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!

Playlist

Famous pianists you should listen to at least once. Recommended pianists.
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	Chopin: Fantaisie-ImpromptuValentina Igoshina		A Russian pianist captivates the world with passionate performances
2	Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23 – First MovementTsujii Nobuyuki		A world-renowned pianist with a visual impairment
3	Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21Arthur Rubinstein		Arthur Rubinstein, the great Chopin interpreter
4	French Suite No. 5 in G major, BWV 816András Schiff		András Schiff, a renowned pianist from Hungary
5	Scarlatti: Sonata in E major, L. 23 (K. 380)Vladimir Horowitz		The renowned pianist Horowitz, born in Ukraine
6	Joe Hisaishi: SummerHisaishi Joe		Joe Hisaishi is a composer famous for Studio Ghibli music.
7	Badarzewska: A Maiden’s PrayerUshida Tomoharu		Tomoharu Ushida, a young pianist who made his debut at age 12 as the youngest ever
8	Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 8 “Pathétique”Krystian Zimerman		A world-renowned pianist who won the Chopin Competition
9	Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minorLang Lang		Lang Lang supports children around the world through music.
10	Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor”Uchida Mitsuko		Mitsuko Uchida’s delicate musicianship and awards
11	Chopin: Polonaise “Heroic”Rafał Blechacz		Blechacz wins the Chopin Competition at age 20
12	Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 23 “Appassionata,” 3rd movementValentina Lisitsa		A rising Ukrainian pianist, active worldwide on YouTube
13	Frédéric Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11Kakuno Hayato		Hayato Sumino expresses calm and passion through Chopin
14	Rhapsody in BlueYamashita Yōsuke		A master of Japanese jazz piano. In pursuit of cosmic jazz.
15	Akira Senju: Piano Concerto “Fate,” Movement IHaneda Kentarō		The Diverse Musical Activities of Kentaro Haneda
16	Rachmaninoff: 10 Preludes No. 2Sorita Kyohei		Kyohei Sorita’s Achievements and Music Outreach Activities
17	Shinya Kiyozuka: Baby, God Bless YouSeizuka Shinya		Pianist supervising the drama
18	Debussy: From Children’s Corner — “The Snow Is Dancing,” “The Little Shepherd,” “Golliwogg’s Cakewalk”Hara Chieko		A pianist who represents 20th-century Japan
19	Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor “Funeral March”Kobayashi Aimi		Aimi Kobayashi is one of Japan’s leading young pianists.
20	Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1hanabusa harumi		The international achievements of Harumi Hanafusa, Japan’s representative pianist
21	Chopin: Nocturne No. 8 in D-flat major, Op. 27 No. 2Maurizio Pollini		Maurizio Pollini’s Musical Achievements and Appraisal
22	List: Piano Works ‘Consolation’ No. 3Van Cliburn		Van Cliburn was a pianist who was active during the Cold War.
23	List: La CampanellaIngrid Fuzjko Hemming		Fuzjko Hemming’s Music and Life
24	Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2Sergei Vasil’evich Rachmaninov		Rachmaninoff’s self-performed recordings
25	Chopin: Waltz in D-flat major, Op. 64, No. 1 “Minute (Little Dog) Waltz”Stanislav Bunin		Buni won the Chopin Competition at 19
26	Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 “Sonata quasi una fantasia (Moonlight Sonata)”, Movement IIINakamichi Ikuyo		Ikuyo Nakamichi is a pianist. She is dedicated to promoting classical music.
27	Chopin: Ballade No. 4Evgeny Kissin		A prodigy pianist born in Moscow
28	Bach: Goldberg Variations (Aria with Diverse Variations for a Two-Manual Harpsichord) Variations 1–7Glenn Gould		Gould’s bold reinterpretation of Bach
29	Mascagni: Intermezzo from Cavalleria RusticanaAchille Lampo		Italian pianist Lampo performs Mascagni's Intermezzo.
30	Albéniz: From Iberia, “El Puerto” and othersKoyama Michie		Michié Koyama, a renowned Japanese pianist
31	Chopin: Polonaise No. 6 in A-flat major, Op. 53Cyprien Katsaris		A world-renowned pianist and composer from France
32	Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 17Peter Adolf Serkin		Serkin: A Great Pianist of the 20th Century
33	Schumann: Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70Martha Argerich		Martha Argerich’s Biography and Musical Activities
34	Franz Liszt: Grandes études de Paganini No. 3 in G-sharp minor “La Campanella”Ishii Takuma		Pianist Takuma Ishii performs Liszt’s formidable piece flawlessly.
35	Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54Murray Perahia		Pereira has recovered from a finger injury and is launching large-scale performances
36	Schubert: Four Impromptus, Op. 90, D. 899Alfred Brendel		An intelligent pianist from the Czech Republic
37	Schumann–Liszt: Spring NightAnnika Treutler		A German female pianist performs Spring Nights
38	Chopin: Etude No. 3 in E major, Op. 10-3, “Farewell” (Tristesse)Yokoyama Yukio		Yukio Yokoyama achieved a Guinness World Record by performing Chopin’s pieces from memory.
