10 famous pianists today

There are many renowned pianists, however, most tend to associate the title with celebrities of ancient times such as Chopin or Mozart. Nowadays, there are also highly talented pianists who have managed to change the world of music and, despite their differences, their art unites them and highlights them.

It is true that all instruments are capable of creating beautiful melodies and professional musicians are all worthy of admiration. However, the piano is such a complete and complex instrument that, when the musical notes sound, we have no choice but to shut up, lose ourselves in each small change in the melody and applaud the instrumentalist in charge of bringing the composition to life.

Everyone knows the pianists Beethoven and Mozart. However, today, there are also talented musicians who take this art to all parts of the world. These are 10 of the most outstanding.

1.Ian Pace

Born in 1968, Ian Pace is currently one of the best pianists in the world, and his career justifies this recognition. He has served as a music teacher and has also managed to perform in more than 20 countries.

Being a student of the great pianist Gyorgy Sandor, Pace managed to learn different techniques from the teacher, which allowed him to perfect his technique. This, together with his musical studies at Chetham’s School of Music, Julliard and Queen’s College, Oxford, gave her the necessary foundation to exploit his talent.

2. Helene Grimaud

If you are a fan of pieces that are characterized by great expressiveness transmitted through the “tempo rubato”, then surely you have heard Hélène Grimaud play the piano.

This French artist is among the great pianists of today and her innovative style has earned her prestige and several major awards in music. A particularity of her music is that she usually makes use of synesthesia when memorizing the compositions. Surely this is what allows him to take risks and experiment when being on stage.

3. Brad Mehldau

This musician, born in 1970, is among the best jazz pianists , as he began as a member of a group dedicated to this style and, today, continues to collaborate with artists of the genre. However, this instrumentalist, a graduate of the New School in Manhattan, has decided not to limit himself and experiment with rock and even electronic music.

His talent has led him to be in charge of soundtracks for iconic films such as Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut” and Clint Eastwood’s “Space Cowboys”.

4.Louis Lortie

Louis Lortie is probably the best pianist in the world when it comes to playing pieces by composers like Beethoven and Chopin. Perhaps his rival, as far as classical music is concerned, is the Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii , who has also specialized in Chopin’s pieces. However, Lortie remains one of the most beloved pianists by classical fans.

This instrumentalist, at the age of 13, made his debut with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and, shortly after, managed to travel to different countries. From his beginnings until today, the artist has recorded more than 30 times for the famous British classical music label: Chandos Records.

Being French Canadian and having achieved international success, he was knighted with the National Order of Quebec and additionally received an honorary doctorate due to his contribution to Canadian cultural heritage.

5.Lang Lang

Although many say that his presentations are commercial, it cannot be denied that Lang Lang is a prodigious pianist.

Born in 1982, this Chinese artist started playing the piano at the age of 3 and has since only amazed the world, winning a first prize at the age of 5 and being accepted into the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music at 9.

He is considered one of the most skilled pianists in the world and being so young, only more surprises can be expected.

6. Marc-Andre Hamelin

Another French-Canadian worth mentioning on this list is Hamelin, an artist who started playing the piano at the age of 5 and who, in addition to performing great compositions, also creates his own musical pieces.

This pianist is famous for having recorded with various artists and for having won a contest at Carnegie Hall in 1985. However, he is also known for having played in various parts of the world and for giving visibility to lesser-known composers in the world. his presentations, since he usually chooses his pieces to interpret them.

7. Tigran Hamasyan

Unlike many current pianists, who focus on interpreting the works of great composers, Hamasyan is an artist who prefers to focus on his original jazz compositions, as these are full of folkloric touches representative of his Armenian origin.

Although he dreamed of being a metal guitarist, this musician devoted himself to the piano due to his great talent, which he began to explore at the tender age of 3.

8.Ethan Iverson

When you have Sophia Rosoff and Fred Hersch as mentors, it is almost impossible not to become a renowned pianist. Therefore, it is understandable that Iverson has that talent for the piano that led him to record different albums with his contemporary jazz group “The Bad Plus”.

Since 2018 he left the group to dedicate himself to other things and, currently, he is a collaborator of the New England Conservatory, without neglecting his continuous studies and his growth as an artist.

9. Yuja Wang

Wang knew what her talent was from a very young age, because at the age of 7 she managed to attend the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and, from there, only successes have come.

This is one of the most acclaimed pianists in the world, as she has collaborated with different international orchestras, has performed solo in many countries and usually amazes everywhere equally. Her style is characterized by having a lot of technique and because this is always accompanied by a very glamorous sense of fashion, which gives her a great stage presence.

10. Dimitris Sgouros

Having a festival named after you is a great honor, however, this is not the only achievement of this pianist.

Sgouros has been a musical phenomenon since he was a child and, in fact, he is considered a genius, as he has been one of the youngest musicians to debut at Carnegie Hall, at the age of 12, and also to have a concert , which succeeded at age 7.

This musician has studied in Greece, the USA and England and, in the latter place, he did a postgraduate degree in mathematics at the University of Oxford. These continuous studies, together with his natural talent , make him continue to be one of the best pianists in the world.

A good way to practice, if you want to be like the greats, is to use a digital piano (you can find some purchase options here) to try to imitate their performances. However, if you really want to go far, you will always need to face the grand piano and let your talent flow in each musical note.