China's Piano Craze

Interesting conversation with master piano teacher Yafen Zhu on the massive popularity of the piano in Asia:

"Douglas Humpherys, chairman of the Eastman piano department and artistic director of the piano competition, says that 70 percent to 80 percent of Eastman's piano majors are now Asian. The Juilliard School of Music in New York City reports a similar percentage, and top piano teachers around the country now joke that the American conservatory system would immediately collapse if you removed Asians from the classroom. Only it's no joke. "

and

""Two decades ago very few people in China studied piano because no one had any money," says Yafen [Zhu] . "But the opening up of China and the economic growth has changed everything. Now almost every family can have a piano. It's created a piano craze."

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