39	Chopin: Étude No. 12, Op. 10-12 “Revolutionary”Moo moo		Niuniu is a genius pianist born in Xiamen.
40	Schubert: Arpeggione Sonata, D.821Nakamura Hiroko		Hiroko Nakamura pianist born in Yamanashi
41	MaroShi: PiaNoFacemarashii		Introducing the appeal of Marasy, a popular pianist known for playing by ear
42	Frederic Chopin: Minute Waltz (Waltz of the Little Dog)Ushida Tomoharu		A 12-year-old pianist's powerful performance
43	Chopin: Ballade No. 4Alfred Denis Cortot		Cortot is a pianist with a distinctive style of expression.
44	Mendelssohn: Rondo CapricciosoAnnie Fischer		Annie Fischer is a famous Hungarian pianist.
45	Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 12 in F major, K. 332Artur Schnabel		An Austrian pianist who completed recordings of all of Beethoven’s works
46	Brahms: Variations and Fugue on a Theme by HandelBruno Leonardo Gelber		A pianist’s triumph over adversity and success
47	Takeshi Oi: VOICESŌi Ken		A masterful performance by the expressive pianist Ken Oi
48	Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3Colleen Lee		A Hong Kong pianist performs Prokofiev
49	Chopin: Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 60Dang Thai Son		Dang Thai Son wins the International Chopin Piano Competition
50	Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 17 “Tempest”Daniel Barenboim		Barenboim, the maestro of piano and conducting
51	List: Concert Paraphrase on “Rigoletto”France Clidat		France Clidat is a world-renowned pianist of Liszt performances
52	Bach–Busoni: ChaconneMagda Amara		Magda Amara, a pianist born in Moscow
53	Debussy: Preludes, Book I — No. 11, “The Dance of Puck”Nefeli Mousoura		Greek pianist performs Debussy
54	Brahms: Intermezzo Op. 118 No. 2Radu Lupu		A Romanian pianist, a legendary elusive performer.
55	Debussy: Preludes, Book I – No. 7, “What the West Wind Saw”Soyoung Choe		Soyeon Cho’s Debussy Performance
56	Schumann: Carnival Jest from ViennaSviatoslav Richter		A legendary pianist who was close to Richter and Prokofiev
57	Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 3Youbin kim		Yubin Kim performs Mozart’s Piano Sonata
58	Granados: The PuppetsCarles Marigó		Karl plays a piece by Granados
59	Grieg: Lyric Pieces, Book IV – No. 3 “Melody”Anna Zassimova		A talented Russian pianist and painter
60	Ravel: Jeux d’eauBerenika Glixman		An Israeli pianist performs Ravel
61	Gershwin: Rhapsody in BlueJack Gibbons		Gibbons plays Rhapsody in Blue on the piano
62	Morricone: The Legend of 1900Sonya Kahn		A pianist spends his life aboard a ship
63	Piazzolla: HeartbeatVestard Shimkus		Latvian pianist performs Piazzolla piece
64	Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3Vladimir Ashkenazy		Soviet-born pianist and conductor Ashkenazy
65	Schumann: From Scenes from Childhood, “Träumerei”Suzuki Naomi		Naomi Suzuki performs Schumann’s Träumerei
66	Schubert: March in G major, Op. 52, No. 2Rudolf Serkin		The Collaboration of Serkin and Busch
67	Chopin: Nocturne No. 13Ani Avramova		Performing Chopin's Nocturne No. 13
68	Stravinsky: PetrushkaKhatia Buniatishvili		A Georgian pianist performs a piece by Stravinsky
69	The Trio Project: MOVEUehara Hiromi		International Success of a Jazz Pianist from Shizuoka
70	Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21Alicia de Larrocha		Spanish female pianist performs major works with small hands
71	Mily Balakirev: Oriental Fantasy ‘Islamey’Kamei Masaya		A performance by a pianist who won first prize in a Paris competition
72	Franz Liszt: Liebestraum No. 3Sorita Kyohei		Kyohei Sorita performs Liszt’s Liebesträume
73	Frederic Chopin: Piano Concerto in E minor, Op. 11Kobayashi Aimi		Aimi Kobayashi’s masterful performance, 4th prize at the International Chopin Competition
74	Frederic Chopin: Variations Brillantes in B-flat major, Op. 12Kawamura Hisako		A masterful performance by pianist Hisako Kawamura, second-place winner of the Munich Competition
75	Maurice Ravel: Piano Concerto in G majorHagiwara Mami		A superb performance of Ravel's Piano Concerto by Mami Hagiwara
