News Flash

2025-04-25

Levit's 16 Unbroken Hours

Facing a 16-hour, 840-repetition performance of Satie's Vexations at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, one might expect panic from Igor Levit. Instead, the German pianist calmly arranged his score, chuckled at the undertaking, and began to play for the waiting audience.
Read more at theguardian.com

2025-04-24

Call for Piano Diversity

Leading concert grand piano manufacturers offer instruments with unique sounds and playing feels. Therefore, tailoring the piano choice to the music or performer is often more suitable than using the hall's standard option.
Read more at onlinepianoatlas.com

2025-04-23

The Levit/Abramovic Collaboration

April 24th at 10 am in London, pianist Igor Levit will begin a 16+ hour performance of Satie's Vexations. He started talking to Abramović about the piece about two years ago, and the resulting collaboration has its world premiere – and this time in front of an actual audience.
Read more at theguardian.com

2025-04-22

From Venezuela to Athens

Discussing music with Gustavo Dudamel, a full-circle moment for Venezuelan pianist Alejandro Orta, marked his US journey. Orta, an OHIO music major, first met Dudamel in Venezuela and later interviewed him for his thesis, a surreal milestone in his Kennedy Center-performing career.
Read more at ohio.edu

2025-04-21

Mixing Acoustic with Electronica

Jazz pianist Bill Anschell flipped his recording process, the artist confessed. "Unlike my raw, live previous CD, I pre-recorded piano, then added bass and drums who reacted naturally. I even tweaked my piano after their takes, creating a seamless, dynamic sound."
Read more at knkx.org

2025-04-20

Kim Conducts from the Piano

South Korean pianist-conductor Sunwook Kim, Leeds winner at 18, electrified the Barbican with Beethoven and Clyne. Now a respected soloist and Gyeonggi Philharmonic Music Director, Kim's dual artistry shone with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Read more at artshub.co.uk

2025-04-20

Great Opus Ones

Defining musical greatness is subjective and somewhat absurd. However, exploring lists of first printed works and composers' ages at publication offers plain, simple fun and historical insight.
Read more at interlude.hk

2025-04-19

The Greatest Piano Concertos?

The concerto, a centuries-long inspiration, has driven composers to explore the piano's expressive and technical depths to captivates and challenge pianists worldwide. Do you agree with BBC's Best Concertos List?
Read more at classical-music.com

2025-04-18

Andsnes on Liszt's Via Crucis

Gramophone's Martin Cullingford interviews pianist Leif Ove Andsnes about his new Sony Classical recording of Liszt's deeply spiritual Via Crucis, meditations on the Stations of the Cross, released before Holy Week.
Read more at gramophone.co.uk

2025-04-17

Schubert's Wanderer

Schubert's art profoundly explores solitude. A rootless wanderer, he channeled this into music, notably three "Der Wanderer" Lieder and "Winterreise." These capture the wanderer's psyche: "Joy surrounds, yet I am alone"- a perfect summation of his aesthetic.
Read more at interlude.hk

2025-04-16

Back on Track - Kate Liu

Kate Liu, known for her third prize and top scores at the 2015 Chopin Competition, returns impressively after a hand injury. Her ambitious program, featuring late Beethoven and Brahms' monumental Piano Sonata No. 3, fulfills high expectations, marking a strong resurgence.
Read more at interlude.hk

2025-04-15

William Wordsworth's Piano Music

Poorly known piano music including the significant Sonata, now have their first complete recording after limited LP releases 60 years prior, revealing an honest style akin to Sibelius and Rubbra, focused on deep feeling, which contrasts his surprising gentle children's miniatures.
Read more at arcana.fm

2025-04-14

Pianist and Composer in AI

Clara Yang presents "Ex Machina," an immersive multimedia performance exploring the intersection of technology and humanity, at The Process Series. This 70-minute piece, "Piano in an AI World," questions human identity through a deconstruction of musical identity.
Read more at unc.edu

2025-04-13

Who is Going to The Cliburn?

Thirty elite pianists representing 17 nations will vie for top honors at the 17th Van Cliburn Competition in Fort Worth, May 21-June 7, 2025. This select group of 30 was chosen from 340 applicants after rigorous screening
Read more at culturemap.com

2025-04-12

Young Pianist Heading for Warsaw

In late April, Ma Tiankun competes in the preliminary round of the 19th Chopin Competition in Warsaw. His repertoire - études, nocturne, mazurkas, scherzo - aims to showcase Chopin's diverse facets and his own interpretive voice. If selected, the main competition follows in October.
Read more at chinadaily.com.cn

2025-04-11

Haochen Zhang on His New Album

Gold medalist at the 2009 Van Cliburn, Haochen Zhang is a celebrated soloist and chamber musician with a diverse discography. His new BIS album features monumental works by Beethoven (Hammerklavier Sonata) and Liszt (Sonata in B minor), composers central to his artistic journey.
Read more at blogcritics.org

2025-04-10

Lim in London

Yunchan Lim's Wigmore Hall debut performing the Goldberg Variations showcased a captivating blend of spontaneity and meticulous precision. The young Korean pianist's interpretation, his first UK performance of the work, revealed a striking maturity beyond his years.
Read more at theguardian.com

2025-04-09

A Historical Return

More than just a concert, this Vladimir Horowitz 1965 recital was a pivotal moment. Having been absent from the public eye since 1953 due to the debilitating effects of depression and anxiety, his return sparked intense curiosity throughout the musical community. The unspoken question hung in the air: after so long, could his genius still shine?
Read more at interlude.hk

2025-04-08

Myra Hess - National Treasure

Hear music from the APR Records album 'Myra Hess - The complete solo and concerto studio recordings' on the podcast discussing the new Kahn & Averill book release, Myra Hess - National Treasure.
Read more at gramophone.co.uk

2025-04-07

Best LvB Sonatas Cycles?

Many great pianists have recorded Beethoven's complete sonatas, each offering unique interpretations of his evolving genius, from poetic nuance to virtuosic power. This article examines six exceptional sets, comparing their insights, technique, and artistic vision, revealing the sonatas' endless richness for every listener.
Read more at classical-music.com

2025-04-06

The Piano Opens in Australia

Amanda Keller hosts this six-part series showcasing how pianos enrich everyday Australian lives. Pianists perform in public spaces, unknowingly observed by Harry Connick Jr. and Andrea Lam. These experts will mentor chosen talents for a life-changing performance at Sydney's City Recital Hall.
Read more at abc.net.au

2025-04-05

Anton Mejias on Bach

Born in 2001, Finnish-Cuban pianist Anton Mejias showed early fascination with Bach. Debuting at eight, he mastered The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, by ten. His repertoire now includes the complete French and English Suites, all six partitas, and The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II.
Read more at gramophone.co.uk

2025-04-04

Indispensable Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach's enduring music has inspired composers for centuries, from the Classical and Romantic eras to today. Arrangements of Bach's keyboard music by legacy composers reveal pedagogical, interpretive, and evolving stylistic intentions across different performance mediums.
Read more at interlude.hk

2025-04-03

The Fedorova & Takser Piano Duo

After graduating from Moscow in 2009, pianists Fedorova and Takser emigrated to Canada in 2010. They credit their teacher Richard Raymond and the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal for adding "charm and flavour" to their rigorous Russian training, creating a unique blend of styles.
Read more at myscena.org