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The piano that both relax and rest us with the harmonious tones of black and white keys is an instrument that is difficult for most of us to play but enjoyable to listen to. But there are such names that the term "playing piano" is insufficient for them. Subject of today's blog post on musiconline is world-famous pianists who play the piano with great enthusiasm and pass the passion they experience to the other side.

Alfred Brendel

We begin our blog with Alfred Brendel from Austria, one of the most talented pianists of our time. Brendel, who is known for his poet and writer identity as well as his musician, is one of the few artists who recorded all the piano concertos of Mozart. The pianist, who started piano lessons with Sofija Deželić in Zagreb at the age of 6, says that he did not have a complete musical education and that he saw his self-education as an advantage. Brendel, which left its mark on the history of classical music with Beethoven, Schubert and Mozart records, ends its concerts in 2017 and continues his career as a writer.

“If i belong to a tradition it is a tradition that makes the masterpiece tell the performer what he should do and not the performer telling the piece what it should be like, or the composer what he ought to have composed.”

Martha Argerich

Born in Buenos Aires in 1941, Martha Argerich was a student of famous pianists and pedagogues of the era in Europe from the age of 12, including Lipatti, Magaloff, Michalengeli, Askenase and Gulda. In 1966, when he played in Lincoln Center's “Great Commentators Series,” all the major orchestras and concert organizers in America began to follow her. Argerich's idiosyncratic fiery interpretation and narration from deep inside the piano made her the queen of concert halls. The artist's recordings include composers from various musical eras such as Bartók, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Falla, Franck, Haydn, Liszt, Lutoslawski, Mozart, Prokofiev, and Rachmaninoff.

Murray Perahia

During his career spanning more than 40 years, Murray Perahia, who played with all the leading orchestras of the world in all major international music centers with a rare musical sensitivity, started playing the piano at the age of 4 and later studied conducting and composing at Mannes University. Sony has released a set of all albums and some DVDs recorded by Perahia, one of the most respected pianists of today, for 40 years. Honorary member of the Royal Music University and the Royal Music Academy; Murray Perahia, an honorary doctor of Oxford University, Royal Music University, Leeds University and Duke University, was also awarded an honorary doctorate of philosophy by the Weizmann Institute of Science. In 2004, he was honored with the Order of the British Empire for his music services.

Krystian Zimerman

Born in 1956 in Zabrze, Poland, Zimerman started piano at the age of 6, but his main musical career began when he won the 1975 Warsaw International Chopin Piano Competition. The talented pianist had a concert with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Herbert Blomstedt in 1976, and made his major debut with the New York Philharmonic in the United States in 1979. He completed his education at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of music in Katowice under the direction of Andrzej Jasiński and has been teaching piano at the Academy of music in Basel, Switzerland since 1996. Zimerman, better known for his interpretations of works from the Romantic Period, has also performed a wide range of classical works and promoted contemporary music.

Fazıl Say

Born in 1970 in Ankara, Turkish composer and pianist Fazıl Say started playing piano at age 4 with the support of his father Ahmet say, a musicologist, and studied at Ankara Hacettepe State Conservatory in “Special Status for Gifted Children”and graduated from the piano and composition departments of the conservatory in 1987. Afterwards, he continued his studies at the Higher School of music in Düsseldorf on a German scholarship, received his diploma as concerto soloist in 1991, and became a piano and chamber music teacher at the Berlin Academy of Design Arts and music in 1992. Fazıl Say, which continues his climb in the period from 1995 to present, continues its activities in five continents and European countries, including France, gives concerts accompanied by today's leading conductors and orchestras, and gives recitals in famous halls.

In this blog post, we were able to touch on some of the pianists who captivate us with their skillful fingers. You can subscribe to our weekly newsletter to follow the rest of this blog series and other posts.

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