Who is your favourite alive pianist?

[candypiano]

In the past century, great pianists like Glenn Gould, Arrau Claudio, and Vladimir Horowitz brought pleasure to people via their music.  In the twenty-first century, who is the pianist that gives you inspiration?  Who will make you want to attend his/her concert?

[perfect_pitch]

Maurizio Pollini...   

The guy is a legend.

[austinarg]

1. Martha Argerich (she is a fellow countrywoman, to put her any lower would be a disgrace)
2. Boris Berezovsky
3. Yuja Wang

[j_menz]

Me. 

[revanyoda777]

Murray Perahia without a doubt. His recordings of the Goldbergs and Partitas in particular are amazing, and his Chopin Etudes recording is the best one out there imo. (just listen to the op.10 no.1 :O)

[zezhyrule]

Argerich and Perahia, as already mentioned, and add Zimerman and Cecile Ousset 

Oh wait, was I only supposed to say one... 

[chauncey]

My favourite male pianist right now is Evgeny Kissin. My favourite female pianist is Valentina Lisitsa.


Buut that's just me

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Valentina lisitsa is my favorite female pianist.  However, Yuja Wang is the most attractive female pianist!

[j_menz]

Valentina lisitsa is my favorite female pianist.  However, Yuja Wang is the most attractive female pianist!

Hahah, so hormones or hearing? 

[marik1]

Who will make you want to attend his/her concert?

I don't separate male pianists from female--all that matters is if one speaks something with the music, or just plays piano (even well). From the alive pianists, other than Grigory Sokolov, I'd put on my list pretty much (widely) unknown or well underrated names, but I'd still suggest to check them out--all of them are on youtube:

my favorite ingenious Ekaterina Novitskaya, Oleg Boshniakovich (who due to his illness plays only in Moscow, and whose music making is simply sublime, for the lack of better word), one of the most serious musicians of our times Alexei Lubimov, breathtaking spectacular Ilana Vered, Valery Afanassiev, Alexander Serdar, Sergei Babayan, Alexander Korsantia... and at least a dozen of other very interesting musicians, who for one or another reason unfortunately did not make it to the very top, but IMO, by far much more interesting to listen to and enjoy than most of so called "top" modern pianists.

Some of the famous names, whose concerts I attended, but for sure will never go again:

Maurizio Pollini
Emanuel Ax
Nikolai Luganski
Efim Bronfman
Lang Lang
Yuja Wang

Best, M

[pianowolfi]

Nikolai Luganski

Ha funny that you would say that, I just missed his Rach 3 under Pletnev here, I preferred to practice instead...

[marik1]

Ha funny that you would say that, I just missed his Rach 3 under Pletnev here, I preferred to practice instead...

No doubt, that was much better spent time... 

Best, M

[49410enrique]

that's a tuffy, i wouldn't separate on sexes per say either but i do have different folks who are tops depending on the type of music or even for a certain composer, heck i even have subcats for 'older' or more seaoned pianists vs. young guns, be that as it may the question asked for is for a single name so i reluctantly follow the request (though i could certainly spout a list including some names still not mentioned)

it's an organic rank (i.e. changing, evolving along with me an my sensibilities) but as of right now my top pick for Yeol Eum Son. She's incredible.

[piano_vs_science]

STEPHEN HAWKING!!!

[montygolfear]

I don't separate male pianists from female--all that matters is if one speaks something with the music, or just plays piano (even well). From the alive pianists, other than Grigory Sokolov, I'd put on my list pretty much (widely) unknown or well underrated names, but I'd still suggest to check them out--all of them are on youtube:

my favorite ingenious Ekaterina Novitskaya, Oleg Boshniakovich (who due to his illness plays only in Moscow, and whose music making is simply sublime, for the lack of better word), one of the most serious musicians of our times Alexei Lubimov, breathtaking spectacular Ilana Vered, Valery Afanassiev, Alexander Serdar, Sergei Babayan, Alexander Korsantia... and at least a dozen of other very interesting musicians, who for one or another reason unfortunately did not make it to the very top, but IMO, by far much more interesting to listen to and enjoy than most of so called "top" modern pianists.

