Can a piano develop something like a personality and retain memories of the people who have played it? This is one of the questions asked in a play by Heike Tauch and Florian Goldberg in which one of the main characters is a piano that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Since it was restored in the early 2000s, “Akiko’s […]

The Preliminaries of the 19th International Chopin Competition are underway in the Chamber Music Hall of the Warsaw Philharmonic. From April 23 to May 4, 163 pianists from 28 countries are performing their best Chopin etudes, nocturnes, scherzos, and mazurkas. Watch all performances online and form your opinion about who is worthy of a place in the final stages of […]

The piano, a sleek monument of polished wood and ivory keys, holds a curious, often paradoxical, position in music history, especially for women. While offering a crucial outlet for female expression in societies where opportunities were often limited, it also became a stage for complex gender dynamics, sometimes subtle, sometimes stark. From drawing-room whispers in the 19th century to the […]

Piano Day is an annual worldwide event that takes place on the 88th day of the year, which in 2025 is March 29. Every year, it provokes special concerts, onstage and online, as well as radio shows, podcasts, and playlists. Established in 2015, it is now well known across the globe and this year we celebrate it’s 10th anniversary! Piano […]

For Paolo Fazioli, music isn’t just a profession – it’s a calling. In connection with the introduction of Fazioli’s new model F198 and the presentation of Cremona Musica Awards 2024, we had the opportunity to get an exclusive interview with the famous instrument creator and award winner. Italy’s storied past, a canvas awash with creative brilliance, finds its heart in […]

March 7 2025, marks the 150th birthday of Maurice Ravel. Piano Street presents a collection of material and links to resources for you to commemorate the great French composer. Often labelled an impressionist, Maurice Ravel’s style grew out of his great interest in a broad variety of styles, including Spanish folk music, French baroque, and American jazz. At the same […]

Do piano competitions offer a good, fair, and attractive basis for a complete pianist and musician? In today’s scene, many competition organizers have started including additional elements for judging with a focus on preparing the competitor for a real, multifaceted musical life that reaches beyond prize money and temporary fame. Ralf Gothóni, the creator of a new kind of piano […]

In today’s crowded music competition landscape, it’s challenging for young musicians to discern which opportunities are truly worthwhile. The new 2025 edition of the Argerich-Alink Foundation’s comprehensive guide to piano competitions, provides valuable insights and inspiration for those competing or aspiring to compete, but also for anyone who just wants an updated overview of the global piano landscape. As a […]

“Practice makes perfect” is a common mantra for any pianist, but we all know it’s an oversimplification. While practice often leads to improvement, true perfection is elusive. But according to recent research, a robotic exoskeleton hand could help pianists improve their speed of performing difficult pianistic patterns, by overcoming the well-known “ceiling effect”. Both professional pianists and piano students of […]

Ruth Slenczynska, one of the most mesmerizing pianists alive today, celebrates her 100th birthday on January 15, 2025. A former child prodigy, her nine-decade career represents a living link to the Golden Age of the Piano, embodying its spirit through her artistry, her lineage, and her role as a keeper of its traditions. Born in 1925 to Polish immigrants in […]

We wish you a Happy New Year with a list of recommended reading from Piano Street. These are the most read, discussed or shared articles of 2024. /The Piano Street Team The top list is also published on our Facebook page. Feel free to share the list with your piano playing friends! (Top picks selections from previous years: 2023 2022 […]

“He has everything and more – tenderness and also the demonic element. I never heard anything like that,” as Martha Argerich once said of Daniil Trifonov. To celebrate the end of the year, the star pianist performs Johannes Brahms’s monumental Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Kirill Petrenko on December 31. Piano Street’s members are invited to […]