News Flash

2025-11-07

Sumino’s Multi-Piano

At Stanford’s Bing Concert Hall, Hayato Sumino performed amid two Steinways, a Prophet synth, and a toy piano. His eclectic, multi-piano program captivated a sold-out audience, earning multiple standing ovations during his second U.S. concert this year.
Read more at sfcv.org

2025-11-06

Paderewski - The Statesman

When Paderewski returned to Poland in December 1918, he was more than a famed pianist - he was a national symbol. His arrival in Poznań ignited patriotic fervor, sparking the Greater Poland Uprising the very next day.
Read more at warsawinstitute.org

2025-11-05

Sir Hough and Lee in Conversation

Composer and pianist Sir Stephen Hough views all his artistic pursuits - piano, composition, and writing - as stemming from the same poetic impulse. “Poetry takes everyday words and makes them mean something more,” he explains. For him, music and creativity transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Read more at bakchormeeboy.com

2025-11-04

Maria-Joao Pires Retires

Maria Joao Pires has formally announced that she has ended her career as a performer, at the age of 81. The Portuguese pianist made her announcement during the acceptance ceremony for the Helena Vaz da Silva European Award in Lisbon.
Read more at theviolinchannel.com

2025-11-02

All 32 at 44

Three years ago, pianist Gilles Vonsattel called a family meeting. Faced with a thrilling career challenge, he asked his wife and children if they could embrace him spending long hours at the piano, learning all 32 Beethoven sonatas.
Read more at sfcv.org

2025-11-01

The Haydn Brothers

Beyond his roles as concertmaster and composer, Michael Haydn was also a dedicated teacher. His students included Anton Diabelli, a pivotal music publisher, and Carl Maria von Weber.
Read more at interlude.hk

2025-10-31

The Liszt Effect?

In 1844, Berlin experienced “Lisztomania,” a term coined by poet Heinrich Heine after witnessing Franz Liszt’s wildly enthusiastic audiences. Drawings from the era show women swooning, fainting, or tossing flowers, while men also appear mesmerized.
Read more at theconversation.com

2025-10-30

Sham's New Release

Aristo Sham, winner of the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, will release his new album "Timeline" worldwide on Nov. 7. Following his recent signing with Universal Music Hong Kong, Sham’s international tour included sold-out performances in Hong Kong, China, and critically acclaimed concerts across Europe and the United States.
Read more at chinadaily.com.cn

2025-10-29

Canadian Win in Honens

Canadian pianist Élisabeth Pion, 29, has won the 2025 Honens International Piano Competition in Calgary. From Saint-Hyacinthe and now based in London, she impressed with Franck’s Piano Quintet and Prokofiev’s Third Concerto, earning jury and audience acclaim.
Read more at /theviolinchannel.com

2025-10-28

Very Black and White Steinways

Steinway & Sons introduces Ultra Black and Ultra White Limited Editions: modern grand pianos with pure monochrome design. Crafted in Hamburg, only 52 exist—26 each, spanning 18 Model B and 8 Model D concert grands.
Read more at designboom.com

2025-10-27

Sham Signs with Universal

Universal Music Hong Kong has signed pianist Aristo Sham, winner of the 2025 Van Cliburn Competition. His debut album Timeline arrives 7 November, with Bach’s Toccata in C minor already streaming globally from his tour program.
Read more at gramophone.co.uk/

2025-10-26

Thoughts on Piano Competitions

Pre-selection juries sped through dozens of audition tapes until fatigue blurred judgment. Long competitions, especially Chopin, overwhelm jurors and audiences with repeated repertoire, dulling ears despite earnest young performers there.
Read more at spectator.co.uk

2025-10-25

Lang Lang's Biopic

Lang Lang’s life has inspired two major biopics: the Chinese film You Are the Best, based on his autobiography, and a forthcoming Hollywood movie directed by Ron Howard, continuing global fascination with the superstar pianist.
Read more at hollywoodreporter.com

2025-10-24

Toy Piano Avant Garde

Margaret Leng Tan, the Singapore-born pianist in New York, has transformed everyday objects into instruments, from toy pianos to teapots, becoming a pioneering muse of American experimental music and redefining musical possibility for decades.
Read more at koreaherald.com

2025-10-23

Chopin Joy and Pride in Asia

At the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, which concluded in Warsaw on Tuesday, young pianists of Asian descent excelled. Of this year’s 11 finalists, nine were of Asian heritage, including three participants from China.
Read more at chinadaily.com.cn

2025-10-22

Gilels' Cultural Ambassadorship

Emil Gilels, celebrated for his technical brilliance and expressive playing, trained at the Moscow Conservatory. He became a key cultural ambassador, promoting innovative Soviet music by composers like Prokofiev and Shostakovich both at home and abroad.
Read more at interlude.hk

2025-10-22

Happy Birthday Franz Liszt!

At age 74, Liszt traveled yearly to Rome, frequently meeting Prix de Rome winners. That year, he visited painter Hébert’s home for a party honoring young Debussy. Debussy and Paul Vidal arranged a two-piano version of Liszt’s Faust Symphony to honor him, though Liszt likely dozed off during the performance.
Read more at wqxr.org

2025-10-21

American Pianist Eric Lu's Grand Win

American pianist Eric Lu won the top award at the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, after lengthy jury discussions. He receives €60,000 and a gold medal, with jury chair Ohlsson commending the competition’s high level.
Read more at polskieradio.pl

2025-10-20

Last Day of Finals in Warsaw

All finalists perform Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantasy, Op. 61, and a piano concerto - either E minor or F minor - accompanied by the Warsaw Philharmonic under Andrzej Boreyko. Contestants represent seven countries.
Read more at polskieradio.pl

2025-10-18

The Sound of 11 000 Strings!

For the North American premiere of Georg Friedrich Haas’s “11,000 Strings,” 50 pianos are arranged in a vast circle around 1,300 seats at the Park Avenue Armory. Tuning all the instruments takes about 20 hours.
Read more at nytimes.com

2025-10-17

Uchida's Five Star Beethoven

Mitsuko Uchida captivated Wigmore Hall with Beethoven’s final three sonatas (Opp. 109, 110, 111), delivering performances of exquisite detail and tenderness. Together, these works transcended their individual brilliance, becoming something profound and exhilarating.
Read more at theguardian.com

2025-10-17

Eleven Finalists in Warsaw

The jury, chaired by American pianist Garrick Ohlsson, made an exception to its standard rule of selecting 10 finalists, admitting 11 this year after a tie between the 10th and 11th places. Alongside Poland, the final will feature three pianists from China, two each from Japan and the United States, and one each from Georgia, Canada, and Malaysia.
Read more at polskieradio.pl

2025-10-16

Pianism Meets Science

In addition to his piano career, Abdyssagin explores music theory. His 2024 book, "Quantum Mechanics and Avant-Garde Music: Shadows of the Void", examines connections between physics concepts and modern music, including silence and scientific influence on musical structure.
Read more at universiteitleiden.nl