Some of the famous names, whose concerts I attended, but for sure will never go again:

Maurizio Pollini
Emanuel Ax
Nikolai Luganski
Efim Bronfman
Lang Lang
Yuja Wang

Best, M

Whatever happened to Ilana Vered ? She made some good recordings in the 70's and 80's with Decca I believe.

[zezhyrule]

Ah, how could I forget Mikhail Pletnev. I love his Scriabin Preludes :3

[49410enrique]

nevermind

[jas_sorian]

Valentina Igoshina is still alive, right? 

[piano_vs_science]

what??? that comment with the funny video is gone!!!


actually...my favourite pianist alive is Valentina Lisitsa
too bad Stephen Hawking doesn't play piano

i wonder why scientists never play the piano...

[sevencircles]

too bad Stephen Hawking doesn't play piano

I think he meant Stephen Houghking 

[revanyoda777]

I think he meant Stephen Houghking 

LOL! Hough is great as well. He's playing a recital near my area pretty soon

[newto43]

This is my own amateur video of my favourite pianist ever! I've been around for 52 years, my father  was a pianist and I believe this 17 yo self taught young man will go very far!! Please feel free to critique this clip, however please consider what you are going to say considering the following: remember amateur video, 17 yo, self taught and playing for only 3 yrs!!! Thank you.

[albertus_magnus]

Ingrid Haebler

[werq34ac]

My violin teacher had lunch with Stephen Hough, with absolutely nothing to do with music.


But anyway, Argerich is one of my favorite pianists of all time and she's alive so.... Argerich. Though I do like Pollini and Zimmerman a lot.

Lisitsa, she's very good, but I don't think she compares to Argerich and Pollini. Same with Kissin. Very good pianist, but I'd rather listen to Argerich if they recorded the same piece.

Also, I don't think anyone's mentioned Barenboim, whose Beethoven is fantastic. He's still alive right?

[bronnestam]

Per Tengstrand. Oh, so I know him and I am biased as h*ll  ... but I've listened to so many by now, and I have not found anyone, dead or alive, who has such a superior technique. His rendering of the Beethoven sonatas are the best I have heard EVER.

Another favourite of mine is Pletnev, who has a similar style, I think.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Hahah, so hormones or hearing? 

It has nothing to do with hormones!!!

[j_menz]

It has nothing to do with hormones!!!

It's taken you eight months to decide? 

[vsrinivasa]

I like Murray Perahia. His recordings of Beethoven are good. Valentina Lisitsa plays everything a little too fast for me.

[andreslr6]

I'm not sure if I have a favorite living pianist, but they have recordings which are among my favorites: Kissin's 2nd and 3rd Prokofiev piano concertos, Ivo Pogorelich's Gaspard de la Nuit played in a recital in Japan I believe, and Koji Attwood's Scriabin sonatas (4th, 5th, 7th and 10th), the ones he has on youtube recorded on recitals as well.

[clavile]

A lot of people seem to hate him, but I LOOOOOOOOOVEEE Lang Lang!

[blazekenny]

Ivan Moravec and Barenboim for sure. Also Mitsuko Uchida ?

I hate these piano athletes like Berezovsky, Lugansky, Lang Lang, Yuja Wang, Valentina Lisitsa going just for the fast fingers. Teenager boys may find it entertaining and might fill up their body with adrenaline, but its no music whatsoever (I attended a disastrous Lugansky recital Chopin / Liszt and he just banged the hell out of it and his playing was absolutely contrary to what these composers wrote)
Really...How come that these pianist have no sound at all ? Martha Argerich also snipes the piano at enormous speed, yet alot of her performances are nice

[sevencircles]

(I attended a disastrous Lugansky recital Chopin / Liszt and he just banged the hell out of it and his playing was absolutely contrary to what these composers wrote)

I heard him play a Schubert fantasy with Vadim Repin and he was great. Almost like a young Martha Argerich.

Possible that Repin was one of the main reasons that he played so well. 

