German piano duo Pianotainment enchants audience at Alem Saz Festival

The Alem Saz International Music Festival, in its second year in the Kazakh capital, culminated in a spectacular four-handed piano performance by the renowned duo from Germany, Pianotainment. Stephan Weh and Marcel Dorn brought their distinctive blend of various musical genres to the grand stage of the Qazaqstan Concert Hall. With over 25 years of worldwide recognition, the duo's unique international program has wowed audiences in over 100 countries. In an exclusive interview with the Silk Way TV Channel, the artists shared insights into their musical journey.

“We both play the piano since we are four or five years old, and in 1996, when we were 18 or 19, we met by chance in the German army. We had to do this military service, and we recognized that we share a passion, and it’s piano playing and combining some others styles with it - yeah, sometimes samba, sometimes bossa, and so on. And from that day on, we started to play around  in our region and we decided to name ourselves Pianotainment because it combines piano and entertaining, and that’s exactly what we are doing,” Stephan Weh of Pianotainment said.

This marked Pianotainment’s second performance in Astana, following their debut in 2019 as part of the Cultural Autumn of Germany program. The pianists regard it as a great honor to grace the stage at the finale of the international festival. Their performance not only commemorated German Unity Day but also served as a vivid example of cultural diplomacy, acting as a cultural bridge that strengthens the ties between Germany and Kazakhstan.