15 December 2025
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With its Scandinavian-influenced design and immersive tonal qualities, John Evans finds that an OURA piano enriches the ambience of a room, bringing the warmth and tranquillity of music to the home.
The name ‘OURA’ is derived from the Greek for ‘ancestor flower’ and the company behind this range of attractive and feature-rich but affordable pianos is Donner. Since 2012, it has been creating innovative, enjoyable and aesthetically pleasing musical instruments for both entry-level and advanced musicians. It was founded by Hevin He, who explains, ‘The world is nothing but boring and bleak without music. Playing music is fun. For me, it got more thrilling when I learnt to widen my taste for music, travelling through its evocative world, transporting me beyond age and race, and across time and space. Music offers me so much that I decided to start my own company, designing and producing musical instruments as part of my mission to make music more playable and accessible to everyone.’
Combining performance with aestheticism is in the DNA of Donner and nowhere is this better demonstrated than in the company’s new OURA range of digital pianos. Stylish but versatile, compact but rich with features, they will change your idea of what a digital piano should look and sound like. The range opens with the OURA S100, an exquisite instrument presented in a Scandinavian minimalist style but which boasts a wealth of features normally associated with much larger digital pianos. They include a full-size keyboard with graded hammers and a simulated grand piano touch, a rich tonal palette, multiple voices, powerful speakers and not two but three pedals. In addition, full connectivity gives the player’s musical imagination free rein.
Stylish design
Modern Scandinavian minimalist design or unique American rustic design? That’s the choice offered by, respectively, the OURA S300 and R300 digital pianos, the next pianos in the OURA line-up. Indeed, the R300 goes further by being available in a choice of two finishes: pale wood or walnut. The S300, meanwhile, is offered in just one colour: cool black. Inspired by a more traditional piano aesthetic, the S300 is supported by a simple yet elegant frame, itself incorporating a secure, wood-enclosed pedal box. At the rear, the frame extends upwards to provide an additional support for the keyboard cover which, when opened, lies against it to form a generously proportioned music desk capable of displaying three or even four scores securely. Alternatively, the extension can be removed, allowing the cover to lie flat in the open position so that a laptop, for example, can be connected to the piano for music editing or production purposes. When closed, an additional feature of the cover can be appreciated: its finely stitched, leather-covered surface. Not only is it pleasing from a tactile and visual perspective but it also illustrates the attention to detail evident in every aspect of OURA design.
OURA S300
Further evidence of this attention lies in the wavy grille detail on the side of the S300 and the way that, in its closed position, the piano cover doesn’t quite conceal the keyboard. This is an inspired design feature that means the fronts of the keys are always visible, identifying the S300 as a keyboard that demands to be played.
For those inclined towards a softer and more natural look, there is the S300’s sister piano, the OURA R300. Available in a choice of two finishes – pale wood or walnut – like the S300 it takes a fresh approach to piano design. Created to blend with any room, a key feature of the instrument is its attractive frame which combines wood and steel for a cosy, homely feel. Ingeniously, its pair of front legs extends to provide a simple but effective music support, while at the rear, the metal legs offer additional stability and a secure mounting for the pedal box. Once again, thoughtful details abound: most notably the way the exquisitely finished cover folds in half to reveal the keyboard and how, in the closed position, it again affords a glimpse of the key fronts, inviting the pianist to play. On that point, the keys of both instruments are, like those of a traditional, quality piano’s, matt rather than glossy in appearance; grippy, too, enabling the pianist to play securely and confidently.
Much to enjoy
Although they are differently styled instruments, OURA S300 and R300 are equally rich in features. Both have weighted, touch-sensitive keys for superior control and graded hammers for more natural responses. Both have the full complement of 88 keys, so look and feel instantly familiar. Discreetly located to the left of the keyboard are three simple controls: volume, function and power. Using the function control, it is possible to select from 15 authentic-sounding instruments, or tones, ranging from grand piano to solo violin, plus a transposition mode and three demonstration songs.
Crucially, both instruments benefit from a generous 256-note polyphony. This means they can effectively play 256 notes simultaneously but, more importantly, that the pianos have the capacity to draw on multiple sound samples for their notes, lending each one greater richness and character. Pedalled passages also benefit, sounding both richer and fuller as multiple notes are sustained. Speaking of pedalling, S300 and R300 have not two but three pedals: sustain, sostenuto and una corda. Not only that but in addition to a full pedal effect, all three permit half-pedalling, essential in music by Debussy, for example. Two powerful, high-quality 15W speakers, in combination with the pianos’ open-frame design, ensure the instruments sound their very best – rich and detailed.
Extensive connectivity is another welcome feature of the OURA S300 and R300 pianos. Headphone jacks (there are two, so that a fellow musician or family member can also listen) allow the pianist to play without disturbing others in the room. In addition, there is an AUX OUT audio output for connection to external audio playback devices or recording equipment, and an AUX IN audio input enabling external audio to be heard via the piano’s powerful speakers. Via a USB MIDI port, the piano can be connected to other musical and data sources. The ‘Local off’ feature allows the piano’s regular sound to be muted on such occasions. By selecting Bluetooth via the function control, the pianist can connect third-party devices to ‘Donner Piano’ for Bluetooth audio or, via the app, Bluetooth MIDI. As if all this weren’t enough, each piano comes bundled with software including piano lessons and music production features.
Above: OURA R300 in light and dark wood
Elegant, versatile, feature-rich and, above all, rewarding to play, OURA S100, S300 and R300 represent a new generation of digital piano, one designed both to seamlessly integrate with your home and your lifestyle and to express your love of music.
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