To mark the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel's birth, G. Henle Publishers hosted a very special event: a masterclass with the internationally renowned pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard at Fürstenried Palace in Munich. A weekend that deeply touched and inspired me as a piano maker.

Aimard taught five selected young pianists. Each lesson was open to the public, providing listeners with extraordinary insights into the artist's work at the highest level. The audience was diverse: music lovers, students, professionals—and, of course, colleagues from the piano-making industry. For us, it was not just a musical event, but also a wonderful opportunity for personal and professional exchange. The direct contact, the discussions about sound and music—all of this connects and generates ideas for further ideas.

Although we piano makers don't perform on stage ourselves, our understanding of the artistic vision is crucial. Only those who know and understand the musical intentions are able to prepare an instrument in such a way that it conveys and enables this expression.

Many of us have musical training and know the feeling of expressing ourselves through music, of interpreting a piece. But when you listen to the artists working at the highest level in this masterclass with Aimard, you gain insight into the depth of musical creation.

What particularly impressed me was the way in which communication took place here—between teacher and student, between sound concept and execution. It wasn't about virtuosity in the classical sense, but about sound—down to the finest detail.

Ravel's music—influenced by Impressionism—lives on fleeting moments, atmospheric density, and a special tonal delicacy. The pianissimo was central: the art of expressing oneself quietly yet impressively. True depth lies not in volume. Screaming is just loud—but not necessarily moving. A grand piano doesn't have to be loud—any grand piano can be loud. Far more crucial is its ability to convey the finest nuances, to resonate the sound in all its diversity, in its overtones.

A well-prepared grand piano is more than an instrument—it's a medium. It carries the artistic statement, the vision, and translates what is heard internally into a real, tangible sound space. And this is precisely where our responsibility as piano makers lies.

I look back on this weekend with gratitude – it showed how much music connects us. We all share a passion. These encounters are what strengthen us as a community and remind us again and again: What matters is the music. And it is not fleeting.

Concert technician Stefan Knüpfer and pianist Nima Mirkhoshhal