The Phoenix S2 Makes Its Stage Debut with Alfio Origlio at BatÔjazz
Some debuts are particularly significant. At the twelfth edition of the BatÔjazz festival, the Phoenix S2 made its official concert debut, played by pianist and composer Alfio Origlio.
This premiere took place in a unique setting: the Château de Mécoras in Savoie, during the festival’s opening night.
Alfio Origlio opens BatÔjazz with "Nomades"
As honorary president of BatÔjazz, Alfio Origlio chose this opening night to present his “Nomades” project with a new lineup.
Accompanying the pianist: Rémi Vignolo on drums, Pablo Contreras on bass, Noé Reine on guitar, and Paloma Pradal on vocals. Together, the five artists presented a free-spirited style of music, drawing on jazz, improvisation, and a wide range of influences.
Thus, within the walls of the Château de Mécoras, the group kicked off this new edition of BatÔjazz with a concert featuring a seamless blend of original compositions, musical exchanges, and improvisations.
A First Look at the Phoenix S2
For Piano Phoenix, this evening held special significance. Alfio Origlio was performing in concert for the first time on the Phoenix S2, the new generation of our piano, developed and assembled in our workshop in Vénissieux, near Lyon.
After the development, tuning, and testing phases, this first performance marked a new stage: putting the instrument to the test under real concert conditions and under the hands of an experienced pianist.
During the sound check, Fadi Jabban, the director of Piano Phoenix, oversaw the final adjustments to the instrument before the concert.
An Outside Perspective on the Phoenix S2
The evening was also the subject of an article and a column dedicated to the festival. Beyond the musicians’ performance, Philippe Simonci specifically highlighted the Phoenix S2, which he described as an “innovative digital piano manufactured in Lyon.”
He also highlighted the uniqueness of its sound engine, which relies on real-time sound generation rather than simply playing back pre-recorded sounds.
This outside perspective is particularly interesting for the S2’s debut on stage. Indeed, it highlights one of the goals guiding the development of Phoenix: to offer pianists an expressive instrument capable of responding to their playing and finding its place in a wide variety of musical contexts.
To read the full article about this event, Alfio Origlio’s “Nomades” project, and the Phoenix S2’s debut on stage, check out Philippe Simonci’s review on Jazz Rhône-Alpes:
A first—and certainly not the last
Between the premiere of “Nomades,” the opening of BatÔjazz, and the Phoenix S2’s debut performance, this evening at the Château de Mécoras turned out to be one marked by several firsts.
For Piano Phoenix, this evening marks a new chapter in the history of the Phoenix S2: after the workshop and development phases, it’s time for music, artists, and the stage.
