We often see travelers stop for a while to play.
Not in a sold-out concert hall, but at Central Station. It's the charm of the station piano. Everyone can take a seat behind it, whether you're new to reading music or have been a piano virtuoso for years. Recently, travelers in Central Station have been regularly treated to piano music. The pianos of the NMBS can be found at 12 different stations in Belgium. Everything has to do with the NMBS competition: piano in the station. Players can win a piano for themselves when their musical performance goes viral.
This makes waiting really fun!
Also in the Netherlands, placing pianos in the station has been a fact since 2014. NS installed pianos with various partners. The point of departure was to add atmosphere to stations that had been under renovation for some time. The pianos are a great success, it connects. The pianos are now an integral part of the station. They are used intensively for playing or as a meeting place.
"The station piano has a nice place at Amersfoort Central station. There has been a 'loan piano' from Almere station for a while, because that station is under renovation. It turned out to be a success. We often see travelers stop for a while to play, or to listen to someone playing.”
When the NS installed the first pianos in Amsterdam and Breda, the stations were undergoing a major renovation. Research showed that travelers experienced the station as less attractive during this period. In order to counteract the hindrance of the work, inspiration was therefore gained in Lille, Paris and London, where the 'public pianos' have long been a success.
Contest
De piano competition there was a small break in the NMBS stations due to the covid measures. But, as every artist knows: The show must go on! Under this motto, we will continue to travel with our piano through 15 Belgian stations from October 2021, 28 to December 2022, 12. Is your inner Mozart, Angèle or Stromae already emerging and have you always dreamed of owning your own piano? Then let yourself go completely on the piano in one of the stations.
