ECU’s status as a leader in piano excellence doesn’t end with their world-class historic piano collection – the fit-out of ECU City saw WAAPA partner with Yamaha Music Australia for one of the largest institutional piano installations in the country.
61 upright pianos, 31 grand pianos and 10 premium Clavinova cabinet pianos contribute to a campus-wide network of professional instruments across both rehearsal spaces and performance venues.
Also part of the installation is a hybrid Yamaha Disklavier, a premium acoustic piano featuring a factory-integrated, high-resolution record-and-playback system. Students can prepare pieces for the piano and see them played hands-free.
“This project represents a significant investment in the future of music education,” said Simon Goldsworthy, General Manager at Yamaha Music Australia. “By equipping WAAPA and ECU with world-class instruments, we are helping create an environment where students can train to the highest professional standards and realise their artistic potential.”
Rehearsing, learning and performing on professional pianos sees WAAPA students gain invaluable experience – on top of the Yamaha installation, the McCusker Recital Hall also houses a luxury Fazioli Piano, gifted to the program by the McCusker family in 2014.
Delivering the instruments was quite a logistical feat, with the pianos manufactured in Japan, shipped to Fremantle, and then transported to a third-party facility for storage and preparation before finally being installed at ECU City. For four to six months in storage, technicians monitored consistency and performance readiness. Additionally, tuning and regulation was completed post-installation.
The instruments feature throughout WAAPA’s performance program, wrapping up for 2026 on Thursday, November 19. There are limited tickets available for a variety of graduation performances, where the next generation of artists show off their skills across theatre, dance, performance making and more.
WAAPA’s 2026 performance program ends on Thursday, November 19. Tickets are on sale now.
