Born into a musical family in 1974, Gergely Boganyi was raised to be a concert pianist, and began amassing awards at an early age. At 19, he won Chopin and Mozart competitions in Budapest; at 20, the piano competition at Indiana University-Bloomington; at 22, he won the International Franz Liszt competition in Budapest, and was named a “Citizen of Honor” in his hometown of Vac, Hungary.
Having played many of the best instruments in the world, Boganyi concluded that development of the piano had stalled. Working with the Mono Group, a manufacturer of high-quality wood, aluminum, and carbon fiber automotive trim pieces, Boganyi envisioned a carbon fiber instrument with a composite soundboard that would be immune to the effects of humidity. Industrial designer Peter Uveges created a form in which the supports were integral to the design, not merely added-on legs.
Love it or hate it, it is a formidable piece of work. At present, only three Boganyi pianos exist, and its price of 65,000,000 Hungarian Forints—roughly $228,000 US— ensure that it will remain a rare sight.
The piano resides at the Aria hotel in Budapest.
