News Flash

2024-10-20

Pianist is BBC Young Musician 2024

Seventeen-year-old Canadian pianist Ryan Wang, a student at Eton College, has won BBC Young Musician 2024. Wang, who began playing piano at four and performed his first solo recital at Carnegie Hall at five, recently earned an Artist Diploma at the École Normale de Musique de Paris.
Read more at bbc.co.uk

2024-10-19

Pianist on Mental Health

Pianist Pallavi Mahidhara is the Executive Producer, Writer, and Host of "The Conscious Artist," a podcast dedicated to mental health awareness for performing artists. She is also the Second Prize winner and Young Audience Award winner of the 69th Geneva International Piano Competition and the VI International Prokofiev Competition.
Read more at theviolinchannel.com

2024-10-18

Japanese Jazz Honors

The Preservation Hall Foundation will honor Japanese pianist Mari Watanabe with a Legacy Award for her significant contributions to jazz heritage and the New Orleans community. Watanabe, a Tokyo native who moved to New Orleans in 1985, will be the first Japanese recipient of this prestigious award.
Read more at nippon.com

2024-10-18

Chochieva Talks Prokofiev

Russian pianist Zlata Chochieva bravely tackles Prokofiev's demanding Second Piano Concerto. In this nearly 30-minute work, the pianist rarely rests. Despite its technical challenges, the concerto's popularity has grown in recent years, with numerous recordings available.
Read more at gramophone.co.uk

2024-10-17

Yuja Turns Page

Yuja Wang has signed with Askonas Holt and Opus 3 Artists for general management. She will be represented by Ruby Robinson, Donagh Collins, and Phillippa Cole.
Read more at theviolinchannel.com/

2024-10-16

Interview with Yulianna Avdeeva

Yulianna Avdeeva recently released her album "Chopin: Voyage". This month, she performs Bernstein with the Minnesota Orchestra and Chopin and Liszt at Carnegie Hall. In this interview, Avdeeva discusses the challenges of her career, playing Horowitz's piano, and finding inspiration in even the most unexpected places.
Read more at interlude.hk

2024-10-15

A Piano Tuner Talk

Many believe they can tune pianos themselves, often purchasing low-quality tuning levers online. While higher-quality levers offer versatility, tuning requires skill and extensive practice. Digital instruments and electronic music are gaining popularity, but according to Chris Steedman, they lack the authentic sound and feel of traditional pianos.
Read more at brignews.com

2024-10-15

Hamelin on the Hammerklavier

Beethoven's "Hammerklavier" sonata is his longest piano sonata and, in his opinion, his finest. He began composing it in or around December 1817, following a year-long creative hiatus caused by a previous illness.
Read more at pianistmagazine.com

2024-10-15

The Jury of the 19th Chopin Competition

The jury for this year's Chopin Competition will consist of renowned Chopin specialists, including former winners, teachers, and experts on Chopin's life and work. Garrick Ohlsson, the first non-Polish Jury Chairman in the competition's history, will preside over the 19th edition.
Read more at nifc.pl

2024-10-14

Shostakovich at the Piano

A video has surfaced online featuring the renowned composer Dmitri Shostakovich playing the piano. Shared on Instagram, citing musicologist Peter Laul, the video shows Shostakovich performing a remarkably fast and agile rendition of his own piano arrangement of the opening of the third act of his 1932 opera, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.
Read more at classicfm.com

2024-10-13

What About Levit on Brahms?

Sony Classical has released a new three-CD set featuring Johannes Brahms' music, performed by pianist Igor Levit and the Wiener Philharmoniker under Christian Thielemann. The recordings, particularly of the piano concertos, exhibit a remarkably warm, almost vinyl-like quality, partly due to the acoustics of the Vienna Musikverein.
Read more at blogcritics.org

2024-10-12

Neutral Flag in Warsaw 2025

The organizers of the the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, have announced that Russian pianists will only be eligible to participate in the 2025 edition if they compete under a neutral flag and publicly denounce Russia's actions in Ukraine.
Read more at theviolinchannel.com

2024-10-11

The Pianist with 50 Fingers

Following the success of the Divas & Icons exhibition, a new temporary exhibition will open at the House of Music Hungary in January 2025. In the meantime, a free pop-up exhibition honoring renowned pianist Gyorgy Cziffra will debut in the foyer of the institution in ear
Read more at hungarytoday.hu

