For The Eighth Year In A Row, The Yamaha Disklavier Is 'Product Of The Year'

BUENA PARK, Calif. — For the last eight years, the Yamaha Disklavier performance-reproducing piano has taken top honors as Product of the Year in the Musical Merchandise Review (MMR) Dealer's Choice Awards. Though the Disklavier took the top prize, again, other Yamaha products also received accolades, including the Clavinova digital piano (Best Digital Keyboard) and the BR loudspeaker series (Best Sound Reinforcement Product).

Disklavier Mark IV
The Yamaha Disklavier Mark IV Version 3.0
For the first time, the company's Web site – www.Yamaha.com – won the Best Supplier Web Site category. The awards are based on votes from musical products dealers throughout the country.

"No one knows our products better than our dealers," said Rick Young, senior vice president, Yamaha Corporation of America. "For them to single out Yamaha in so many categories is a great honor. We appreciate their votes and will redouble our commitment to create the world's finest musical products."

"Our customers – including novice pianists, music educators and world-class performers – have all embraced the Disklavier as a true treasure," said Frank Sicari of Frank & Camille's Fine Pianos in New York. "Whether for education, composing, performing, archiving or pure entertainment, the Disklavier has given us myriad opportunities to reach new markets. We're thrilled to partner with Yamaha and their ongoing quest to enhance this great product."

BR Loudspeakers
Yamaha BR Series Loudspeakers
In addition to the Disklavier, the Clavinova also continued a remarkable winning streak. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2008, the Clavinova has established itself as the most successful digital piano line in the United States, earning MMR's Dealer's Choice Awards an unprecedented 13 times. Combining great sound with piano-like touch, the Clavinova combines advanced entertainment and educational applications in an attractive package.

The BR series speaker line, which furthers Yamaha's tradition of offering quality, affordable sound reinforcement products, is perfect for performing musicians, DJ's, houses of worship, schools and small-to-medium sized venues.

Yamaha CGP1000
The Yamaha CGP1000
Yamaha's Web site is continuously updated with compelling news items and product information, presented in a dynamic format. New features include The Hub, a multi-media information portal that showcases Yamaha artists and products and also serves as the central interface for Yamaha's Online University, which offers interactive dealer training modules. Glossy magazines published by Yamaha's divisions, including Signature Sounds (Band & Orchestral), All Access (Pro Audio & Combo) and Accent (Pianos), are also available online.

"We've put a lot of resources and creative thinking into our Web site and it's gratifying to see that dealers are taking notice," said Tom Sumner, senior vice president, Yamaha Corporation of America. "From The Hub, to our product pages, to the new dealer services we're offering, we strive to make the online experience compelling and enjoyable for our visitors."

These award-winning Yamaha products, along with the Web site, will be featured in the December 2008 issue of MMR and awards will be presented to company executives during the upcoming Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California.

For more information, contact Yamaha Corporation of America, 6600 Orangethorpe Avenue, Buena Park, CA 90620; phone 714-522-9011; or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.