How old were you when you first started to learn the piano - and what made you continue?
I started playing at the comparatively late age of 14 but was hooked instantly! I was fascinated by the sound of the piano, and, as I progressed, loved the feeling of control that I had over that sound. It opened up a vast world of music that I probably would never have been introduced to otherwise, and was a definite turning point in my whole life.
Colin Smithers testing a Yamaha grand piano at the Yamaha Music London store on Wardour Street
Which is your favourite piano model and why?
The Bösendorfer sound is so special and distinctive, and has tonal qualities unlike those of any other piano maker, that I would have to choose the Bösendorfer Model 185 Grand (the '185' denotes the length in centimetres). As you move onto the larger Bösendorfer grands, not only do you really begin to experience the dark and velvety tonal qualities that they're renowned for - especially in the bass register - but also a more open and brilliant sound that really allows the middle and upper registers to ring out and sing.
The Bösendorfer Model 185 exhibits all the world-renowned hallmarks of the Viennese piano maker
What do you most enjoy about working at the Yamaha Music store?
I think that the most fascinating thing is when we can show our visitors how two pianos - which look more or less the same on the outside - can have such profoundly different and distinctive tonal qualities, due primarily to differences in their parts (for instance, the materials used) and also the manner in which they've been crafted, and how those decisions were originally informed by quite different aesthetic tastes.
Most of our visitors expect not to be able to hear those differences - yet in practise, almost all of them hear those individual nuances unique to each piano or model. Those differences can often invoke very strong and distinct emotions - and it's hugely rewarding when you watch a visitor react and begin to connect with a specific model - seeing the start of a musical journey that will continue between person and instrument.
What has been the highlight of your time at the Yamaha Music store so far?
We sometimes have our CFX Concert Grand at the store - this is our flagship concert grand and a piano which was designed and tested by our piano craftsman, designers and world-class classical and Jazz pianists over nearly 20 years.
It's probably one of the very best pianos that I've ever had the privilege to play, effortlessly displaying an endless variety of tonal colours, coupled with a miraculously responsive key action. At 9ft in length, it's the loudest and most powerful piano we've had in the showroom but what is remarkable is that it can also be the quietest - when required - and still has amazing sustain and depth even when playing as delicately as possible.
The spectacular Yamaha CFX Concert Grand, 19 years in the making
Who are your favourite composers and musicians?
There are so many composers that I love listening to and playing, but the ones I keep coming back to are Bach, Beethoven, Wagner and Stravinsky.
In terms of pianists, Richter for his incomparable, noble tone; Gould for the magnetism and concentration of his playing; Horowitz for his imagination and spontaneity. My tastes can be more eclectic at times, though, with bands like The Smiths, Radiohead and Pixies making an concessional appearance on my playlists.
If you could travel back in time to a period of musical history when would you travel to?
I think to have heard the younger Beethoven improvising in concert must have been incredibly special. He wasn't thought to have been the most note-perfect of pianists, but his playing was nevertheless incredibly expressive and inventive, and to have seen him effectively composing on the spot would have been truly fascinating.
The young Beethoven was known for his astonishing ability to improvise and compose mid-concert
