R&B Artist H.E.R. Plays Futuristic Concept Model Roland Grand Piano at 2020 GRAMMY Awards?

One of Modern R&B’s Most Exciting New Voices Performed While Playing Roland’s Newest GPX-F1 Facet Grand Piano

Los Angeles, CA, January 28, 2020 — Sunday night, at the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards?, two-time GRAMMY-winning R&B artist H.E.R. performed a soulful rendition of her new ballad “Sometimes,” while playing Roland’s futuristic new concept model instrument, the GPX-F1 Facet Grand Piano. In a slow-building performance, H.E.R. started out her performance on the Facet Grand Piano backed by a string section and chorus of singers. She then took a stand and finished her song with an electric guitar solo. The singer earned five nominations, including Record of the Year for “Hard Place” and Album of the Year for I Used to Know Her.

This one-of-a-kind concept model, which officially made its debut during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 7-10, 2020, is a fully functional digital grand piano that is visually unique, pairing a sleek “floating” design and crystal-inspired polyhedron styling with Roland’s latest piano sound engine, unique speaker layout, internet connectivity, and dynamic audio-visual effects. 

CenterStaging, L.A.’s premier rehearsal and backline facility specializing in production and tech support for television and live performances, approached Roland about the possibility of showcasing the GPX-F1 Facet on the GRAMMY Awards? stage after seeing the piano on the company’s website.

“When we came across the Facet we knew it was something truly special and something we had to have on stage at the GRAMMY’S,“ said John Lord, Musical Staging Supervisor at CenterStaging. “We immediately brought it to the attention of H.E.R., and she could not have been more excited to make it a part of her performance.”

“As soon as we heard H.E.R. wanted to play the GPX-F1, we quickly got to work to find a way to make it a reality,” said Brian Alli, Vice President of Artist Relations and Business Development at Roland. “We could not be happier to see such an exciting and enigmatic artist play this one-of-a-kind instrument, and she did an incredible job doing so.”

The GPX-F1 is based on the winning entry from the Roland Digital Piano Design Awards in 2015. Challenging the world’s most imaginative designers under the guiding theme of “concert grand piano,” Roland awarded the 2015 Grand Prize to Jong Chan Kim’s “Facet” design, a head-turning, forward-thinking creation with bold angles and attitude. 

In 2019, inspired by the themes of design, connectivity and evolution, Roland organized a special project team in Hamamatsu, Japan, to turn Kim’s blueprint into a playable concept piano—complete with next-generation sound technology to match the striking aesthetic. Striking and stylish, the Facet’s cabinet and frame appear to float above the base unit, catching the eye with the complex polyhedron shapes that inspired the name. Meanwhile, every angle is meticulously conceived for optimum sound projection.

To learn more about the Roland GPX-F1 Grand Piano, please visit Roland.com.

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About Roland Corporation

Roland Corporation is a leading manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments, including keyboards and synthesizers, guitar products, electronic percussion, digital recording equipment, amplifiers, audio processors, and multimedia products. With nearly 50 years of musical instrument development, Roland sets the standard in music technology for the world to follow. For more information, visit https://www.roland.com or see your local Roland dealer.

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