Lectures and Conferences
In 2022, Peter Phillips wrote an article about me for the Australian and American collectors’ magazines (ACMMI and AMICA) that describes me and my fascinations well. Bringing people together to promote the use, exchange and research of all topics related to pianos, piano music and music rolls of the Golden Age worldwide is very important to me. As a speaker at events and conferences, author of specialist articles and initiator of the Global Piano Roll Meeting community, I contribute – in German or English – with passion and expertise to the rediscovery of the treasures of the heyday of piano history. With one of the largest collections of original instruments, music rolls, documents and accessories from the period 1800–1940 and a global network of experts and collections, we can connect valuable sources.
GPRM – GLOBAL PIANO ROLL MEETING
At the end of 2017, I established the idea of a global forum to bring together institutions, experts and enthusiasts who share an interest in music rolls and all related topics. This has grown into a steadily expanding circle of participants who meet every two years at a different university around the world to discuss progress on joint projects. Details about GPRM (Global Piano Roll Meeting) can be found on its own website.
Speaker, author and supporter
To share my passion for these topics and to give and receive inspiration in exchange with others, I take part in events and conferences as a speaker and publish on various topics. I also support many researchers and enthusiasts with their respective works or dissertations in the field of performance research and organology. Here is a small selection. If you are interested, please feel free to get in touch.
2026, Stanford University, Title: The Welte Recording Studios in Freiburg and Leipzig
2025, Duisburg Philharmonic, foyer concert with a talk on Welte-Mignon and Yamaha Disklavier
2024, blog post, Feurich as the main supplier of player pianos
2024, blog post, More accurate dating of early J. Blüthner instruments
2024, blog post, Which player piano – Welte or Disklavier?
2024, blog post, From music roll to MIDI and more
2024, Leipzig University, Digitization of music rolls, aspects of archiving and preservation
2024, University of Sydney, The rise and fall of the German music roll industry
2024, Duisburg Philharmonic, concert opening (G. Mahler) for the 6th Philharmonic Concert
2023, Mahler Museum Hamburg, The mystery of Welte music rolls – insights into recording and production
2023, Europiano magazine, Ivory on piano keys: EU regulation of January 19, 2022
2022, Bern University of the Arts, Rediscovery of lost rolls by Welte, Hupfeld, Philipps
2022, journal Das Mechanische Musikinstrument, title: Rediscovery of lost piano music
2019, Goethe University, Topic: Philipps Ducartist, repertoire and demonstration of a Feurich Ducartist piano
2018, Leipzig University, Topic: Kickoff of the Global Piano Roll Meeting (GPRM) conferences
2018, Stanford University, Title: Hupfeld and Philipps, Essential to the archive of pianistic art