At a concert in Gothenburg Concert Hall October 23, 2013, pianist and conductor Christian Zacharias stopped playing in the middle of Haydn’s D major Piano Concerto, interrupted by an audience member’s cell phone ringing for the second time the same concert. At the end of a phrase in the first movement, Zacharias abruptly stops, looks back and says, “Don’t answer. […]

Guest editor Stephen Hough curates this special edition of International Piano. Content highlights: The art of preluding: A look back at improvised introductions Alkan’s bicentenary: Celebrating neglected composer Charles-Valentin Alkan Larger than life: Anton Rubinstein’s piano prowess Of pianos and fortepianos: Unchartered sound worlds Lost generation: Careers cut short by tragedy Soviet style: Can notes can have a nationalistic identity? […]

Pianist Gary Graffman turned 85 this month. In a musical career that has spanned seven of those 8 1/2 decades, Mr. Graffman has experienced everything from entering the prestigious Curtis Institute at the age of seven, the accidental, self-inflicted destruction of his right hand’s dexterity to becoming one of the most prominent educators in the US. As he recently reminisced, […]

The calculation was rather simple — Mr. Paulson loves Steinway’s pianos, so why not buy the whole company? Back in July, equity firm Kohlberg & Company, reached an agreement with Steinway to buy the company for $35 a share ($485 million). But piano enthusiast and billionaire John Paulson, presumably after reading Piano Street’s post encouraging “others to make an offer”, […]

The American pianist Jonathan Biss is known to audiences throughout the world for his artistry, musical intelligence and deeply felt interpretations. He is a firm believer in the possibilities of technology and invites people to take part of his 32 Beethoven Sonatas course at Curtis Institute. In the course, which started a week ago (September 3), Biss gives video lectures, […]

Multi-talented pianist legend Alfred Brendel won’t rest since retiring. His latest book A Pianist’s A–Z is officially released today, September 5. Born in 1931 in Wiesenberg, he now lives in London. Although he has bidden farewell to the concert stage after six decades of performing, he continues to give master-classes and readings. He is also the author of several books, […]

Since its founding in 1853, Steinway & Sons has been dedicated to the ideal of making the finest pianos in the world. Pianists appreciate the tradition of the company, and Steinway craftsmanship has always been top-of-the line. Thirteen years after its founding, in 1866, Steinway branched out into America by building its first Steinway Hall on 14th Street. With a […]

Ever since monks began experimenting with complex harmony in the 11th century, people have responded differently to different intervals. Although no official documentation exists, the first interval other than the unison must have been the octave. In just temperament, an outgrowth of Pythagorean music theory, the frequency ratio between the two notes of an octave is exactly 2-to-1. As they […]

The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was created after the late Van Cliburn’s victory at the inaugural Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow in 1958 as a means of perpetuating his unique legacy of effecting cultural diplomacy through classical music. The first competition was held in 1962. The Cliburn is now an innovative force in the classical music field and is […]

Chopin’s piano music does have a prominent place in the classical music repertoire. Janina Fialkowska’s Chopin Recital II recording on ATMA Classique confirmed the fact when it recently won the prestigious BBC Music Magazine Award for Best Instrumental Recording of 2012. The BBC Music Magazine Awards are the only classical music awards in which the main categories are voted for […]

In part two of the three-part special on building a career as a professional pianist, Piano Street’s guest writer Alexander Buskermolen spoke with Dutch pianist Hannes Minnaar about his education, vision on personal musical development, and the challenges he faces as an international performer. Hannes Minnaar, who was born in 1984, is one of Holland’s most exciting and successful pianists. […]

During his current work recording piano music by the Italian composer Andrea Luchesi — a contemporary of W. A. Mozart — pianist Roberto Plano made a most unusual and rare discovery. Patrick Jovell: We know you as the First Prize Winner of the 2001 Cleveland International Piano Competition and as finalist at the Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition of […]