YAMAHA DISKLAVIER AUCTION BENEFITS HOUSTON SYMPHONY CHARITY

—"Heartstrings" Program Offers Tickets to Those Who Can't Afford Them—

HOUSTON, TX (March 31, 2002)—Now, performing in its 89th year, the Houston Symphony has become one of America's most respected performing arts organizations. Its leaders don't want to exclude anyone in the Houston community from enjoying that achievement—not even those who are unable to afford symphony tickets.

James Counter, Assistant Manager, Audience Development, Houston Symphony; Douglas W. Kinzey, Senior Marketing Advisor, Houston Symphony; Mark Peterson, District Manager Piano Division, Yamaha Corporation of America; Joyce Cochran, District Manager, Brook Mays Pianomax; Tom Austin, President, Sherman, Clay & Co. take part in the Heartstrings Program

The Houston Symphony Brook Mays Pianomax Heartstrings Program, which provides free concert experiences to deserving students, seniors and community-based organizations, recently benefited from the silent auction of a Yamaha DC2A 5'8" Disklavier Mark III Series Full-Function grand piano at Jones Hall. Edward F. Blackburne of Conroe, TX was the top bidder for the Disklavier, which raised an undisclosed amount to fund Heartstrings activities in the 2001-2002 Season.

"The premise behind Heartstrings is that the Houston Symphony is here to provide enjoyment for the entire community," says the symphony's assistant manager of audience development, James Counter. "Heartstrings attempts to reach that part of the community that normally would not be able to attend the symphony. We use the funds to pay for tickets that we distribute to members of deserving organizations in the area."

Brook Mays Pianomax, located on the Southwest Freeway, the Katy Freeway and in the Willowbrook Commons is Houston's exclusive representative of Yamaha acoustic pianos, Disklavier player pianos and Clavinova digital pianos. It has been affiliated with the Symphony and the Heartstrings Program for two years, and donated the Disklavier for the recent auction.

"Economic status should not stand in the way of being able to benefit from music," says Brook Mays Pianomax district manager Joyce Cochran. "I just can't think of anything that would be better for us to do. I think that's what we're about; we change people's lives through music." In addition to the auction, the store has hosted a piano sale at Jones Hall to support Heartstrings.

The auction ran from October through February, during which time the Disklavier was on display in the main lobby of Jones Hall. Using its built-in system of fiberoptics, solenoids and CD-ROM technology, it entertained audiences before symphony performances and during intermissions.

"The Houston Symphony is very pleased with the support that we've received from both Brook Mays Pianomax and Yamaha," Counter says. "Without their support, the program would not be possible. By May 2002, the end of this season, Heartstrings will have served 1,700 individuals who would otherwise not have been able to enjoy a Houston Symphony performance."

Among the local organizations that have benefited from the Heartstrings Program are the Salvation Army, Star of Hope, Search, the Fort Bend County Women's Center, the Houston Police Activities League, the Houston VA Medical Center and others.

For more information about the Houston Symphony, contact Denise Furlough at 713-238-1494 or visit www.houstonsymphony.org. To contact Brook Mays Pianomax, phone (713) 942-8484 or e-mail houston_info@shermanclay.com.

For more information about Yamaha pianos, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622-6600; visit www.yamaha.com; or telephone (714) 522-9011.