{"id":9217,"date":"2022-10-28T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-28T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=9217"},"modified":"2024-04-23T14:46:57","modified_gmt":"2024-04-23T21:46:57","slug":"best-pianists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/best-pianists\/","title":{"rendered":"24 Famous Pianists (Classical & Jazz)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Choosing a “best pianist of all time” is tricky. Art is subjective, tastes change, and different people have different preferences. Besides, what kind of pianist are we talking about? Virtuosos tend to be associated with classical music, but other genres can be just as\u2014if not more\u2014technically demanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 24 famous pianists who, in my opinion, deserve a shot at the title “best pianist of all time.” They’re sorted into two groups: classical and jazz. I chose classical and jazz because these genres feature the piano as a centerpiece, either as a solo instrument or as a featured part of an ensemble (ie. concertos and piano trios). Classical and jazz are also both technically demanding genres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These musicians were chosen based on 1) technical ability; and 2) their contributions to music. Pianists are listed by chronological order of birth year, and this list is by no means exhaustive!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Famous Pianists: Classical<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Franz Liszt<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Sergei Rachmaninoff<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Josef Hofmann<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Arthur Rubinstein<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Vladimir Horowitz<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Claudio Arrau<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Sviatoslav Richter<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Glenn Gould<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Van Cliburn<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Martha Argerich<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  11. Daniel Barenboim<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  12. Lang Lang<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n

    Famous Pianists: Jazz<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Duke Ellington<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Fats Waller<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Art Tatum<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Mary Lou Williams<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Thelonious Monk<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    6. Dave Brubeck<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    7. Bud Powell<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    8. Oscar Peterson<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    9. Bill Evans<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    10. McCoy Tyner<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    11. Herbie Hancock<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    12. Chick Corea<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
      <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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