Did you know that the first precursor of the piano was a stringed instrument played as far back as 500 BCE? Or that the invention of what we would today call a piano is credited to an Italian man born in Padua in 1655? The origins of one of the most popular musical instruments in the world are as fascinating as they are obscure. Played in almost every genre, either accompanied or solo, the piano is the preferred way of making music for many, anyone from Mozart to Manzarek. So, what events in the evolution of the piano have hit the right note?
Click on and play through this list of key moments.