Hi, I’m Romain Thiery, a French photographer and pianist who has spent over a decade capturing the poetic decay of abandoned pianos around the world. My series "Requiem pour Pianos" has taken me across Europe and beyond, always in search of these majestic, forgotten instruments. This spring, I ventured to Japan for the very first time — a country that fascinated me both for its rich musical culture and its beautiful abandoned architecture.
Over the course of 15 days, I traveled more than 1,200 kilometers by car, train, and foot, exploring remote mountains, silent villages, and decaying buildings in search of pianos left behind. I discovered nearly a dozen abandoned pianos, each one whispering its own story through dust, rust, and splintered wood.
I didn’t just photograph the pianos — I recorded their voices.
For each piano I found, I brought recording equipment to capture its final sounds. These weren't just notes, but creaks, hammers, and the sighs of wood reacting to time. I will later compose a musical piece from these samples, continuing the journey of my "Requiem pour Pianos" project. You can listen to some of the recordings here.
#1 Requiem Pour Pianos 151
Turning off a mountain road in a small rural village, I discovered an old school that had been abandoned for years. Inside, everything was still: student desks, notebooks, sheet music... as if the bell would ring again. But it was upstairs that I discovered an incredible scene: a row of a dozen Yamaha digital pianos, lined up facing large windows bathed in light. An upright piano also sits in a corner, a testament to music-centric teaching. An almost unreal, overwhelming scene, and a moment of exploration I'll never forget.
8points
Japan Changed Me.
Beyond the pianos, I was moved by Japan's natural beauty and quiet spirit. I wandered through lush forests, ancient temples, and met people who welcomed me with generosity and curiosity. I slept little, photographed a lot, and left part of my soul in those empty rooms.
This journey wasn’t just about the photos. It was about memory, sound, and silence. Each piano is a monument to time and the fragile beauty of things left behind.
#2 Requiem Pour Pianos 163
Here's one of the most memorable moments for me on this trip: a Kawai piano in a totally isolated school in the heart of a remote village. To get there, I had to take trails through the forest, even encountering numerous monkeys along the way. The atmosphere on site was magical — a sea of ferns gradually engulfing the piano, as if nature had come to play its own score.
7points
#3 Requiem Pour Pianos 150
A Yamaha piano abandoned after the closure of a luxury hotel. Located on the top floor of this huge hotel, it offers an incredible view of the ocean, where you can hear the waves breaking on the rocks.
7points
#4 Requiem Pour Pianos 154
Deep in the countryside, I entered an old wooden school swallowed by nature. Inside, I discovered a tiny stage behind faded velvet curtains. A black Yamaha upright piano still stood proudly in the corner, beside a weathered xylophone — a ghostly music class frozen in time. Sunlight filtered through broken windows, casting soft patterns on the dusty floorboards. The piano was surprisingly resonant; I managed to record a few haunting notes. The other instrument — a vintage Yamaha vibraphone — added to the surreal atmosphere of this forgotten concert hall for children. It felt as if the building itself was holding its breath, waiting for the music to return.
7points
#5 Requiem Pour Pianos 158
In the deep mountains of Japan, I discovered an old wooden school on the verge of collapse. Every step on the creaking floor was a warning. Inside, time seemed to stand still: a Yamaha grand piano rested at the back of a classroom. Around it, several abandoned Yamaha accordions and four forgotten digital pianos. I was very surprised to find so many abandoned musical instruments in this now forgotten place.
7points
#6 Requiem Pour Pianos 149
This hotel is a place frozen in time. Built in the '60s to welcome tourists, this palace, inspired by European architecture, closed its doors over 20 years ago. Exploring this place had been a long-held dream... I was extremely lucky to be able to photograph and re-sound this now-silent Yamaha.
6points
#7 Requiem Pour Pianos 162
I visited several abandoned schools in rural areas. In one, a piano still sat in a corner of the gymnasium, its keys cracked and pedals rusted. You could almost hear the echoes of children singing. The smell of old moss filled the air. I recorded what sound I could still produce from it — a soft, broken melody that felt like memory itself.
6points
#8 Requiem Pour Pianos 165
In the heart of the forest, I stumbled upon an abandoned elementary school — my favorite discovery of the trip. Sunlight filtered through the vine-covered windows, revealing a surreal scene: a broken upright piano and a dismembered statue of Kintaro, the legendary child hero of Japanese folklore. His head and torso sat upright on the floor, arms strewn nearby, as if guarding the forgotten music of this silent classroom. The atmosphere was both whimsical and haunting — like stepping into a dream where time stood still.
5points
#9 Requiem Pour Pianos 156
In the deep mountains of Japan, I discovered an old wooden school on the verge of collapse. Every step on the creaking floor was a warning. Inside, time seemed to stand still: a Yamaha grand piano rested at the back of a classroom, and many digital pianos had been forgotten, including this one, which was gradually being overgrown.
5points
#10 Requiem Pour Pianos 161
I visited several abandoned schools in rural areas. In one, a piano still sat in a corner of the gymnasium, its keys cracked and pedals rusted. You could almost hear the echoes of children singing. The smell of old moss filled the air. I recorded what sound I could still produce from it — a soft, broken melody that felt like memory itself.
4points
#11 Requiem Pour Pianos 152
Turning off a mountain road in a small rural village, I discovered an old school that had been abandoned for years. Inside, everything was still: student desks, notebooks, sheet music... as if the bell would ring again. But it was upstairs that I discovered an incredible scene: a row of a dozen Yamaha digital pianos, lined up facing large windows bathed in light. An upright piano also sits in a corner, a testament to music-centric teaching.
4points
