Elton John and a star-studded line up of musicians treated Yamaha dealers and special guests to a very special concert in Anaheim, California, on January 25, 2013.

The show celebrated the 125th anniversary of the Japanese keyboard manufacturer. The event also showcased Yamaha’s latest technology with the Disklavier.

The night included an exciting roster of musicians, ranging from newcomers Lucy Schwartz, Leogun, and fun marching band, funk legends Chaka Khan and Earth, Wind, & Fire, singer Amy Grant, greats Dave Grusin and Lee Ritenour as well as David Foster and Dave Coz, 80’s rockers Toto, Doobie Brothers crooner Michael McDonald, songstress Sarah McLachlan, and after nearly three hours of 3-song sets, Elton John.

Elton strolled on to the stage in a sparkling blue suit, made a few comments praising Yamaha, then treated the audience to renditions popular songs, such as “Your Song”, “Tiny Dancer”, “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word”—all backed amazingly by a full orchestra—then performed piano-only for “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” and “Rocket Man”.

The fascinating part of the evening, other than the obvious stellar performances, was Elton’s playing broadcast around the world via Yamaha’s Disklavier.



Using Yamaha’s DisklavierTV and RemoteLive technology, Elton’s piano playing was transmitted in real-time to venues around the world. The TV monitor technology allowed world-wide viewers to see John play, while the RemoteLive technology allowed Disklavier pianos to recreate his playing, a sort of virtual concert experience. This technology is especially useful for teaching remotely and the multimedia entertainment experience.

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