Yamaha Silent Cellos to shine on Elton John tour

Two Yamaha Silent Cellos will travel with pop legend Elton John this year after his cellist band section selected the instruments.
The SVC110 instruments were chosen by Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser, who will join the band for the tour, which will take in the UK, Europe, Asia, Canada and the US.
Elton is well-accustomed to the manufacturer and will also take his Yamaha piano on the tour with him, as well as his staple five-man band: drummer Nigel Olsson, percussionist John Mahon, bassist Bob Birch, guitarist Davey Johnstone and keyboard player Kim Bullard.
Once the first leg of the tour is over, Elton will have a one-month residency in Las Vegas before taking on a challenging second leg to Russia, Ukraine, Australia, New Zealand and back to Asia.
Speaking of the addition of the striking Yamaha cellos to the tour, Elton’s front of house sound engineer Matt Herr said: “Incorporating the Yamaha cellos into the mix has added a new dimension to what is a great rock ‘n’ roll band.
“Before we’ve done string parts from keyboards, so live strings bring something extra and has made me go back to basics with how I mix the show.”
The cello features a special chip that produces a rich tone, creating a virtual auditorium environment without any external processing equipment. They also quickly break down for easy transport.
Meanwhile, Georgian pianist Marina Nadiradze is preparing to perform a special fundraising concert with pianist Philip Jenkins in London later this month (July 26th).
They hope to raise funds for a baby girl being treated for Ewing’s Sarcoma at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Nadiradze will play a Yamaha piano supplied specially for the event, which comes after she performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 21 in C Major with the Milton Keynes City Orchestra on a specially commissioned Yamaha CFIIIS Concert Grand Piano.