News Flash

2025-07-05

Top Pianists' Liszt Choices

Each pianist discovers their unique way into Liszt's world - whether through the fiery first Mephisto Waltz or the serene Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude. Hear eight top pianists on which Liszt piece they'd choose and why.
Read more at classical-music.com

2025-07-04

The New High Budget Chopin Film

A trailer for ‘Chopin, Chopin!’, one of Poland’s priciest films, has received mostly positive reviews after its online debut. The biopic, starring Eryk Kulm, will premiere on October 10, with a budget of €16.5 million.
Read more at tvpworld.com

2025-07-03

Reflections on The Queen Elisabeth

The Queen Elisabeth Competition is renowned for its excellent organization, focus on pure music rather than commercial interests, and transparency about candidates’ backgrounds. It is considered the fairest among international contests.
Read more at interlude.hk

2025-07-02

Oscar Peterson at 100

On August 15, we mark 100 years since jazz legend Oscar Peterson’s birth. Celebrations worldwide honor his extraordinary talent with concerts and tributes, highlighting a renowned pianist often overlooked in jazz’s main historical narratives despite widespread acclaim.
Read more at bigissue.com

2025-07-01

Cho and Ravel are Opus Winners

Pianist Cho Seong-jin was named Instrumentalist of the Year at Germany’s Opus Klassik 2025 awards, praised for his recordings and performances of Maurice Ravel’s works, celebrating the composer’s 150th anniversary.
Read more at chosun.com

2025-06-30

Musical Prodigy Myths

As a child, Kim favored TV and books over practice. Though she loves piano and performing, she admits practice was boring. Now, she views giftedness as part of neurodiversity, not just exceptional talent.
Read more at abc.net.au

2025-06-29

Standby for 40 Years

Terry Harper, who started tuning pianos at 19, has dedicated 40 years to perfecting the sound of grand pianos at the Sydney Opera House, working with renowned musicians like Vladimir Ashkenazi, Gary Burton, and Chick Corea.
Read more at abc.net.au

2025-06-28

Lockwood's Piano Works

Pianist Xenia Pestova Bennett releases "Annea Lockwood – The Piano Works," featuring four compositions spanning decades. While not as radical in 2025, their transformative quality arises from the interpreter's compelling performance and connection to Lockwood’s innovative spirit.
Read more at journalofmusic.com/

2025-06-27

Hewitt Celebrates 50th with Mozart

Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt concludes her Complete Mozart Piano Sonatas project with her final album, Mozart Piano Sonatas. This milestone marks her 50th album for Hyperion Records, showcasing works from the accessible K. 545 to Mozart’s profound late sonatas.
Read more at theviolinchannel.com

2025-06-26

Pianos at Expo 2025 Osaka

Pianos have long featured at Expos, symbolizing innovation since 1851. At Expo 2020 Dubai, notable models included “The Flying Piano” and “The Big Beleura.” Osaka’s Expo 2025 showcases a more modest but intriguing piano display.
Read more at worldpianonews.com

2025-06-25

Stolen Pianos

During WWII, nearly 8,000 pianos were looted by Nazis from Jewish families in France. Historian Caroline Piketty’s "Harmonies volées" recounts their story, with many returned post-liberation, though some remain lost.
Read more at france24.com

2025-06-24

Eight Composers Who Saw Sound

For a rare group of composers, synaesthesia is reality, blending senses to create extraordinary music. Olivier Messiaen, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Duke Ellington famously experienced colors, textures, and hues influencing their compositions in unique and vivid ways.
Read more at classical-music.com

2025-06-23

Chopin: The Teacher

In his pupils’ memoirs, Chopin appears as a dedicated, authentic teacher attentive to emotions and abilities. Demanding yet encouraging, he inspired students. Technically, he revolutionized fingering and hand movement, respecting each finger’s natural capacity.
Read more at nifc.pl

2025-06-22

The Best of Brendel’s Recordings

As the musical world mourns the renowned pianist, The Guardian explores his extensive recording legacy, highlighting 12 top selections from Russian rarities to Beethoven. His prolific career of over 100 albums ensures his enduring influence for future generations.
Read more at theguardian.com

2025-06-21

Pletnev in Hong Kong

Legendary pianist Mikhail Pletnev captivated a full house in Hong Kong on June 17, immediately performing on the Shigeru Kawai grand piano. His recital featured contrasting halves: the introspective Beethoven sonatas and lively Grieg Lyric Pieces.
Read more at scmp.com

2025-06-20

Inside a Pianist's Brain

For the first time, researchers will showcase musicians' minds using advanced neural imaging from UC and the Brain Dynamics Lab, projecting a pianist’s real-time brain activity through the innovative Glass Brain visualization tool.
Read more at classicfm.com

2025-06-19

Pedalling Chopin?

Chopin’s generation of pianists sparked a musical revolution with the damper pedal, but his unique approach combined technological advances with his distinct technique and creative use of musical color, transforming both musical expression and perception.
Read more at nifc.pl

2025-06-18

Alfred Brendel dies aged 94

The celebrated pianist, poet, and essayist, died peacefully on June 17, 2025, at his London home. Renowned for his profound interpretations of Beethoven, Mozart, and Schubert, his six‑decade career left an enduring mark in the classical music world.
Read more at theguardian.com

2025-06-17

Argerich's Cultural Vision

Martha Argerich emphasized the importance of cultural exchange and dialogue as key to world peace during a press conference at her 25th-anniversary music festival in Beppu, Japan, where she serves as general director of the festival.
Read more at mainichi.jp

2025-06-16

A Khachaturian Celebration

Pianist Kariné Poghosyan’s hour-long all-Khachaturian program at Carnegie’s Weill Hall showcased the composer’s vibrant rhythms, Armenian harmonies, and optimism, highlighting how his style helped him navigate Stalin’s criticisms better than some of his contemporaries.
Read more at blogcritics.org

2025-06-15

Jazz Pianist Awarded

Contemporary jazz pianist Sylvie Courvoisier, born in Lausanne and based in New York, received the Swiss Grand Prize for Music 2025, honoring her innovative contribution. Her albums include Chimaera (2023) and To Be Other-Wise.
Read more at theviolinchannel.com

2025-06-14

French School Pianists

This is the third release in APR’s ‘The French Piano School’ series within a year, featuring 14 pieces for piano and orchestra recorded between 1930 and 1949, performed by composers or expert interpreters, following earlier collections of French piano pioneers and Chaminade’s music.
Read more at .gramophone.co.uk

2025-06-13

Pianist's Stage Fright Fix

In recent years, Simone Dinnerstein began bringing a tablet on stage, which she credits with revitalizing her career. She finds reading scores on an iPad freeing and comforting, even though she still memorizes her music for performances.
Read more at wrti.org

2025-06-12

Symphonic Sounds on Two Pianos

Vanessa Wagner and Wilhem Latchoumia understand their different piano techniques and appreciate how their touches complement each other. They embrace Debussy’s orchestral textures, seeking finesse and shimmer to evoke early 20th-century sound, inspired by his call for a mellow, instrument-like tone.
Read more at interlude.hk