Piano Technique
The history of piano technique begins in the 17th century…
When the harpsichord, clavichord, and pipe organ were the instruments used by J.S. Bach, George Frederick Handel, and Domenico Scarlatti. It all begins in Padua, of the Republic of Venice, where a harpsichord builder, Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731), invented the first effective hammer action mechanism for the harpsichord around 1695 (historical dates vary) and was subsequently called the fortepiano, meaning it could play both loud and soft by touch control of the keyboard. During that stage of instrumental development, clavierists performed with a light hand, delicacy of touch, and minimized arm movements to maintain the evenness of the rhythm.
Baroque Keyboard Techniques
I have my own history with Baroque keyboard techniques, having received the Ceravolo Prize for Excellence in the Performance of J.S. Bach, so know that mastering these techniques is relevant to this day for anyone who would make a career of the Baroque keyboard literature, as did the renowned harpsichordist, Wanda Landowska (1879-1959), and later, Ralph Kirkpatrick (1911-1984), and my esteemed colleague and friend, Kenneth Cooper (1941-2021).
It was Bach’s son, Carl Philipp Emanuel, who wrote the guiding technical principles for the harpsichord and fortepiano in his two-volume Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments in 1753. This publication had a significant influence on the subsequent generations of keyboard players. And for any pianist curious about the Baroque and Classical styles of music expression and technique, it is the finest resource available.
By the 1770s, the fortepiano, which had evolved from Cristofori’s original design, had overtaken the harpsichord as the preferred instrument for composers and keyboard virtuosos. The early pianofortes were virtually identical to harpsichords in construction, except for the newly contrived hammer action. The fortepiano was not an instant success and took decades to be refined.
The first generation of musicians to shift from harpsichord to fortepiano included Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), and Muzio Clementi (1752-1832). Their works remain popular in concert performances, and my students often enjoy playing them for their charm, inventive brilliance, and wit.
Mozart insisted his music should “flow like oil”. But legato playing was not the standard of technical execution at that time. As the composer Daniel Gottlob Türk wrote in his essay, Klavierschule (1789), “When playing notes in the ordinary manner, that, neither staccato nor legato, the finger should be lifted shortly before the written value of the notes requires it.” This is a level of detail not considered by most contemporary students, but it indicates a perspective to be considered when engaging the keyboard music of the period.
Father of Modern Piano Technique
Clementi is often regarded as the ‘father’ of modern piano technique, and his challenging method book of technical exercises, Gradus ad Parnassum, opus 44 (1817), is still widely used by pianists and music conservatories around the world. It was Clementi, more than Mozart or Haydn, whose compositions and technique progressed beyond the classical Style Galant and influenced the emerging Romantic era trends, both technically and harmonically.
Many of my students have successfully mastered Clementi’s Sonatinas, which are rather light-hearted and charming works at the early intermediate level, and they are an excellent gateway into his more challenging sonatas as well as those of Mozart and Haydn.
Clementi’s sonatas were admired and carefully studied by his younger colleague, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), whose sonatas and concertos required far more muscular engagement with the keyboard than anything imagined by the Baroque masters. His universally famous “für Elise”, as well as the first movement of the ‘Moonlight’ Sonata in C-sharp minor, have been successfully mastered by many of my students, many of whom went on to conquer several of his formidable sonatas as well.
The Beethoven Epoch
Beethoven was an epoch unto himself, and he greatly expanded the expressive power of music and a more muscular approach to the keyboard. Hands were now raised high when descending on dramatic chords, and the upper arms were employed. Upon hearing his younger colleague perform, Mozart said, “Keep an eye on this young man. He will make a great splash in the world.”
Beethoven’s fiery passion had a major, even shocking, impact on his contemporaries and paved the way for the following era of Romantic composers, such as Liszt, Chopin, and Brahms.
Carl Czerny (1791-1857), a dedicated student of Beethoven, is mainly remembered today for his highly effective technical exercises. Used more frequently than Clementi by piano students of all levels, Czerny’s exercises are great for improving articulation and strengthening finger independence in both hands.
During my student years, practicing Czerny's The School of Velocity, Opus 299, significantly improved my technique. I can easily instruct students on how to incorporate his exercises into their practice—though I only do so if they ask, as exercises are not for every student. A highly developed technique can be built directly through repertoire when approached with specific rehearsal methods. This is case-specific to each student, and another reason a pre-set computer app cannot assess a student’s actual needs.
