide the instrument, and something more. Lynch's musical talents were enlisted to create a special piano arrangement of Lassen's pop-rock album, Turn the Tide, for the piano, so that it can play in sync with the CD recording, also housed within the instrument's hard drive.
"It's a fantastic piano," states Olson, noting that the unveiling was breathtaking. "It was fabulous, everyone cheered and clapped."
The event was crowned by a special gesture of friendship towards Yamaha, when the Gallery and the mayor's office declared Saturday, October 21st "Paul Calvin Day" in Las Vegas, in honor of Yamaha's piano division manager, who was in attendance.
An international philanthropist, Lassen will donate a portion of the proceeds from the piano to charities committed to the preservation of wildlife. To learn more, visit lassenlasvegas.com.
For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, Calif. 90622, telephone (714) 522-9011, or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.