MIKE GARSON WELCOMES YOUNG YAMAHA ARTISTS AT WINTER NAMM 2002

—Performers Highlight Yamaha Junior Original Concert (JOC) Program—

ANAHEIM, CA—Three young performers from the Yamaha Junior Original Concert (JOC) will entertain participants in Winter NAMM 2002 on Friday January 18 and Saturday January 19 in Anaheim, CA. The half-hour noontime concerts will be hosted by pianist and composer Mike Garson.

Garson will perform some of his own piano compositions in addition to serving as master of ceremonies, but not before a trio of accomplished musicians present works they wrote themselves.

Isaac Su from Fullerton, CA, a student at Harmony Music World, will perform his "Toccata in A Minor" on a Yamaha CFIIIS 9' Concert Collection Grand Piano. Allison Shinnick of Appleton, WI, who studies at Heid Music, will also use a CFIIIS as she renders her "Rodeo" accompanied by a Yamaha SV-110K Silent Electric Violin.

Finally, JOC Academy artist Jeremy Siskind of Irvine, CA will play a Yamaha DGT2A Disklavier GranTouch Digital Grand Piano as he performs "Unplugged" with accompaniment by a Yamaha SV-110K Silent Electric Violin and a Yamaha SVB-110SK Yamaha Silent Electric Bass. All JOC performances feature music written by the young artists themselves.

"It's wonderful when so many of our colleagues get to see these talented young artists in action," says Cheryl Dunn, national administration manager, Yamaha Corporation of America. "The performances at NAMM will be representative of similar efforts that are going on around the country every day. We're very grateful to Mike Garson for presiding over this event."

Junior Original Concert (JOC) is a one-of-a-kind musical showcase for children around the world who have participated in the Yamaha Music Education System (YMES), a comprehensive music education program that emphasizes singing, keyboard performance and creativity. Through JOC, these young musicians have the opportunity to unlock their full musical potential by composing original pieces and performing them before enthusiastic audiences.

Mike Garson is a versatile performer and respected composer of over 4,000 pieces of music that blur the lines between classical, jazz, traditional and experimental genres. Considered one of the masters of modern improvisation, he has studied under Leonard Eisner of Juilliard as well as jazz greats Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock, and since 1982, has been a member of cutting-edge jazz/classical ensemble Free Flight. His distinctive sound can be heard on selected Yamaha Disklavier disks, a medium he also uses for composition.

In addition to a catalogue of twelve solo releases, Garson has built a large body of work in television and film scoring, and has had a number of commissioned works performed by major symphony orchestras. A reputation for creativity has afforded Mike the unique opportunity to record and tour with noted rock musicians, including Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, Seal, No Doubt and David Bowie, with whom he worked since 1972.

Mike is a strong advocate of music education and participation, having authored seven music instruction books and serving as guest lecturer at the Utrecht School of the Arts.

For more information about the Yamaha Junior Original Concert program, visit Yamaha at Winter NAMM 2002, in the Marquis Ballroom at the Anaheim Marriott Hotel; 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.