Czerny had a significant influence on the evolution of piano performance, and among his students were Franz Liszt, the king of virtuosi, but also Döhler, Kullak, Jaëll, Belleville, and Leschetitzky who became one of the greatest piano teachers of all time, and whose students dominated the concert halls of the early 20th century.
My Teacher’s Lineage
My teachers trace their lineage directly back to Leschetitsky, and his technical indications are relevant today. For instance, it is currently considered revolutionary to study piano music when away from the keyboard. However, back in the 1880s, Leschetitsky advised students to mentally review their music from various perspectives while walking in a park or in other settings. And it was my teacher’s teacher, Rosina Lhevinne, who advised her students to study the piano repertoire away from the keyboard whenever possible, to gain a firmer grasp of the form and expressive possibilities.
The career and music of Franz Liszt (1811-1876), a student of Czerny, marked a pivotal moment in piano history by elevating keyboard virtuosity to new heights. His contemporary, Frédéric François Chopin (1810-1849), was perhaps even more revolutionary in harmony and broadened the emotional range and exploration of the piano’s capabilities. Chopin's etudes are widely regarded as the perfect blend of Art and Technique on the piano. Nearly all of my students have eagerly mastered several of their many masterpieces.
As a student, when I read that Liszt declared, “Every pianist must discover his own technique,” I thought he was casually dismissing the subject. But I subsequently understood he was serious, and profoundly correct: no two hands have identical shapes and strengths, nor do pianists, no matter how intelligent, process information identically. Every pianist’s technique, including yours, must be custom-designed to accommodate both your hands and the music you prefer to play. With my decades of experience resolving challenges of differing hand-types in relation to repertoire, I’m here to help you develop a technique that’s perfectly suited to your growth.
Robert Schumann (1810-1856) and Johannes Brahms (1933-1897), in addition to their monumental symphonic and piano compositions, composed many charming short pieces that have delighted piano students for generations. Among them are Schumann’s Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood) as well as several beautiful Rhapsodies and Intermezzi by Brahms.
The Russian School
The Russian school of piano composition is extensive, beginning with Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) and extending through Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, and Prokofiev, among others. The most celebrated Russian piano virtuosi were Anton Rubinstein (1829-1894), who founded the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and whose stupendous technique and volcanic passion set the standard for all Russian pianists who followed. That tradition favored vigorous athleticism at the keyboard, producing substantial tonal projections and virtuosic technique.
The foremost Russian-influenced pianists following Anton Rubinstein were Serge Rachmaninoff, Joseph Hoffmann, Vladimir Horowitz, and Vladimir Ashkenazy. Truthfully, there are another two dozen super-virtuosi who could be added to that short list. However, Ashkenazy has disputed the notion of a so-called ‘Russian School’ of piano playing, insisting that the requirements at Russian music schools are no different from those of any other conservatories around the world.
The French & German Schools
By contrast, the French school of piano playing has traditionally been characterized by evenness of touch, speed, elegance, and precision. However, these qualities are also found in great pianists from any country, and exceptional performers like Alfred Cortot, Robert Casadesus, and, currently, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, exhibit physical power and emotional intensity comparable to those of any Russian pianist.
The German school of piano playing has been regarded as loyal to the printed note, rigorously academic, avoiding showmanship, and ‘intellectual’. That may have been broadly true of successive generations of pianists, such as Hans von Bulow, Arthur Schnabel, and Alfred Brendel. Yet the German pianist Walter Gieseking was famous for his silken finesse with the music of Debussy, and Wilhelm Kempff was widely praised for his affinity for the Polish composer Frederic Chopin.
Consequently, I do not assign significant weight to the idea of nationalist schools of piano playing, which was a prominent feature of late 19th and early 20th-century criticism. Currently, there is only one International school of piano playing; all elements of technique and music interpretation are available to any student who is ardent in pursuing their advancement.
Integrating these perspectives is the basis of a cultured, informed understanding of not only the piano literature but also the countless artistic possibilities available to you for musical expression.
