Exploring the intersection of materials, chemistry, and design.
György Sándor's seminal work, On Piano Playing: Motion, Sound, and Expression
Throughout his teaching career, Sándor observed that many pianists struggled with physical tension, fatigue, injury, and technical limitations—especially when playing virtuoso or modern repertoire. He believed that most piano methods focused too much on musicality and too little on the natural physics of movement. His goal was to create a system based on functional, anatomical, and physiological principles that would allow pianists to play effortlessly and expressively.
Staccato: A coordinated movement starting from the shoulder and involving the entire arm apparatus for better control and precision. Key Insights & Philosophy
Sándor emphasizes the use of gravity rather than muscular force to produce sound. By allowing the weight of the arm to drop freely into the keys, the pianist achieves a full, resonant tone without introducing tension into the wrists or forearms. 2. Five-Finger Patterns and Scales
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Principal Investigator, Professor of Chemistry
Panče Naumov leads the Smart Materials Lab and the Center for Smart Engineering Materials at NYUAD. His group is internationally recognized for pioneering crystal adaptronics and advancing adaptive molecular solids, with applications in sensing, robotics, optics, and energy systems.
Meet the TeamGyörgy Sándor's seminal work, On Piano Playing: Motion, Sound, and Expression
Throughout his teaching career, Sándor observed that many pianists struggled with physical tension, fatigue, injury, and technical limitations—especially when playing virtuoso or modern repertoire. He believed that most piano methods focused too much on musicality and too little on the natural physics of movement. His goal was to create a system based on functional, anatomical, and physiological principles that would allow pianists to play effortlessly and expressively.
Staccato: A coordinated movement starting from the shoulder and involving the entire arm apparatus for better control and precision. Key Insights & Philosophy
Sándor emphasizes the use of gravity rather than muscular force to produce sound. By allowing the weight of the arm to drop freely into the keys, the pianist achieves a full, resonant tone without introducing tension into the wrists or forearms. 2. Five-Finger Patterns and Scales
We are proud that the Smart Materials Lab is the leading team in impactful chemistry research in the United Arab Emirates, with research output that, according to the Nature Index, accounts for 40‒60% of the total chemistry publications within the country, both in fractional count and weighed fractional count. The past and current research projects in the Smart Materials Lab have been sponsored by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), Human Science Frontier Program Organization (HFSPO), and the UAE National Research Foundation (NRF), in addition to generous financial support from NYUAD and the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute. The members of the Smart Materials Lab work closely with NYUAD's Center for Smart Engineering Materials (CSEM).