Unfortunately, there are a lot of old, unwanted pianos lying around. Many end up in landfill, which is a terrible waste considering the materials and craftsmanship that went into building these instruments.
Sometimes the cabinet parts are salvaged and made into furniture pieces such as bookcases, shelves and drinks cabinets. Frames and soundboards can be turned into ‘interesting’ coffee and dining tables etc. But what can you do with all the internal components?
In recent years, artists and craftsmen have realized that these elements – the keys, the mechanics, the hammers, the strings, etc. – are the perfect core material for works of art. And they produce brilliant pieces.
The Piano Shop Bath in the south west of England was asked to scrap hundreds of unwanted pianos every year, so owner Jon Kelly set up the company’s Played and Remade sustainability division. The shop donates parts of the old pianos to local artists so they can create amazing works of art, which are then offered for sale in the shop or online. Some examples can be seen above.
The idea of creating works of art from old products is not exactly new. However, The Piano Shop Bath’s ‘Played and Remade’ circular concept, where the company supplies the raw materials and then sells the final product, is very satisfying. It’s double recycling, so to speak.
Pianodrome in Leeds 2024
One organization that has made an outstanding contribution to the reuse of old pianos is the Pianodrome in Scotland.
Founded in 2017 by Tim Vincent-Smith and Matt Wright, Pianodrome is an organization that transforms unwanted pianos into extraordinary art installations and event spaces.
His debut project was a 100-seat amphitheatre, now known as the Grand Pianodrome, built entirely from recycled pianos and first shown at the 2018 Edinburgh Festival (read more here).
In 2021, Pianodrome created a series of striking piano art installations for the Leeds Piano Trail (part of the Leeds International Piano Festival and Competition).
A second pianodrome, named Old Royal, was built in 2022, and a third pianodrome was built in Charlotte, USA, in the same year.
The Leeds Piano Trail returns in 2024 and runs from 31 August to 21 September. Pianodrome is the ‘Artist in Resonance’ and the trail will feature some of his most popular artworks of 2021. These include the Piano Cube and The Elephant in the Room. New commissions include a Piano Bike and a Resonance Room – more to be revealed shortly, and of course all are made from parts of unwanted pianos.
The Old Royal Pianodrome itself, which consists of over 80 pianos, will also be part of the Piano Trail. It is located in the Broderick Hall at Leeds City Museum and is open from 1 to 21 September (Tuesday to Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday and Sunday 11am-5pm).
Since its inception, Pianodrome has successfully repurposed and given new life to over 550 pianos.
Roman Thiery – Requiem for Pianos
Also, as part of the Leeds Piano Festival, artist and photographer Romain Thiery will be exhibiting his fantastic collection of photographs of abandoned pianos, discovered in abandoned buildings across Europe. It’s not so much about reuse, but it’s visually striking and shows unwanted pianos.
The exhibition will also be held at Broderick Hall and will be open throughout August and September 2024. It is a must-see!
Write to us
If you have pictures of artwork made from parts of old pianos, please send them to us and we will add them to this article.