“I owe my success in one percent to my talent, in ten percent to luck, and ninety percent to hard work”
Great Piano Teachers in History
Early 19th Century
Muzio Clementi (1752-1832) students: Johann Hummel, John Field, Johann Baptist Cramer, Ignaz Moscheles, and Friedrich Kalkbrenner.
Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778–1837) students: Ferdinand Hiller, Adolph Henselt, Sigismond Thalberg.
Friedrich Kalkbrenner (1785-1849) students: Marie Pleyel, Stamaty, Louis Moreau Gottschalk.
Ignaz Moscheles (1794-1870) students: Edvard Grieg, Arthur Sullivan, Felix Mendelssohn, Sigismond Thalberg, Rafael Joseffy.
Carl Czerny (1791 -1857) students: Franz Liszt, Theodor Leschetizky, Sigismond Thalberg, Stephen Heller.
Mid-to-Late 19th Century
Franz Liszt (1811–1886) students: Tausig, von Bülow, Siloti, d’Albert. Arthur Friedheim, Emile von Sauer,
Theodor Kullak (1818-1882) students: Moritz Moszkowski, Xaver Scharwenka, Nikolai Rubinstein, Julius Reubke.
Nikolai Zverev (1833-1893) students: Siloti, Serge Rachmaninoff, Alexandr Scriabin.
Carl Reinecke (1824-1910) students: Ferruccio Busoni, Edvard Grieg, Max Bruch, Leos Janacek, Christian Sinding, Felix Weingartner, Isaac Albéniz, Frederick Delius.
Late 19th to Early 20th Century
Theodor Leschetizky (1830–1915) students: Ignace Jan Paderewski, Artur Schabel, Ignaz Friedman, Ossip Gabrilowitsch, Benno Moiseiwitsch, Mark Hamburg.
Karl Klindworth (1830-1916) students: Hans von Bülow, William Mason, Edouard Risler.
Vasily Safonoff (1852-1918) students: Alexander Scriabin, Lhevinne, Medtner.
Feruccio Busoni (1866-1924) students: Egon Petri, Percy Grainger, Kurt Weill.
Anna Yesipova (Essipoff) (1851-1914) students: Prokofiev, Tarnowsky, Yudina, Vengerova, Ornstein.
Mid-to-Late 20th Century
Marguerite Long (1874-1966) students: Samson François, Philippe Entremont, Jacques Février, Jeanne-Marie Darré.
Tobias Matthay (1858-1945) students: Clifford Curzon, Myra Hess, Florence Stephenson.
Alfred Cortot (1877-1962) students: Dinu Lipatti, Vlado Perlemuter, Yvonne Lefebure, Gina Bachauer, Samson François.
Alexander Siloti (1863-1945) students: Eugene Istomin, Marc Blitzstein.
Heinrich Neuhaus (1888-1964) students: Sviatoslav Richter, Emil Gilels, Radu Lupu, Yakov Zak, and Eliso Virsaladze
Sviatoslav Richter (1915-1997) students: Emile Gilels, Radu Lupu.
Olga Samaroff (1880-1948) students: William Kapel, Richard Farrell, Rosalyn Tureck, Bruce Hungerford, Alexis Weissenberg.
Arthur Schnabel (1882-1951) students: Clifford Curzon, Leon Fleisher, Claude Frank, Lili Kraus, Rudolf Firkusny.
Isabelle Vengerova (1877-1956) students: Gary Graffman, Abbey Simon, Menahem Pressler, Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein.
Rosina Lhevinne (1880-1976) students: Van Cliburn, John Browning, Misha Dichter, John Williams, James Levine.
Eduard Steuermann (1892-1964) students: Alfred Brendel, Jerome Lowenthal, Moura Lympany.
Early 21st Century
Gary Graffman (1928-2025) students: Lang Lang, Yuja Wang, Ignat Solzhenitsyn.
Leon Fleisher (1928-2020) students: André Watts, Helene Grimaud, Bronfman, Jonathan Biss.
Current Piano Teachers of Note
Segei Babayan, Emanuel Ax, Richard Goode, Robert McDonald.
“Don’t practice harder - practice smarter.”
Bibliography of Significant Treatises of Piano Technique
17th - 18th Centuries
Girolamo Diruta (1546-1610) Il Transilvano (1600).
François Couperin (1688-1733) L’Art de toucher le clavecin (1716).
Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) Méthode sur la Mécanique des doigts sur le Clavecin (1724).
