For most viewers watching the Hastings International Piano, the focus is naturally on the performances themselves.
The competition brings together some of the world’s most promising pianists, each performing under enormous pressure in front of a live audience and an international jury. Every detail matters: touch, dynamics, timing, interpretation.
But behind the scenes, another team is focused on a very different challenge.
How do you capture the scale, detail and emotion of a live classical performance for thousands of people watching remotely, without losing what made it special in the room in the first place?
In 2026, the finals took place at the White Rock Theatre alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with more than 33,000 viewers collectively watching the livestreams throughout the competition, in addition to a full auditorium attending in person.
Working behind the broadcast audio was Dr Jonathan Savage, Managing Director of UCan Play, who has now been involved in livestreaming the competition across multiple years.
Photo credit: Matthew Andrews / Hastings International Piano Competition
From classrooms to concert halls
Long before working on international classical broadcasts, Jonathan and the team at UCan Play were exploring how livestream technology could be used in music education.
At the time, remote music teaching was still relatively unfamiliar territory, particularly for schools in geographically isolated areas where access to specialist tuition could be limited.
“Our live streaming work began over ten years ago with an education project called Connect Resound,” says Jonathan. “From this, we began to live stream musical events and the work has grown from there.”
That gradual progression from education projects into large-scale musical broadcasts eventually led the team to the Hastings International Piano competition.
Since then, UCan Play has livestreamed every stage of the competition, from the opening rounds through to the final concerto performances with orchestra.
“Every note, from the beginning of the first round to the last chord of the final concerto, has been live streamed via the HIP YouTube channel.”
Capturing a Steinway for live broadcast
Recording a concert grand piano for livestream is very different to recording one in a studio.
In a controlled recording session, engineers usually have time to experiment with positioning, refine balances and revisit performances later if needed. Live broadcast leaves far less room for adjustment. Everything needs to work in real time while still feeling natural to audiences listening remotely.
A Steinway Model D can move from incredibly delicate passages to huge bursts of energy within seconds, and preserving that contrast without flattening the performance became one of the defining technical challenges throughout the competition.
“There have been two main challenges,” Jonathan explains. “Firstly, the huge dynamic range and force of a Steinway Model D concert grand piano...Second, resisting the temptation to ‘fiddle’ too much with the sound.”
In classical music, listeners are incredibly sensitive to anything that feels artificial or over-processed, particularly in piano performances where dynamics and touch are such a large part of the experience.
That mindset shaped the entire production approach. Rather than relying heavily on EQ or processing later, the focus stayed on capturing the instrument accurately at source and allowing the natural balance of the room and performance to come through.
“The client has asked us to present a sound design to the audience that allows the clarity of the sound produced by the pianist to be conveyed without any significant treatment or processing.”
Photo credit: Matthew Andrews / Hastings International Piano Competition
Building the microphone setup
For the opening rounds featuring solo piano and two-piano performances, Jonathan and the UCan Play team chose the Sontronics APOLLO 2.
Ribbon microphones are often appreciated in classical recording because of the way they handle transients and high frequencies more naturally, helping retain detail without sounding overly sharp or clinical.
“The APOLLO 2 microphone has dealt with this exceptionally well,” says Jonathan, referring to the dynamic range and force of the piano.
The microphones were positioned close enough to retain articulation and detail for the livestream audience, while still allowing the instrument to feel open and natural within the space itself.
That level of clarity became particularly important during the competition rounds, where even subtle differences in touch and phrasing can influence judging decisions.
“Close miking the piano gives that clarity and has been appreciated by the Chair of the International Jury, Professor Vanessa Latarche.”
As the competition progressed into the orchestral finals with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the setup naturally expanded to reflect the scale of the performances.
Three Sontronics ZETA microphones were positioned above the conductor in a tree configuration to capture the orchestra, while a spaced pair of Sontronics ORPHEUS microphones captured room ambience and audience response throughout the theatre.
The overall setup allowed the team to retain both the precision of the piano and the atmosphere of the hall without relying heavily on additional processing afterwards.
Reliability under pressure
For live classical broadcasts, reliability becomes just as important as sound quality.
Competition schedules are long, performances are continuous, and there is very little room for technical inconsistency once the livestream begins. Equipment needs to perform reliably throughout the day while still capturing subtle musical detail naturally.
“We were familiar with Sontronics through our work as an education supply company,” he explains. “We have sold Sontronics microphones to schools, colleges and universities across the UK.”
That long-term familiarity gave the production team confidence in the setup going into the competition itself.
“Customers love the microphones, the limited lifetime warranty that comes with them, and the excellent design and construction.”
For the team, the goal was never to create an exaggerated or overly polished broadcast sound. The priority was simply to capture the performances honestly and consistently while allowing the music itself to remain the focus.
Photo credit: Matthew Andrews / Hastings International Piano Competition
More than a competition
Today, the Hastings International Piano is recognised as one of the leading piano competitions in the world.
Alongside partnerships with Steinway & Sons and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the competition supports emerging musicians through mentoring, performance opportunities and long-term professional development.
The organisation also runs a range of educational and community initiatives designed to improve access to music locally and support young performers beyond the competition itself.
That wider mission gives the competition an identity beyond the performances on stage. While the livestreams attract audiences internationally, the event continues to invest heavily in music education and supporting the next generation of performers.
Looking ahead
As livestream audiences continue to grow, expectations around broadcast audio continue to grow alongside them.
For events like the Hastings International Piano competition, the challenge is not simply technical. It is about translating the dynamics, atmosphere and emotion of a live performance in a way that still feels authentic to audiences watching remotely.
For Sontronics, supporting projects like this forms part of a wider commitment to supporting music, education and professional audio across a range of environments, from classrooms and studios through to international performances and broadcasts.
And as the relationship with the competition continues, there is scope to explore even more immersive approaches to capturing future events for audiences around the world.