Hi all,
the thread-question is very difficult to answer for me, and I thought a while over it, because answers, as we can see, appear as mostly subjective ones, and that's ok and normal, I think!
As far as my "personal", subjective list (not ranked) exists, each of the following persons sometimes, in my mind, can be replaced by others, from the other 10 mentioned at the bottom.
Criteria for me weren't only what I would "personally" estimate as superb pianistic abilities, but also -let's call it:- a long-lasting, definite "position" in the world of piano-music, and furthermore:
Competitions played a role, too, as did very important teaching-positions in the world of "schools" some of the mentioned obtain(ed). But also creativity, freshness and likeable (!again, very subjective value!) appearance, fearlessness, coolness / calmness and grace on stage (or, as to be estimated, from recordings) were criteria to put pianists into my personal list. Which now follows:
Ivo Pogorelich
Adam Harasiewicz
Maurizio Pollini
Ingolf Wunder
Marc-Andre Hamelin
Leon Fleisher
Michael Ponti
Daniel Pollack
Martha Argerich
Jörg Demus
______________
(Sometimes, following mood, as I said, each of them is replaceable by each of the following): Stanislaw Bunin, David Helfgott, Murray Perahia, Ivan Davis, Helene Grimaud, Ewa Kupiec, Rudolf Buchbinder, Valentina Lisitsa, Daniil Trifonov, Rafal Blechacz.
Cordially, 8_oct!