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788) Versuch über die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen, [Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments] (1753 and 1762).
Daniel Gottlob Türk (1756–1813) Klavierschule (1789).
Louis Adam (1758-1848) Méthode ou principe général du doigt pour le Forte Piano [Method including General Principles of Fingering for the Pianoforte] (1798).
19th Century
Muzio Clementi (1752-1832) Introduction to the Art of Playing the Pianoforte (1803), Gradus ad Parnassum (1817- 1827).
Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837) A Complete Theoretical and Practical course of Instruction on the Art of playing the Piano Forte (1828). In three volumes.
Friedrich Kalkbrenner (1785-1849) Méthode pour apprendre le Piano à l’aide du Guide-Mains [Method for Teaching Piano with the Help of the Hand-Guide] Op. 108, (1830).
Carl Czerny (1791-1857) Piano Forte School Op. 500, (1839). The School of Velocity, Op.299 (1833), 40 Daily Exercises, Op. 337 (1834), The School of the Virtuoso, Op. 365 (1837), The Art of Finger Exeterity, Op. 740 (1843).
Adolph Kullak (1823-1862) Aesthetics of Piano Playing (1860).
Ludwig Deppe (1828-1890) via Music Study in Germany (1881) by Amy Fay (1844 - 1928).
William Mason (1829-1908) Touch and Technic (1889).
20th Century
Josef Lhevinne (1874 - 1944) Basic Principles of Piano Forte Playing (1924).
Alfred Cortot (1877 - 1962) Rational Principles of Piano Technique (1928).
Tobias Matthay (1858 - 1945) The Visible and Invisible Piano Technique (1932).
William S. Neuman (1912 - 2000) The Pianist’s Problems (1949).
Abby Whiteside (1881-1956) Indispensables of Piano Playing (1955).
Heinrich Neuhaus (1988 - 1964) The Art of Piano Playing (1958).
Ruth Slenczynska (1925 - 2026) Music at Your Fingertips (1961).
Ernst Bacon (1898-1990) Notes on the Piano (1963).
Guy Maier (1891-1956) The Piano Teacher’s Companion (1963).
Boris Berman (1948 - present) Notes from the Pianist’s Bench (2000).
“One does not play the piano with one’s fingers, one plays the piano with one’s mind.”
Wisdom of the Masters
Debussy, Rubenstein, and Horowitz
“One must forget that the piano has hammers.” — Debussy.
“Chopin is the greatest of them all, for with the piano alone he discovered everything.” — Debussy
“The pedal is the Soul of the piano.” — Anton Rubinstein.
“The piano is the easiest instrument to play in the beginning, and the hardest to master in the end.” — Vladimir Horowitz.
Leschetizky, Godowsky, and Slenczynska
“I advise you very often to stop and listen when you are practicing, and then you will find out a great deal for yourself.” — Theodor Leschetizky (1830 - 1915)
“I study for hours when I am walking alone in the night. I look far down the street and imagine a beautiful voice, and I learn that far-away pianissimo quality - that means attention.” — Theodor Leschetizky (1830 - 1915)
“Decide exactly what it is you want to do in the first place, then how you will do it; then play it. Stop and think if you played it in the way you meant to do; then only, if sure of this, go ahead. Without concentration, remember, you can do nothing. The brain must guide the fingers, not the fingers the brain.” — Theodor Leschetizky (1830 - 1915).
“If you play wrong notes, either you do not know where the note is or what the note is.” — Theodor Leschetizky (1830 - 1915).
“The best study could be done away from the piano, and listening to the inward singing of a phrase was of far more value than playing it a dozen times.” — Theodor Leschetizky. (1830 - 1915) .
“Weight, relaxation, and economy of motion are the foundation stones of technique or interpretation and mechanism in piano playing.” — Leopold Godowsky (1870 - 1938).
“Even when we practice scales, the sound can be beautiful. We must never forget the infinite variety of tonal shading we are able to produce, and the variations of touch, of which there are thousands.” — Ruth Slenczynska (1915 - present).
Lhevine and Rachmaninoff
“Certain things cannot be skipped in the early lessons without appearing to the enormous disadvantage of the student in later years. Possibly, here is the greatest waste in music teaching, poor or careless instruction in the earlier years.” — Josef Lhevinne (1874 - 1944).