[patrickd]

Sokolov, Hamelin, and Pletnev.

[mahlermaniac]

My favorite living pianists are not the big names of classical music (though I love classical piano music). Rather, they are from the breed of "new age solo piano" and write their own compostions as well as arrangements of well known songs.  I don't necessarily understand what makes them "new age" as they play lush romantic music, not stuff that would make you think of Enya or anything.

Anyway, my favorite is David Nevue. Wonderful stuff. He has several albums, I've only one of them but I will definitely get more. Philip Wesley and Brandon Musser are two others I enjoy.

[tdawe]

I know he leans more to conducting these days, but I'm surprised no one else loves Vladimir Ashkenazy!

Pollini and Argerich are also sublime pianists... outstanding.

[mahlermaniac]

I do rather enjoy Ashkenazy 

[blazekenny]

I know he leans more to conducting these days, but I'm surprised no one else loves Vladimir Ashkenazy!

Pollini and Argerich are also sublime pianists... outstanding.

Pollini is quite an interesting case. I have listened to his performance on the Chopin Competition and I think its pretty bad. Overall, he has always been a piano demolisher who only got popular for his amazing memory - Ability to play play Boulez sonatas on concerts without sheet music. But when he got cancer, something broke in him and his playing got so much softer. God, his late Schubert sonatas are amazing !!!

[cmg]

Valentina lisitsa is my favorite female pianist. 

Is it true Lisitsa was busted in Cleveland last month for shoplifting?  The year before she reportedly punched a clerk at an Albuquerque WalMart for not giving her the "Blue Light" special for free.  Any truth to these rumors?

[rao217]

I've never been to an actual concert, so I'll go by my recordings:

Pollini's Chopin Etudes are marvellous
Askhenazy's Nocturnes and Balldes (also Chopin's) are unparalleled
Argreich is spectacular, but she takes some pieces a bit more quickly than I'm comfortable with
Finally, Joe Hisiahshi (who is not at all classical) composes some nifty stuff and plays them fairly well. I don't think he can compare to the "giants" listed above, though.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Is it true Lisitsa was busted in Cleveland last month for shoplifting?  The year before she reportedly punched a clerk at an Albuquerque WalMart for not giving her the "Blue Light" special for free.  Any truth to these rumors?

Hey, weren't you the guy who said that you made out with her in your car?!

Don't tarnish her name!!!

[cmg]

Hey, weren't you the guy who said that you made out with her in your car?!

Don't tarnish her name!!!

Didn't mean to!  I just like bad girls with good octaves.   

[vsrinivasa]

Mitsuko Uchida is my favourite today. I listened to her rendition of Mozart K. 576 this morning, and it was amazing.

[ladychopin]

There is something else in Argerich....

[cadenza14224]

For the quality of playing: A tie between Argerich and Ashkenazy
For the eyes:  Alice Sara Ott
For the sheer (yet unbalanced) virtuosity: Yuja Wang and Freddy Kempf

[the89thkey]

Nikolai Lugansky's Rach 3 is brilliant.

[sevencircles]

Nikolai Lugansky's Rach 3 is brilliant.

He only spent 3 days of practice before he could play it that well apparently. 

Just a myth perhaps. 

[the89thkey]

He practiced 12 hours for 3 days and learned the whole piece, yes. Not a myth.
However, of course he couldn't play it then as well as he does now. He just knew the notes. Today his recording is one of the best around.

[dylbert]

Louis Lortie!

[the89thkey]

Louis Lortie!

Never heard of him. What repertoire does he do best?

[thesuineg]

Me. 

Where can I hear you play, I'm curious.


Pogorelich, though idk recently
Uchida for sure

i don't see anything good in ashkenazy, but i've only heard his ballades, someone wanna enlighten me?


BTW WHO SAID YUJA WANG.........
Have you heard her mozart sonata when she was like 11 years old. A complete robot. Children are supposed to be naturally good at mozart since they relate to the kind of innocence and pure vitality, but Yuja Wang was already trained too damn hard by 11 years old to understand a simply mozart sonata(I actually like that sonata)...