News Flash

2025-05-23

Pictures as Piano Pieces

Pictures at an Exhibition echoes Schumann's Carnaval in its character portraits. However, Mussorgsky's direct inspiration was far darker: his growing preoccupation with death, a shadow that consumed him seven years later.
Read more at classical-music.com

2025-05-23

The Chopin Podcast

Now on its second season, the Chopin Podcast, a multi-episode series hosted by Ben Laude features insights from Garrick Ohlsson, Chopin scholars, and medalists. This podcast offers an intimate, broad exploration of Chopin's works for both enthusiasts, curious and professionals.
Read more at chopinpodcast.com

2025-05-22

The Mason & Hamlin Story

Mason & Hamlin pianos are known for their robust construction, powerful and rich American tone, and the longevity of their sound due to unique design innovations like the Tension Resonator. They represent a significant part of American piano manufacturing heritage.  
Read more at cbsnews.com

2025-05-21

The Age Impact and Cliburn

Since 1962, Fort Worth's Cliburn Competition has been a top classical music event for 18-30 year-old pianists. Over 63 years, 18 gold medalists, including 2017 winner Yekwon Sunwoo (then 28), 18 silver, and 13 bronze laureates have emerged.
Read more at keranews.org

2025-05-20

Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition Finalists

Entrant quality drives the competition. A vital pre-selection jury chose 70 from 300 applicants. After withdrawals, 60 played the quarter-finals, 24 advanced to the semifinals, and 12 reached the finals. Both later rounds feature challenging commissioned works, intensifying the pressure.
Read more at limelight-arts.com

2025-05-19

Wang, Lang and Yu Names Artistic Advisers

Universal Music launched Deutsche Grammophon China and Blue Note Records China. These new imprints will champion emerging Chinese artists, cultivate original music, and help Chinese musicians reach global audiences, expanding the iconic classical and jazz labels' reach.
Read more at gramophone.co.uk

2025-05-18

Ravel in a Thousand Sparkles

A musical and visual journey into Maurice Ravel's life, this film showcases his timeless works and intimate creations. Enhanced by stunning visuals, immersive 360° sound, and modern cinematic techniques, it redefines the musical film experience.
Read more at arte.tv

2025-05-17

Horowitz's Seven Students

A legendary pianist, Vladimir Horowitz favored performance over formal teaching, mentoring only a select few. Though the exact number is debated, each individual developed a distinct and significant relationship with the iconic virtuoso.
Read more at interlude.hk

2025-05-15

Rana Plays Ravel's G major Concerto

ARTE TV contributes to the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel's birth. Cristian Macelaru and the Orchestre National de France, together with Beatrice Rana, pay tribute to his enduring musical impact.
Read more at arte.tv

2025-05-14

Pianist Ilona Knew Brahms

Pianist Ilona Eibenschütz, a student of Clara Schumann and part of Brahms's inner circle, offers a humanizing glimpse into the composer's life through her vivid recollections from a 1952 interview, detailing her youthful awe upon first meeting him.
Read more at interlude.hk

2025-05-13

Pianist Expanding Horizons

Portland pianist, teacher, and composer Stephen Lewis champions "neglected music" through his Modernist Piano Series. His passion ignited at Oberlin, leading to rousing performances of early to mid-20th-century avant-garde masterpieces, captivating new listeners.
Read more at orartswatch.org

2025-05-12

More Hockney and Piano

Invited by David Hockney, pianists Kolesnikov and Tsoy offered an intimate Rite of Spring performance in his vibrant studio. This deeply personal piece for Hockney, who once designed its stage, sparked a grander vision.
Read more at standard.co.uk

2025-05-11

Is Activity Progress?

The adage "Don't mistake activity for progress" highlights that busyness differs from effectiveness. This is crucial for musicians, who spend countless hours practicing. A romantic notion persists that sheer practice time guarantees perfection, a misconception held by both musicians and the public.
Read more at interlude.hk

2025-05-10

Kissin Salutes Shostakovich

Evgeny Kissin, born shortly after Shostakovich's 1975 death, couldn't recall the composer's grand Moscow funeral. Yet, like all Soviet classical musicians, Kissin deeply engaged with and performed Shostakovich's works from his youth.
Read more at playbill.com

2025-05-09

Malofeev Signs with Sony

Sony Classical welcomes the acclaimed pianist Alexander Malofeev to its exclusive roster. The twenty-three-year-old Berlin resident, hailed by critics for his evocative performances, will release his debut album with the label this fall.
Read more at theviolinchannel.com

2025-05-08

Thoughts on Kissin

"I have been devotedly following the career of the once world-famous child prodigy pianist Evgeny Kissin for forty years. I’ve been lucky enough to have attended most of his 11 Celebrity Series appearances since 1991 and hope to never miss another."
Read more at artsfuse.org

2025-05-08

Keyboard Icon Jarrett at 80

Celebrating Keith Jarrett's 80th birthday, ECM Records released a new single from his final tour. This track previews the upcoming album, "New Vienna," recorded almost a decade ago at Vienna's historic Musikverein, a venue steeped in classical music history.
Read more at wrti.org

2025-05-07

Piano Marathon for Satie 100

On May 5th, Hong Kong hosted a 14+ hour piano marathon featuring local artists interpreting Satie, aiming for a world record of uninterrupted music honoring the innovative French composer.
Read more at thestandard.com

2025-05-06

Who Will Compete in Warsaw this Fall?

The 19th Chopin Competition's preliminary rounds in Warsaw concluded on May 4th after twelve days. From a record 642 applicants, 162 pianists from 28 nations participated, and the jury, led by Professor Piotr Paleczny, selected 66 to advance to the main competition in approximately five months.
Read more at chopincompetition.pl

2025-05-05

Aimard and 81 Pieces by Kurtag

In 1973, Hungarian composer György Kurtág started composing his piano miniatures, Játékok (Games), a series now exceeding 400 pieces for solo and four-hand piano across ten volumes, with ongoing additions.
Read more at gramophone.co.uk

2025-05-04

Alice Sara Ott on John Field

That uncanny feeling of familiarity with something new? Pianist Alice Sara Ott felt it deeply with John Field's Nocturnes. Though unstudied and new to her, the music evoked nostalgia, a sensation most associate with Chopin's later, more famous contributions to the genre, forgetting Field actually pioneered it.
Read more at lpm.org

2025-05-03

Pianist Merging Styles

Azerbaijani-Russian piano virtuoso Riad Mammadov made his Turkish debut at the refined Bayou Villas. His performance enchanted listeners with a thoughtfully chosen program blending classical, jazz, and traditional Azerbaijani melodies.
Read more at dailysabah.com

2025-05-02

Risky Music Making

Piano playing engages the whole body, a choreography potentially leading to long-term injury. UdeM researchers Turner and Verdugo deconstructed biomechanics of two professionals, relevant as 72% of pianists face musculoskeletal disorders (Frontiers in Psychology).
Read more at umontreal.ca

2025-05-01

Bruce Liu in Conversation

Chinese-Canadian pianist Bruce Liu, remembered for seven encores in Korea two years ago, returns for a Seoul recital on May 11th. He recalls the "mutual respect and love for music" from Korean audiences and hopes for another special moment.
Read more at mk.co.kr