“Most students hear, but they do not listen. The finest students are those who have learned how to listen.” — Josef Lhevinne (1874 - 1944).
“It is next to impossible to produce a good singing tone with a stiff wrist. The wrist must always be flexible. The more spring, the less bump; and it is bumps that make for bad tone on the piano.” — Josef Lhevinne (1874 - 1944).
“Scales afford an excellent means for the student of both legato and staccato. Scales are valueless unless the student practices them with his “ears” as well as his fingers.’ — Josef Lhevinne (1874 - 1944).
“Fine playing requires much deep thought away from the keyboard. The student should not feel that when the notes have been played, his task is done. It is, in fact, only begun. Every note must awaken in him a kind of musical consciousness of his real artistic mission.” — Serge Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943).
“If you hold onto the beauty and inspiration that is music, you will have an anchor, and you will not be too far swayed by the troubles of the world.
”
Bibliography of Autobiographies by Concert Pianists
Contemporary piano students can gain wonderful insights not only into the lives of famous pianists through their autobiographies, but also priceless information on how they studied to attain their mastery.
My extensive reading, including the books listed below, gave me as much, if not more, valuable practical information as my years at a music conservatory.
The autobiographies are listed by chronological date of publication.
19th Century
Carl Czerny (1791 - 1857). Recollections from My Life (1842). Czerny was both a student and assistant of Ludwig van Beethoven, and his memoir is essential reading for any scholar of the master. Furthermore, Czerny was the teacher of none other than Franz Liszt, arguably the most brilliant piano virtuoso in history.
Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-1869) Notes of a Pianist (1881), from the diaries and notebooks of Gottschalk. Pub. Princeton University Press. The first internationally recognized American concert pianist, as well as an innovative composer, Gottschalk’s diaries are full of pungent, witty observations from the perspective of a touring concert pianist in the early days of the American Republic.
Anton Rubinstein (1829-1894) Autobiography of Anton Rubinstein, 1829 - 1889. University Press of the Pacific. Considered the founder of the Russian school of piano playing, Anton Rubinstein stands as a towering figure in the annals of piano history. His performances were characterized by volcanic passion and sublime poeticism, leaving an indelible mark on subsequent pianists such as Rachmaninoff, Paderewski, and Cortot.
Amy Fay (1844-1928) Music Study in Germany (1880). Pub. Dover Publications. Fay’s book is a charming collection of letters from Germany, thoughtfully sent to her family in America. These letters provide the most vivid and heartfelt descriptions of Liszt and other important figures of the era, as well as a window into 19th-century German musical culture. While not an autobiography in the traditional sense, it beautifully shares her observations and journey through music study in Germany, making it a delightful and personal read.
20th Century
William Mason (1829 - 1908). Memories of a Musical Life (1901). Pub. The Century Co. Mason, a key player in shaping classical music in America, both as a performer and a teacher, shares his valuable insights into his studies with Liszt and other renowned musicians of his era in his memoirs.
Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921), Musical Memories (1919). Publisher, see: Project Gutenberg. Saint-Saens truly stands out as one of the most influential composers in French music history. As a remarkable child prodigy, he achieved international standing as a concert pianist, conductor, organist, and composer of enduring value. He had the opportunity to personally know and collaborate with many of the greatest musicians of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Ignace Jan Paderewski (1860 - 1941). The Paderewski Memoirs (1938) pub. Charles Scribner’s Sons. The most popular and celebrated concert pianist after Franz Liszt, Padrewski’s memoirs provide valuable insight not only into his own life and career, but also his shrewd observations about the era and legendary musicians he encountered in his youth.
Olga Samaroff Stokowski (1880 - 1948), An American Musician’s Story (1939), Pub. Stokowski Press. One of America’s first international concert pianists, Olga Samaroff was also an esteemed teacher of many pianists, including William Kapel.
Wladyslaw Szpilman (1911 - 2000), The Pianist (1946) Pub. Picador. Szpilman’s memoirs were turned into an Oscar-winning movie. His story is that of a Polish Jewish pianist who endured the harrowing ordeal of survival during the Nazi occupation in Poland.
Harold Bauer (1873 - 1951) Harold Bauer: His Book (1923) Pub. Nabu Press. Highly regarded as a pianist with thoughtfulness and depth, Bauer first started his musical journey as a concert violinist. Encouraged by Paderewski, he later transitioned to playing the piano, embracing this new path with enthusiasm.