2024-10-09

Avdeeva's Late Chopin

Yulianna, the 2010 First Prize winner at the XVI International Chopin Piano Competition, presents a new album dedicated to Chopin's music. The album features iconic works like the Nocturnes Op. 62, Polonaise-Fantaisie, Barcarolle , Sonata No. 3, and Mazurkas Op. 59. Recorded in the serene setting of the Tippet Rise Art Center in Montana, the album captures the natural inspiration that fueled Chopin's late compositions.
Read more at theviolinchannel.com

2024-10-08

Eyes on Eric Lu

Eric Lu, the 2018 Leeds International Piano Competition winner, has pursued a thriving international career as a soloist and concerto performer. Renowned for his "sensitive and emotionally intuitive" playing, he has focused on Schubert and Chopin, captivating audiences with his unique affinity for these composers.
Read more at interlude.hk

2024-10-07

ABRSM for One Handed Pianists

The ABRSM has introduced the first one-handed piano exam repertoire lists, expanding exam accessibility for musicians with upper limb differences. The new syllabus, covering grades 1 to 5, features 62 pieces by renowned composers like Chopin and emerging artists. Developed to address a repertoire shortage, the syllabus includes seven new commissions, aiming to increase accessibility and choice for one-handed pianists.
Read more at classical-music.com

2024-10-06

Pianist Vikingur Interviewed

Olafsson has intentionally avoided recording complete cycles of the Viennese masters. Despite signing with Deutsche Grammophon at 32, he has only released six solo albums in eight years, excluding concertos. Notable omissions from his repertoire include the Liszt Sonata, Schumann Fantasy and works by Beethoven, Schubert, and Chopin.
Read more at spectator.co.uk

2024-10-04

A Talk with Pianist Hemmerlé

French pianist Patrick Hemmerle's primary teachers were Billy Eidi and Ventislav Yankov, who instilled in him a love for French and German repertoire, respectively. Joaquin Soriano taught him to play with greater openness. Today, he continues to learn through listening and recording, which is both challenging and rewarding.
Read more at pianistmagazine.com

2024-10-03

Lim and Chamayou Win Gramophone Awards

The Gramophone Classical Music Awards, established in 1977, annually honor outstanding solo artists, ensembles, and record labels for their contributions to classical recordings. 20-year-old pianist Yuncham Lim, recognized for his exceptional talent and future promise, was named Young Artist of the Year.
Read more at gramophone.co.uk

2024-10-02

Q+A with Pianist Denk

Jeremy Denk, a renowned American pianist and IU Jacobs School of Music alumnus, will conduct a piano masterclass at 8:30 PM on October 1st at Ford-Crawford Hall. This masterclass is part of the "Charles Ives at 150: Music, Imagination and American Culture" festival, which honors Ives as a pioneering American composer of the early 20th century.
Read more at iu.edu

2024-10-01

Pianistic Excellence Awarded in Cremona

The Cremona Musica Awards, established in 2014, have been announced by the cultural committee of the Cremona Musica International Exhibitions and Festival. The awards recognize exceptional individuals and institutions for their contributions to their respective fields.
Read more at theviolinchannel.com

2024-09-28

Steinway Model K at 120!

This year marks the 120th anniversary of the Steinway Model K upright piano. A cornerstone of Steinway's collection, the Model K continues to exemplify the company's commitment to exceptional craftsmanship. It offers pianists a harmonious blend of sound quality and touch, solidifying Steinway & Sons' reputation for musical excellence.
Read more at upscalelivingmag.com

2024-09-27

Being Mozart

Max Reilly, a 28-year-old pianist, has undergone intensive training to become an actor, specifically portraying Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. On Friday, he will debut as Mozart in "Amadeus," marking the grand opening of Colorado Mesa University's Asteria Theatre. Despite his nerves, Reilly acknowledges that anxiety is a common part of his profession.
Read more at gjsentinel.com

2024-09-26

Story Telling Pianist

Pianist Ruei-bin Chen seeks to showcase Taiwan's vibrant history and culture through music. By performing works by Taiwanese composers, he aims to introduce Southeast Asian audiences to the distinctive beauty of Taiwanese music.
Read more at taiwannews.com.tw