For those with a deep appreciation for the piano, there often comes a time—once a certain level of knowledge and technique has been acquired—when they gravitate toward listening to more challenging pieces.
Among the many genres, classical and jazz piano in particular feature numerous highly demanding works that have long stood as formidable obstacles for many performers.
This time, we’ve picked out some especially difficult piano pieces.
From jazz piano that emphasizes rapid runs, to classical works with extreme leaps in the scale, and even contemporary classical pieces that combine both traits, we’ve selected from a wide range of styles—so be sure to check them out.
- [For Advanced Players] A Curated Selection of Classical Masterpieces to Tackle at Piano Recitals
- [Highest Difficulty] A selection of challenging pieces crafted by Liszt, the magician of the piano
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- [2026] Jazz piano masterpieces: from standards to recent favorites
- [Ultra-Advanced] Even challenging for advanced players! A curated selection of highly difficult piano pieces
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- [Intermediate Level] Cool Piano Pieces You Can Play [Great for Recitals Too]
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- [Intermediate] Recommended Piano Duets | A Curated Selection of Cool and Dazzling Pieces
- [Advanced] A Comprehensive Introduction to the Difficult Piano Pieces of Chopin, the Poet of the Piano!
- Piano Masterpieces: Music you’ll want to listen to and play—beloved classic works
Challenging Piano Pieces | From Classical to Jazz Piano (1–10)
RailwaySharuru=Varantan Arukan
Charles-Valentin Alkan, a composer who epitomizes French Romanticism.
Among his many masterpieces, the piece known for being particularly difficult is Le chemin de fer (The Railroad).
This work demands both extraordinary finger stamina and agility, and from beginning to end it features dizzying leaps across the keyboard.
Hand-crossing is a given; in short, it’s a straightforwardly difficult piece to perform.
Although fewer pianists tackle it compared to his other works, I encourage you to compare performances by various pianists.
ToccatinaNikorai Kapūsuchin
Nikolai Kapustin is a great composer representing Ukraine.
His tricky, modernist musical style is captivating and has earned him very high praise from hardcore classical music enthusiasts around the world.
When it comes to his masterpieces, many people probably think of Toccattina.
This piece blends modern music with avant-garde jazz and is so demanding that even pianists trained in Vienna cannot take it lightly.
Transcendental Études No. 5 “Feux follets” (Will-o’-the-Wisps)Furantsu Risuto
Transcendental Etude No.
5, “Feux Follets.” It’s no exaggeration to call this piece a challenge from Franz Liszt across the ages, and it is a work in which finger agility is of paramount importance.
For those whose fingers naturally move quickly, “Mazeppa” might actually feel more difficult, but that doesn’t mean this piece requires no stamina or finger endurance at all.
It would be accurate to say that every element is demanded at a high level, with a particular focus on digital agility.
Among all works, this is a classical piece of especially high difficulty.
IslameyMirii Barakiefu
The group of nationalist Russian composers known as The Mighty Five.
You could think of them as something like a band today, and they were wildly popular in Russia at the time.
Mily Balakirev is known as the organizer of The Mighty Five, and nowadays he’s mostly judged in terms of his personality.
But he was a composer, too.
He left behind pieces of daunting difficulty that could be seen as a challenge to modern performers.
One of these is Islamey.
The leaps on the keyboard are tremendous, and even among advanced players, only those with real command can avoid wrong notes—an exceptionally difficult work.
Turkish MarchVorufuganggu Amadeusu Mōtsaruto
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s famous piece, “Turkish March.” It’s beloved across a wide range of ages, from adults to children.
I think everyone has heard it at least once.
Because it’s so familiar, we tend to forget that it’s actually a technically demanding work that tests the performer’s skill.
While it’s not particularly artistic in the sense of requiring special expressive depth, if the fingers aren’t supple and agile, the performance can feel awkward.
That very requirement is both what makes the piece difficult and part of its appeal.
Grand Cadenza of Piano Concerto No. 3Serugei Rafumaninofu
Sergei Rachmaninoff, a great composer who represents modern music.
The Moscow school style he developed under the influence of Tchaikovsky is overwhelming, and he left behind numerous masterpieces.
Among them, the “Grand Cadenza from Piano Concerto No.
3” is renowned for its extraordinary difficulty, said to be on another level even within Rachmaninoff’s oeuvre.
It would not be an exaggeration to call it the most difficult work among piano concertos: the leaps across the keyboard are ferocious, it demands great endurance, and its difficulty is such that even professionals tend to avoid performing it.
La CampanellaFurantsu Risuto
La Campanella, a masterpiece by Franz Liszt, is known as a representative piece for advanced players.
In Japan, Nobuyuki Tsujii’s performance is especially famous.
Although this work is renowned for its extreme difficulty, that doesn’t mean it’s unplayable for pianists.
However, it is also a piece that places great emphasis on artistry.
For that reason, even professional pianists may find achieving a fully polished performance challenging.
It’s a piece that reveals a performer’s overall musicianship.