Mark Hambourg (1879 - 1960). From Piano to Forte: A Thousand and One Notes (1931) Pub. Cassel & Company, Ltd., and “The Eighth Octave (1951), Pub. Williams & Norgate. One of Theodor Leschetizky’s most successful students, Hambourg, enjoyed an international career. Born in Russia, his family moved to England, and he eventually resided in the United States.
Artur Schnabel (1882 - 1951). My Life and Music. Originally published as “Reflections on Music (1934), Simon & Schuster, Inc. Renewed copyright 1962 by Carl Ulrich Schnabel. Copyright 1979 by Colin Smythe Limited. A student of the renowned Theodor Leschetizky, Schnabel was celebrated as one of the finest interpreters of Beethoven’s music. His deep knowledge and passion shone through in his acclaimed concert performances across the globe. Many of his students went on to build successful careers, continuing his inspiring legacy.
Ruth Slenczynska (1925 - 2026) Forbidden Childhood (1957) Doubleday & Company. Slenczynska, an internationally renowned child prodigy, opens up about the challenges of being a child star. After recovering from the intense pressure of her father’s overzealous ambitions, she went on to have a successful career as an adult performer and teacher.
Arthur Friedheim (1859 - 1932), Life and Liszt: Recollections of a Concert Pianist (1961) Pub. Taplinger Publishing Co. Friedheim was one of Liszt’s most successful pupils who went on to establish an international career as a concert pianist and conductor.
Gerald Moore (1899 - 1987), Am I Too Loud? (1962) Pub. Hamish Hamilton. An English classical pianist, Moore became renowned as a collaborative pianist, working with such luminaries as the baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and the cellist Pablo Casals.
Gary Graffman (1928 - 2025). I Really Should be Practicing (1981). Pub. Doubleday. Graffman, one of the most brilliant American concert pianists, experienced a setback in his remarkable career when he suffered a disability in his right hand. Despite this challenge, he embraced a new path as a dedicated teacher and continued to shine by performing left-hand-only piano pieces, inspiring many with his resilience and talent.
Arthur Rubinstein (1887 - 1982), My Younger Years (1973) Pub. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. “My Many Years”, 1980, Pub. Alfred A. Knopf New York. No pianist had a longer career on the concert stage than Arthur Rubinstein, who was an audience favorite for over 80 years. He is regarded by many as the greatest all-around concert pianist of his era and a rival to Horowitz. His two-volume memoirs are full of charm, insight, and wit.
Gaby Casadesus (1901- 1999) My Musical Notes (1980) Pub. Hamilton Books. In collaboration with her renowned husband, Robert Casadesus, she formed a duo-pianist career performing the four-music of the classical repertoire. Her autobiography provides valuable insights into her encounters with a wide variety of prominent musical figures of her era.
Daniel Barenboim (1942 - present) A Life in Music (1992) Pub. Scribner. Following his hugely successful career as a concert pianist, Barenboim became an equally successful conductor of the Paris Opera, and later the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. His recordings as a pianist span the vast piano repertoire.
21st Century
Sviatoslav Richter with Bruno Monsaingeon: Sviatoslav Richter: Notebooks and Conversations (2002), Pub. Princeton University Press. A pianist of legendary status, Richter’s conversations with Monsaingeon display his sharp observations and biting wit. Although not an autobiography per se, the conversation covers many aspects of his youthful development and his values as a performing artist.
Alfred Brendel (1931 - 2025). Me, of All People: Alfred Brendel in Conversation with Martin Meyer (2002) [published as “The Veil of Order” in the United Kingdom] Pub. Cornell University Press. A Czech-born Austrian classical pianist, lecturer, and author, Brendel achieved special acclaim for his performances of Beethoven, Schubert, and Liszt. His interpretations were noted for their synthesis of intellectual inquiry and passionate conviction.
Lang Lang (1982 - present). Journey of a Thousand Miles, My Story. (2008), Pub. Spiegel & Grau. Lang achieved celebrity status at a very early stage of his career. Despite being only thirty years old at the time of publication, Lang shares his life story as a child prodigy who overcame early challenges in China to achieve one of the most successful careers of the early 21st century.
