Marlene Karas/ViewLudmilla Vlasenko plays a Brodmann piano for a Feb. 2 rehearsal at the Nevada Ballet Theatre. The piano is one of five that were loaned to the ballet by Bösendorfer Pianos of Las Vegas. The instruments will be auctioned off to help the ballet raise funds.
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The grand piano's tone is so rich, so full, and such a joy to play, that Ludmilla Vlasenko admits to sneaking into the studio to play it.
Made in Vienna, Austria, the piano has a new home at the Nevada Ballet Theatre, thanks to a partnership with Bösendorfer Pianos of Las Vegas, 1215 S. Fort Apache Road, Suite 110.
The instrument is one of five Brodmann pianos that the Nevada Ballet obtained a few months ago from the company.
In October, all the pianos, which are being loaned to the ballet, will be offered at auction. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the ballet company.
Vlasenko, who was born in Russia and has played the piano since age 4, pointed out how the Brodmann offers her a wide range of dynamics.
"I can do everything I want with this piano," she said. "Sometimes when you're at a lesser (quality) piano, it's like playing on firewood. There's no echo."
These pianos echo. They are all from the Brodmann line, a close relative to the high-end Bösendorfer line. The price tag for a Bösendorfer piano begins at $165,000 and tops out at $750,000.
Together, said Evangelina Duke, regional sales manager for the Bösendorfer office, which opened in fall of 2006, the two grand pianos and three upright pianos at the ballet company have a retail price tag of about $100,000.
"We are thrilled at the opportunity we have been given by Bösendorfer Las Vegas to use these high-quality Brodmann pianos," said Beth Barbre, Nevada Ballet executive director. "It is important for our dancers to have live musical accompaniment while in class."
Vlasenko and Laurence Sobel play the grand piano in the main studio for rehearsals. More people than the ballet company's two resident pianists appreciate its sound.
"Better quality music equals better quality dancing," said Zeb Nole, principal dancer. "I find it takes less energy because I'm dancing with the music. It motivates you."
He said the acoustics in the studios were not the best, so that meant that it was even more important to have a piano with high quality sound.
Jeanie Frederick, director of development for the ballet company, was responsible for initiating the partnership with Bösendorfer Pianos of Las Vegas.
Now, one of the perks of her job is hearing live music as she's working in her office, she said.
"When I heard it being played for the first time, I could tell it was much sharper and clearer" than the former piano, she said. "It's a rich, beautiful sound."
The two lines -- Bösendorfer and Brodmann -- share a strong connection. Joseph Brodmann is best known for his development work on piano sound boards and cabinet design in the early 1800s. His apprentice was Ignaz Bösendorfer.
Duke said her company took on the Brodmann line just to partner with the ballet company.
The deal was put together so quickly, the pianos were delivered within two weeks of the papers being signed.
"The manufacturer is making a big commitment," she said. "They're the ones who are absorbing the cost for all this."
She said one of Bösendorfer Pianos of Las Vegas' goals when opening its local store was to support the arts, and that this program served to create a mutually beneficial relationship with the ballet.
For more information, those who are interested can visit www.nevadaballet.com.
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