The International Piano-e-Competition just completed, and winners have been selected, with MIDI files of their performances available for download. See also this NYTimes article. The competition was judged both on-site and remotely via the Internet using streaming MIDI technology and video conferencing software. Pieces were performed on a 9-foot Yamaha concert grand and recorded to MIDI form with a Yamaha Disklavier Pro system, transmitted, then played on a Disklavier Pro for a judge in a remote location. You may have seen the Disklavier in action at any Yamaha piano dealer, an acoustic player piano with a disk drive and MIDI ports. Take these beautiful performances and run them through your chinsey PC sound card! They sound pretty good through my digital piano, mistakes and all.
June 25, 2002