Japanese piano maker Roland certainly has the perfect partner in Karimoku, the world-renowned furniture maker known for its commitment to creating timeless wooden designs. John Evans elaborates.
Kiyola Series: a beautiful and beautiful-sounding piano born of a collaboration between Roland, a leader in state-of the art digital pianos, and Karimoku, a company whose love of wood inspires its superbly crafted furniture. Together, these great names have created a piano that transcends expectations of what such an instrument can look like; one that integrates seamlessly with the home aesthetic and which enhances a room through its hand-finished natural wood looks, elegant lines and understated luxury.
Key to Kiyola’s appeal is the high-quality wood from which it is constructed
– oak from sustainably managed forests and walnut from Northern Europe –
and the care which they are fashioned
Cool, contemporary, calming, Kiyola Series is for those who prize beauty, naturalness and soulful design over the angular forms, mass-produced materials and ‘tech clutter’ of conventional instruments. Key to its appeal is the high-quality wood from which it is constructed – oak from sustainably managed forests and walnut from Northern Europe – and the care which they are fashioned. Both materials take more than 70 years to grow, endowing Kiyola Series with a dignity, maturity and aura of permanence – qualities associated with only the finest instruments. As they say at Karimoku, ‘We create furniture that people love long into the future, even when lifestyle or market trends change.’ Kiyola Series embodies this same goal and passion.
Contemporary design: Delicate, discreet, beautifully crafted – Kiyola Series transforms a room
Inspired by a Northern European design aesthetic, Karimoku’s skilled artisans skilfully craft the oak and walnut in Kiyola Series to create an instrument that stands apart from traditional pianos. Natural grain, slim tapered legs, delicate bracing and a desk-like ‘console’ with a hinged keyboard fall give Kiyola Series a lightness and delicacy in tune with contemporary furniture design.
As simply a piece of beautiful furniture, use it to create either tranquility or contrast in your home. For the former, create an integrated space by choosing Kiyola Series in a similar colour to your flooring. You will feel the presence of Kiyola Series less and your room will seem larger. Alternatively, for a contrast approach, recognise and sense each furniture shape and presence by choosing them in different colours and in contrast to the floor; for example, dark walnut on maple flooring. It’s the beauty of Kiyola Series – a piano which, in its ability to blend and integrate, offers the design-conscious musician infinite creative possibilities.
IN HARMONY WITH YOUR HOME AND IN HARMONY WITH YOUR MUSIC
Kiyola Series’ seductive looks and impressive specification invite engagement. Touch Kiyola Series to calm yourself before playing, feeling the warmth of its wood. Now let the instrument fill your world with the joy and beauty of music. Like Karimoku, Roland shares a respect for tradition, while embracing progress and evolving trends. It’s why Kiyola Series benefits from Roland’s traditional insistence on the highest quality components supported by advanced technologies including the company’s cutting-edge SuperNATURAL sound engine delivering the most authentic, dynamic and natural sounds possible.
It's a piano, too: The touch and sound of a quality instrument
An 88-key PHA-50 Standard keyboard with longer key sticks promises superior control and an authentic feel. Six powerful but discreetly mounted speakers convey the softest pianissimo to the loudest fortissimo without distortion or loss of detail. Comprehensive connectivity and MIDI compatibility make the instrument the perfect creative partner. Whether you are a beginner or advanced pianist, Kiyola Series has the sound, the touch and the versatility to reward and inspire.
Your creative partner: Set your musical imagination free with Kiyola Series
Kiyola Series is a marriage of artisan craftsmanship with state-of-the art digital piano technology bringing authentic levels of sound and touch. An item of furniture one moment but when you open it and take your place on the lovingly crafted bench, an instrument you can play and enjoy. It’s form and function in a single item of beautiful furniture. That’s the Kiyola Series.
Further information about Roland and the Kiyola Series can be found here.
ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY?
Good posture at the piano and an ability to play or practise for extended periods without suffering aches and pains is crucial to enjoying the instrument. Naturally, as furniture makers, Karimoku has considered this aspect of Kiyola and designed a bespoke bench for it designed to promote good posture and reduce fatigue.
‘When you are seated, your bodyweight is not spread evenly, which places greater pressure on your lower back; in fact, more than when you are standing,’ explains Kiyola’s project manager, Ikuji Yamada. ‘For this reason, we started studying ergonomics in 1998 in order to create comfortable chairs. These were designed to reduce pressure on the lower back.’
The Kiyola bench benefits from this study. On most piano benches, the pianist sits towards the front of the seat. However, with the Kiyola bench, the rear of the seat, which is filled with a super high-density urethane, is inclined slightly, raising the pelvis and reducing pressure on the pianist’s lower back.