Famous pianists you should listen to at least once. Recommended pianists.
Introducing famous pianists you should listen to at least once!
Even people who aren’t into instrumentals often find themselves listening to piano pieces, right?
Unlike the guitar, the piano isn’t an instrument you run through effects, so its tonal individuality can be hard to distinguish—but that also means it appeals to a wide audience.
Here, we’re introducing professional pianists who command the piano as if it were part of their own bodies!
We’ll feature not only international pianists but also Japanese pianists.
The explanations are quite detailed, so even those who regularly listen to classical music should enjoy this!
Now, please sit back and enjoy!
- Masterpiece Performances: Introducing Japan’s World-Renowned Pianists and Their Iconic Performances
- Masterpieces of classical piano that are too beautiful for words. A gathering of delicate tones that cleanse the soul.
- [Piano Variations] A comprehensive showcase of gem-like masterpieces crafted by great composers!
- It’s so cool if you can play these on the piano! A selection of irresistibly charming masterpieces.
- [2026] Jazz piano masterpieces: from standards to recent favorites
- [Ultra-Advanced] Even challenging for advanced players! A curated selection of highly difficult piano pieces
- Jazz Piano Masterpieces: From Classic Essentials to Contemporary Favorites
- [For Intermediate Players] Challenge Yourself! Recommended Masterpieces That Shine at Piano Recitals
- [J-POP] I want to listen to songs with impressive, beautiful piano tones! Recommended piano cover tracks
- [Obituary] Hôko (Hiroko) Nakamura Passes Away: A Collection of Quotes from the International Pianist
- [Classical] Famous Piano Works | Gem-like Masterpieces You’ll Want to Play at Least Once in Your Lifetime
- Famous jazz musicians. Players who have graced the history of jazz.
- Beginner to Intermediate: Chopin pieces with relatively low difficulty. Recommended works by Chopin.
Famous pianists you should hear at least once: Recommended pianists (81–90)
Schubert: Hungarian MelodyImogen Cooper
Born in London as the daughter of a music scholar, Imogen Cooper studied with a host of distinguished pianists from the age of 12 at the Paris Conservatoire and in Vienna, making her American debut in 1984 with an orchestra.
In 1985, she achieved great success with a Schubert cycle in major European cities.
Awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2007, she is recognized as one of Britain’s leading pianists.
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 12Ingrid Haebler
Ingrid Haebler was born in Poland and was familiar with the piano from an early age.
With the outbreak of World War II, she moved to Salzburg and entered the Mozarteum.
After graduating, she studied at the Vienna Academy of Music and the Geneva Conservatory, and also studied in Paris, cultivating a diverse musicality.
She won prizes in various competitions and made her official debut at the Salzburg Festival in 1954.
Her refined performances of Mozart earned her worldwide acclaim.
Josef Hoffmann: KaleidoscopeJosef Casimir Hofmann
The Jewish American pianist and composer Josef Hofmann was born in Poland.
Astonishingly, at the age of ten he toured across Europe and fully earned a reputation as a child prodigy.
However, after his American tour in 1887–88 he withdrew from the front lines and took up a teaching post at the Curtis Institute of Music in the United States.
While nurturing many talented pupils, he also recorded performances as a commercial artist in the early days of records and piano rolls.
Chopin: Étude No. 5 “Black Keys”Leonid Kreutzer
Leonid Kreutzer, born in 1884, was a Russian pianist and conductor who was active in Germany and Japan.
He conducted Rachmaninoff performing his own Piano Concerto No.
2.
It is said that Seiji Ozawa decided to become a conductor after seeing Kreutzer conduct the “Emperor” while playing the piano.
In this piece, the entire main melody in the right hand is played on the black keys (except for the F on the second beat of measure 66).
Schubert: Fantasy in F minorMaria Joao Pires
Maria João Pires is a female pianist from Portugal.
She is very popular in Japan and has appeared on NHK Educational TV and NHK-FM.
As a soloist, she regularly performs as a guest in Europe, North America, Japan, and Israel, and has played with major orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 4Pascal Devoyon
This is Pascal Devoyon, who, at the Tchaikovsky International Competition—one of the “world’s three great competitions”—achieved second place, the highest rank ever attained by a French pianist.
In addition, he has received honors such as the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, making him one of the most renowned French pianists.
Famous pianists you should listen to at least once. Recommended pianists (91–100)
Buen Camino: A Fantasy of Lala Wan and MaionCecile Licad
Cecile Licad is a pianist from Manila, Philippines.
She was born on May 11, 1961, and is an active pianist.
After graduating from the Curtis Institute of Music, she appears to have begun her career as a pianist, but unfortunately there is little detailed information available about her in Japan.
She is beloved for her performances of classical repertoire.
