Piano Street’s Top Picks of 2025

We wish you a Happy New Year and present our annual selection of highly recommended reading from Piano Street. These are the most read, discussed, and shared articles of 2025, highlighting what resonated most with readers across the year’s defining moments in the piano world.

— The Piano Street Team

(Top picks selections from previous years: 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013)

Happy 150th Birthday, Maurice Ravel!

March 7, 2025 marked the 150th birthday of Maurice Ravel. Piano Street presents a thoughtfully curated selection of materials and resources in celebration of the great French composer. Read more >>

When Practice Stagnates – Breaking the Performance Ceiling: Robotic Training for Pianists

“Practice makes perfect” is a familiar mantra for pianists, yet true perfection remains elusive. Research suggests that a robotic exoskeleton could assist pianists during the practice phase in increasing speed in difficult passages by overcoming the well-known “ceiling effect”. Read more >>

The Many Voices of Alfred Brendel

Alfred Brendel, the Czech-born Austrian pianist, essayist and poet, died peacefully at age 94 on June 17, 2025, in London. Celebrated for his deeply intellectual interpretations of Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert and Liszt, he reshaped classical performance with clarity, wit and literary flair. His legacy endures through recordings, writings and mentorship. Read more >>

Watch the Chopin Competition 2025 with us!

Great news for everyone who loves Chopin’s music: Piano Street’s unique Chopin Competition tool is now complete. With all 1,870 recorded performances from the Preliminary Round to the Final, you can conveniently sort, explore, and watch both videos and piano scores at your fingertips. Read more >>

Bringing Florence Price Back to Life: An Inside Look with Pianist Han Chen

A new recording—recently Grammy nominated—of Florence Price’s Piano Concerto shines new light on the pioneering composer’s legacy. In this interview, Piano Street talks to pianist Han Chen, who reflects on Price’s fusion of Romantic and African American idioms, and the personal journey of interpreting her music for modern audiences. Read more >>

Pianist Ruth Slenczynska at 100 – A Unique Musical Messenger!

Ruth Slenczynska, one of the most mesmerizing pianists alive today, celebrated 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. Read more >>

The Memories of a Piano – 80 Years After the Atomic Bomb

“Akiko’s piano” survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and has featured in concert performances, films, and special events, conveying its message of peace. Now, 80 years after the bomb killed its owner, it has also participated in the Hiroshima premiere of the play Borrowed Landscape. Read more >>

The Quiet Revolutionary of the Piano – Fauré’s Complete Piano Works Now on Piano Street

In the pantheon of French music, Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924) often seems a paradox—an innovator cloaked in restraint, a Romantic by birth who shaped the contours of modern French music with quiet insistence. Piano Street now provides sheet music for his complete piano works: a body of music that resists spectacle, even as it brims with invention and brilliance. Read more >>

From Sacile to Symphony Halls: The Fazioli Phenomenon

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 The Cremona Musica Award 2024, we had the opportunity to get an exclusive interview with the famous instrument creator and award winner. Read more >>

The Piano Taking Center Stage at the 2025 Verbier Festival

Verbier Festival 2025 offered one of its most compelling piano lineups, blending leading artists, rising stars, and a touch of jazz. This compilation video captures 20 minutes of standout performances. Read more >>

A New Kind of Piano Competition

Do piano competitions still provide a fair foundation for a complete musician? As formats evolve beyond prize money, Ralf Gothóni, creator of a new piano competition in Shanghai, shares his perspective. Read more >>

Women and the Chopin Competition: Breaking Barriers in Classical Music

The piano has held a complex place in music history for women, offering both opportunity and constraint. From 19th-century salons to today’s concert halls, it reflects progress alongside enduring challenges. Read more >>

The World of Piano Competitions – issue 2 2025

The World of Piano Competitions magazine is a well-established reference for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of today’s international classical piano landscape. In this new issue, Chopin stands at the centre — not merely as the focus of a competition, but as a celebration of a unique musical legacy. Read more >>

The Crucible of Keys: A Century of Glory and Grit at the Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition

This summer, the piano world has been dominated by news from the Chopin, Cliburn, and Queen Elisabeth competitions. In its latest issue, The World of Piano Competitions magazine dedicates a special feature to the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Read more >>

New Piano Market Statistics: Inside the Quiet Transformation of Piano Playing

For those of us who spend our lives on the bench — whether teaching, practicing for a recital, or simply playing for the love of it – the piano has always been a singular concept: wood, felt, strings, and soul. Yet, recent global market reports reveal that the definition of our instrument is expanding and evolving in ways that affect us all. Read more >>