Pianist

For other uses, seePianist (disambiguation).

Sergei Rachmaninoffat the piano

Motion captureof two pianists' fingers playing the same piece (slow motion, no sound).

'Humoresque' bySergei Rachmaninoff

Apianist(US:/piːˈænɪst/pee-AN-ist,also/ˈpiːənɪst/PEE-ə-nist) is amusicianwho plays thepiano.A pianist's repertoire may includemusicfrom a diverse variety of styles, such as traditionalclassical music,jazz,blues,andpopular music,includingrock and roll.Most pianists can, to an extent, easily play otherkeyboardinstruments such as thesynthesizer,harpsichord,celesta,and theorgan.

Pianists past and present

Contemporaryclassicalpianists focus on dedicating their careers to performing, recording, teaching, researching, and continually adding new compositions to their repertoire. In contrast to their 19th-century counterparts, they typically do not engage in the composition or transcription of music. While some classical pianists may specialize inaccompanimentandchamber music,a smaller number opt for full-time solo careers.

Classical

Gaspard de la nuitbyMaurice Ravelis considered a highly technically challengingpiano piece.

Mozartcould be considered the first concert pianist, as he performed widely on the piano. ComposersBeethovenandClementifrom theClassical erawere also famed for their playing, as were, from theRomantic era,Liszt,Brahms,Chopin,Mendelssohn,Rachmaninoff,andSchumann.The Romantic era also saw the emergence of pianists better known for their performances than for composing, such asClara SchumannandHans von Bülow.

Jazz

Tord Gustavsenplaying piano during a concert at the 2016Oslo Jazz Festivalin Norway

Jazzpianists almost always perform with other musicians. Their playing is more free than that of classical pianists, and they create an air of spontaneity in their performances. They generally do not write down their compositions;improvisationis a significant part of their work. Well known jazz pianists includeBill Evans,Art Tatum,Duke Ellington,Thelonious Monk,Oscar Peterson,Bud Powell,McCoy Tyner,Chick Corea,Herbie Hancock,andBrad Mehldau.

Pop and rock

Popular pianists might work as live performers (concert, theatre, etc.) orsession musicians.Arrangers most likely feel at home withsynthesizersand other electronic keyboard instruments. Notable popular pianists includeLiberace,who at the height of his fame was one of the highest paid entertainers in the world, as well asElton JohnandBilly Joel,so nicknamed "The Piano Man", others includeRichard Clayderman,who is known for hiscoversof popular tunes and the lateVictor Borge,who performed as a comedian.

Pianists by genre

A single listing of pianists in all genres would be impractical, given the multitude of musicians noted for their performances on the instrument. Below are links to lists of well-known or influential pianists divided by genres:

Classical pianists

• List of classical pianists (recorded)
• List of classical pianists
• List of classical piano duos (performers)

Jazz pianists

• List of jazz pianists

Pop and rock music pianists

• List of pop and rock pianists

Blues pianists

• List of blues musicians
• List of boogie woogie musicians

Gospel pianists

• List of gospel musicians

New-age pianists

• List of new-age music artists

Pianist-composers

Many importantcomposerswere alsovirtuosopianists. The following is an incomplete list of such musicians.

Classical period (1730–1820)

• Muzio Clementi
• Jan Ladislav Dussek
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Ludwig van Beethoven
• Johann Nepomuk Hummel
• Carl Maria von Weber

Romantic period (1800–1910)

• Felix Mendelssohn
• Frédéric Chopin
• Robert Schumann
• Franz Liszt
• Clara Schumann
• Charles-Valentin Alkan
• Anton Rubinstein
• Johannes Brahms
• Camille Saint-Saëns
• Edvard Grieg
• Isaac Albéniz
• Edward MacDowell
• Anton Arensky
• Alexander Scriabin
• Sergei Rachmaninoff
• Nikolai Medtner

Modern period

• Claude Debussy
• Ferruccio Busoni
• Maurice Ravel
• Béla Bartók
• Sergei Prokofiev
• George Gershwin
• Dmitri Shostakovich
• Alberto Ginastera
• Vladimir Horowitz

Contemporary period

• Cory Henry
• Jacob Collier
• Jon Batiste
• Tigran Hamasyan

Amateur pianism

An amateur pianist playing outdoors atPike Placemarket inSeattle.

Some people, having received a solid piano training in their youth, decide not to continue their musical careers but choose nonmusical ones. As a result, there are prominent communities ofamateur pianistsall over the world that play at quite a high level and give concerts not to earn money but just for the love of music.TheInternational Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs,held annually inParis,attracts about one thousand listeners each year and is broadcast on French radio.

Jon Nakamatsu,the Gold Medal winner of theVan Cliburn International Piano Competitionfor professional pianists inFort Worth, Texas(1997) was at the moment of his victory technically an amateur: he never attended amusic conservatoryor majored in music, and worked as a high schoolGermanteacher at the time; it was only after the competition that he started pursuing a career as a classical pianist.

The German pianistDavide Martellois known for traveling aroundconflict zonesto play his moving piano. Martello has previously been recognized by theEuropean Parliamentfor his "outstanding contribution toEuropeancooperation and the promotion of common values ".

See also

• List of films about pianists
• List of University and College Schools of Music
• List of Piano Brand Names