Claudio Arrau (1903 - 1991) Conversation with Arrau (1982). From interviews with Joseph Horowitz. Pub. Knopf. The Chilean-American pianist whose career spanned the 20th century. His repertoire encompassed Baroque, Classical, and Romantic masterpieces, and he is widely regarded as one of the most respected interpreters of his generation.
Leon Fleisher (1928 - 2025). My Nine Lives (2010) pub. Doubleday. One of the most brilliant pianists of the 29th century, Fleisher created an outstanding career until he lost the use of his right hand to focal dystonia. He continued to perform repertoire written for the left hand and was highly sought after as a teacher.
Byron Janis (1928 - 2024). Chopin and Beyond: My Extraordinary Life in Music and the Paranormal (2010) pub. Trade Paper Press. Janis was an American classical pianist who earned considerable critical and popular acclaim. His early education was mentored by Lhevinne, Marcus, and Horowitz. His career was cut short by severe arthritis in both hands and wrists.
Earl Wild (1915 - 2010) A Walk on the Wild Side (2011) Pub. Ivory Classics Foundation. A classical pianist renowned for his musical gifts as a brilliant improviser, sight-reader, and composer of transcriptions that became popular with the younger generation of pianists. Wild’s memoirs are extensive, running to hundreds of pages filled with his wit, and are currently being edited to a shorter length.
Roger Woodward (1942 - present) Beyond Black and White (2014) ABC Books, pub. An Australian classical pianist who is a leading advocate for contemporary music. He is a composer, conductor, teacher, and human rights activist.
James Rhodes (1975 - present), Instrumental: A Memoir of Madness, Medication and Music (2017) Pub. Bloomsbury USA. The English-born pianist has written a frank account of surviving childhood abuse and contending with mental health issues. Rhodes has performed extensively in leading concert halls in Europe and North America.
Julian Hellaby (no dates) The Mid-Twentieth Century Concert Pianist: An English Experience. (2020) Pub. Routledge. Hellaby has performed throughout Europe, the UK, the Middle East, and South Africa. He is also a noted public lecturer and teacher.
Janina Fialkowska (1951- present). A Note in Time (2021), Pub. Novum Premium. A Canadian pianist of Polish descent, Fialkowska is widely respected as an interpreter of Chopin and was mentored by Arthur Rubinstein, who hailed her as “a born Chopin interpreter.”
Andras Schiff (1953 - present) A Memoir - Music Comes Out of Silence (2002) Pub. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Schiff has established a successful career as a concert performer, having graced the stages of numerous prestigious concert halls worldwide. He has also edited Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier for publication by G. Henle and has conducted numerous master classes.
Grant Johannesen (1921 - 2005) Journey of an American Pianist (2006) pub. University of Utah Press. Born in Salt Lake City, Johannesen received the best education from Robert Casadeusu, Egon Petri, and Nadia Boulanger. He was a highly respected interpreter of French piano music and recorded the complete piano works of Gabriel Fauré.
George Walker (1922 - 2018). Reminiscences of an American Composer and Pianist (2009) Pub. Scarecrow Press. Walker, pianist, organist, and composer, was the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
Anna Goldsworthy (1974 - present) Piano Lessons: A Memoir (2010) Pub. St. Martin’s Press. An Australian pianist, in addition to her solo career, is a founding member of the Seraphim Trio. She has held teaching positions at the University of Melbourne and the J.M. Coetzee Center for Creative Practice.
Jeremy Denk (1955 - present) Every Good Boy Does Fine (2022), Pub. Random House. A highly regarded American pianist. His album of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 21, Opus 11, and Ligeti’s Etudes was named one of the best recordings of 2012 by the New Yorker, NPR, and The Washington Post.
Stephen Hough (1961 - present) Enough (2023) Pub. Faber & Faber. A highly successful English pianist who has recorded more than 60 albums. His performances are noted for their intelligence, elegance, and brilliant technical command. Hough is a visiting professor of piano at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He is also on the faculty of the Juilliard School.
Congyu Wang (1992 - present) The Wandering Pianist (2023) Pub. Piano Island Publishing and Kindle. Born in Singapore, Wang has shown an affinity for French music and, in 2015, released his debut album, Charme, a collection of piano works by Francis Poulenc.