Frédéric Chopin is considered the first “pianistic” composer, which means he wrote specifically with pianists in mind. He tailored his music to their artistry and technical wizardry. But, he didn’t always launch into bracing octaves or challenging passagework. For example, in the Ballade No. 1 in G-minor, Chopin teases the audience with a meandering introduction that seems to indicate he […]

Music & Drama Education Expo is Europe’s largest conference and exhibition for anyone involved in music & drama education. Over two days, the event will offer the chance to attend over 60 seminars, workshops and debates. Taking place on 9 & 10 February 2017 at London’s Olympia Central, both days of the show will be packed with hours of useful […]

The Italian pianist Roberto Prosseda has previously recorded Mendelssohn’s complete piano works. Now he is embarking on a new, slightly less encyclopedic but equally ambitious project, that of recording Mozart’s complete sonatas. The first instalment, a double CD with Sonatas 1-6, was released earlier this year. At the Cremona Mondomusica Piano Experience, where Prosseda was engaged as artistic advisor, Piano […]

The Swiss physicist and Chopin connoisseur Alain Kohler, already known for discovering in a private German home a Pleyel piano that once belonged to Frédéric Chopin, has made another sensational find. Kohler, together with Gilles Bencimon of Radio France Internationale, recently announced that they have unearthed a new, previously unknown photograph of Chopin. The portrait was discovered by pure coincidence, […]

A new issue of the magazine International Piano is out! In the January-February 2017 issue French superstar pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet brings erudition, insight and boundless energy to his complete cycle of Beethoven sonatas. Jeremy Nicholas can’t help but finding himself bowled over by the Gallic charm and boundless enthusiasm of this unique and stimulating talent. Melvyn Tan needs no introduction. […]

Maurizio Pollini’s talent was recognized early. At eleven, he first appeared in concert, as a teenager he already played the complete Chopin etudes. That’s many years ago. Countless, celebrated concert performances are behind him along with awards and recordings. On January 5th the Italian pianist celebrated his 75th birthday. Piano Street congratulates one of the great pianists of our time […]

We wish you a Happy New Year with a list of highly recommended reading from Piano Street’s Classical Piano Blog. These are the 10 most read, discussed or shared articles of 2016. Beauty and Hope in the 21st Century The recently published compilation “Beauty and Hope in the 21st Century” contains contemporary solo piano pieces from many internationally renowned composers. […]

In a significant improvement of Piano Street’s Audiovisual Study Tool (AST), Naxos Music Library is now fully integrated allowing users to conveniently stream recordings without logging in separately to a Naxos Music Library account. Moreover, 623 pieces by 8 composers have been added to the AST. Sheet music connected to recordings of piano pieces by Clementi, Haydn, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, […]

Free tickets for Piano Street’s members Thanks to a continuous collaboration with the Berliner Philharmoniker Digital Concert Hall, all Piano Street members enjoy free access for 7 days to the Digital Concert Hall. Log in to your Piano Street account to get your free voucher code (value $10) which gives you instant access to the Digital Concert Hall. Take the […]

At the Cremona Mondomusica Piano Experience in October, the Italian pianist Pietro De Maria performed selected preludes and fugues from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier (WTC), as part of the exhibition’s Decca/Deutsche Grammophon showcase series. After the concert, Piano Street’s David Wärn had the chance to talk to De Maria about the challenges pianists face when tackling Bach’s legendary “forty-eight”. – You […]