Inventor of the 'Standing Grand' piano Sarah Nicolls celebrated at King's
The Department of Music at King’s unveiled a purple plaque celebrating alumna Sarah Nicolls, contemporary pianist, innovator and winner of the Women in Innovation Award from Innovate UK and her invention, the ‘Standing Grand’ piano.
Pianist Sarah Nicolls and the purple plaque honouring her Women in Innovation Award from Innovate UK. Photo: Iryna Rodina
At the unveiling on the Strand Campus at King’s, Sarah Nicolls – who studied a music undergraduate degree at King’s in 1992-1995 – played an improvisation ‘inside’ the piano. The ceremony was mentioned on In Tune, BBC Radio 3.
It is an absolute honour to see my plaque go up at King’s College London, where I studied. I encourage each and every student to feel emboldened enough to change the world in the way they see it needs changing. We need all kinds of voices, everyone together, to make the future a genuinely better place through new exploration, discovery and innovation. I hope my plaque inspires students, with my prompt to ‘Find your questions’.
Sarah Nicolls, pianist and innovator
The ‘Standing Grand’ is a complete redesign of the concert piano, which transforms it into a lightweight, portable, and totally acoustic instrument. It is designed to give the sound of a grand piano but with an upright design that fits in most homes.
Left to right: Professor Simon Tanner, Executive Dean (Interim), Faculty of Arts & Humanities, Professor Katherine Butler Schofield, Sarah Nicolls. Photo: Iryna Rodina
Sarah has reshaped the instrument by sending the strings vertically up from the keyboard, meaning a bigger sound facing the performer. It also reduces the weight and carbon footprint of a normal grand piano by 60 per cent.
The piano’s cast iron string frame was patented in 1825, and with her invention Sarah is seeking to overturn 200 years of history.
The Department of Music is profoundly honoured to celebrate Sarah Nicolls, one of our illustrious alumnae. Sarah’s innovative thinking is especially pertinent to celebrate in an academic field often mischaracterised as set in its ways. This recognition is a testament to ingenuity found in our music students and community. Congratulations to Sarah on this very deserved award.
Professor Katherine Butler Schofield, Head of the Department of Music
Sarah Nicolls has been innovating as a pianist since winning the British Contemporary Piano Competition in 2000. In 2008, she changed the shape of the piano to make playing ‘inside’ the piano – directly on the strings – easier and more interesting for the audience to see. ‘Inside piano’ is a commonly used technique for contemporary composers and improvisors and was first scored for in 1916.
Sarah Nicolls playing 'inside' the piano. Photo: Iryna Rodina
Sarah won an Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award because she is an innovator in the truest sense of the word. Drawing on her background experience and musical excellence she has created a unique product, a transformative instrument and a revolution in piano design. We know the UK needs more innovators and problem solvers and stories like Sarah’s are key to inspiring the next generation. Innovate UK hopes that Sarah’s Purple Plaque will be a lasting reminder to students that anyone can change the world through innovation.
Emily Nott, Head of EDI Programmes, Innovate UK
Innovate UK launched the Women in Innovation Award in 2016 to encourage more women with innovative ideas and ambitious plans to apply for funding opportunities. Achievements of the winners are celebrated with purple plaques displayed across the country. This is Innovate UK’s twist on the blue plaques that commemorate influential and pioneering historic figures. Currently,just 15% of blue plaques in London celebrate the achievements of women. This highlights the underrepresentation of women in the media, the workplace and in the education system, which results in a lack of relatable role models for children and young people.