76	Maurice Ravel: Pavane for a Dead PrincessFujita Mao		A pianist who boasts one of the top-level abilities in Japan...
77	Sergei Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18Tsujii Nobuyuki		A superb performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto by Nobuyuki Tsujii
78	Franz Liszt: Grandes études de Paganini No. 3 in G-sharp minor “La Campanella”Kaneko Miyuji		Miyuji Kaneko’s innovative piano performance
79	Edvard Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16Takagi Ryōma		Pianist Ryoma Takagi’s Grieg Piano Concerto
80	Scriabin: Piano Sonata No. 4Andrei Gavrilov		Russian pianist wins the Tchaikovsky Competition
81	Schubert: Impromptu No. 3Annerose Schmidt		Annerose Schmidt musician
82	Beethoven: Seven Variations on “God Save the King”Cécile Ousset		Pianist from France, engaged in nurturing young talent
83	Liszt: Transcendental ÉtudesFrançois-René Duchâble		A pianist born in France. Recognized for talent at a young age.
84	Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3Ilana Vered		A pianist from Israel. Founded a music festival.
85	Schubert: Hungarian MelodyImogen Cooper		Imogen Cooper’s musical activities and achievements
86	Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 12Ingrid Haebler		A Polish-born pianist world-renowned for performances of Mozart
87	Josef Hoffmann: KaleidoscopeJosef Casimir Hofmann		Hoffmann: From child prodigy to educator
88	Chopin: Étude No. 5 “Black Keys”Leonid Kreutzer		Seiji Ozawa became a conductor, inspired by Kreutzer’s conducting
89	Schubert: Fantasy in F minorMaria Joao Pires		A popular female pianist from Portugal
90	Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 4Pascal Devoyon		Pascal Devoyon, a renowned French pianist
91	Buen Camino: A Fantasy of Lala Wan and MaionCecile Licad		Cecil Licado is a pianist from the Philippines.
92	Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 59Emanuel Ax		Emanuel Ax is an American pianist.
93	Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23Christoph Eschenbach		Eschenbach, pianist and conductor
94	Haydn: Piano Sonata Hob. (Hoboken number) XVI:49, First MovementElena Ulyanova		Ukrainian pianist performs a Haydn piece
95	Bach: Italian Concerto, Second MovementMariangela Vacatello		An Italian pianist plays Bach
96	Chopin: from the ÉtudesPaola Bruni		Italian pianist, Chopin performance
97	Chopin: Etude No. 3 “Tristesse” (Farewell Song)Urska Babic		Slovenian pianist performing Chopin
98	List: Impromptu WaltzVanessa Benelli Mosell		Vanessa brilliantly performs the Impromptu Waltz
99	Cerrone: Hoyt–SharmahornVicky Chow		A Canadian pianist gives a performance using electronic devices
100	Piazzolla: Milonga of the AngelVincenzo Delli Noci		Pianist Dery Noci performs Piazzolla’s Milonga del Ángel.
101	Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1Shimizu Kazune		Kazune Shimizu’s life’s work is performing Chopin.
102	Chopin: Impromptu No. 4 in C-sharp minor, Op. 66 “Fantaisie-Impromptu” (Posthumous), and othersKAMIYA Ikuyo		Ikuyo Kamiyama is a pianist known for her performances of Beethoven.
103	Chopin: Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23Wakabayashi Akira		Akira Wakabayashi is a Japanese pianist.
104	Bach–Busoni: Toccata and Fugue in D minorAurelia Shimkus		A Latvian pianist performs a Bach piece
105	Bach: Harpsichord Concerto No. 1, 1st movementEvgenia Papadimas		A Greek pianist performs Bach’s works
106	Brahms: Intermezzo, Op. 117 No. 1Gerhard Oppitz		German pianist wins international competition
107	Grieg: “Morning” from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1Lydia Maria Bader		A German pianist performs Grieg's 'Morning'
108	Bach: Fugue in G minor, BWV 578Tatiana Nikolayeva		Soviet pianist wins Bach Competition
109	Schubert: Fantasy in C major, D 934, for Violin and PianoValery Afanassiev		Russian pianist offers a unique interpretation of the German Romantic repertoire
110	Debussy: Préludes, Book I – No. 8 “The Girl with the Flaxen Hair”Eloïse Bella Kohn		A beautiful piece performed by a French pianist
111	Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 8 “Pathétique”Petra Somlai		A pianist performing Beethoven’s Pathétique
112	Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minorTiffany Poon		A Hong Kong-born pianist performs the Hungarian Rhapsody
113	List: Liebesträume No. 3Arisu=Sara·O tto		A female pianist and creative designer from Munich, Germany
114	Takashi Niigaki: Sonata for PianoAragaki Takashi		Takashi Niigaki is a composer and pianist.
115	Chopin: Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 60Tō Taizan		Dan Tyson wins the International Chopin Piano Competition