Who Are the 3 Greatest Living Pianists?

Who Are the 3 Greatest Living Pianists? LivingPianosVideos 120K subscribers Subscribe 1.7K Share Download Thanks Clip 107,592 views Dec 5, 2024 Set up a free consultation about how to elevate your piano playing: https://calendly.com/livingpianos/liv... Thanks for all the great pianists I missed! So sad to learn about Maurizio Pollini's passing. And yes, Vladimir Ashkenazy and John Ogdon won the Tchaikovsky Competition long before the Cliburn Competition was around! FULL ARTICLE https://livingpianos.com/who-are-the-... I restricted this list to only classical players since that is my specialty. There are countless pianists in other genres such as jazz, new age, blues, ragtime and more who are also world-class. There are SO many great pianists! I can’t believe I just discovered Kirill Gerstein who will be performing at Severance Hall soon an incredible program with Schumann Carnaval, the Liszt B-minor Sonata and Ravel La Valse. We are going! Ruth Slenczynska • Ruth Slenczynska - Complete American ... Alfred Brendel • Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 17 in D M... Martha Argerich • Ravel: Jeux d'eau, M. 30 Daniel Barenboim • Daniel Barenboim plays Beethoven Sona... Vladimir Ashkenazy • Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 8, Op. 1... Maurizio Pollini • Chopin: 24 Préludes, Op. 28: No. 15 i... Garrick Ohlsson • (Ohlsson)Chopin Etude Op.10,No.1 Grigory Sokolov • Grigory Sokolov – Mozart: Piano Sonat... Maria João Pires • Maria João Pires Mitsuko Uchida / mitsuko uchida - topic András Schiff • Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 12 in F Majo... Emanuel Ax https://www.youtube.com/results?searc... Murray Perahia • 4 Impromptus, D. 899, Op. 90: No. 3 i... Ivo Pogorelich • Beethoven - Für Elise Krystian Zimerman • Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Min... Jean-Yves Thibaudet • Marianelli: Dawn (From "Pride & Preju... Marc-André Hamelin / marc-andré hamelin - topic Jeff Biegel / @biegel88 Leif Ove Andsnes • Poetic Tone Pictures, Op.85: IV. Spri... Evgeny Kissin • Chopin - Polonaise, Op. 53 (Kissin) Lang Lang • Lang Lang performs "Rondo alla turca"... Yuja Wang • Yuja Wang. Tea for Two. BBC Proms 4/0... Khatia Buniatishvili • 3 Gymnopédies: No. 1, Lent et douloureux Nobuyuki Tsujii • Pianist in tears!!!. Most moving pian... Daniil Trifonov • Daniil Trifonov - Gershwin: Piano Con... Alexander Malofeev • Alexander Malofeev - 2019 China Inter... Yunchan Lim • Yunchan Lim - Cello (Chopin: 12 Étude... Transcript Follow along using the transcript. Show transcript LivingPianosVideos 120K subscribers Videos About 838 Comments rongmaw lin Add a comment... Pinned by LivingPianosVideos @LivingPianosVideos 1 month ago Set up a free consultation about how to elevate your piano playing! https://calendly.com/livingpianos/living-piano-mastermind-club Reply @matthewraden5210 2 months ago It’s not surprising to see different names in each response. Rubinstein was asked if he agreed that he was the best pianist in the world. He replied, “nonsense. There is no best in music. Only different.” 174 Reply 14 replies @kwamestamps35 2 months ago There is no greatest. Only favorites. 136 Reply 2 replies @268TERI 2 months ago I didn't realize what great piano playing was until I heard Martha Argerich. Just about anything she plays is unmatched for expression, clarity and yes, genius. 36 Reply 2 replies @StanislavBD 2 months ago I lived in Europe for two years and must say my tops are Sokolov, Volodos and Argerich hands down. 27 Reply @randypagel1711 2 months ago Yes, Yunchan Lim! 49 Reply @healing4837 1 month ago Amazing & Incredible Yunchan Lim 34 Reply @haiji1996 2 months ago I love Yunchan Lim!!! 33 Reply @vinylisland6386 2 months ago In a conversation with Nikolai Lugansky we both agreed that Arcadi Volodos is the finest pianist currently before the public. 32 Reply 5 replies @geoff7517 2 months ago Marc Andre Hamelin is definitely first rate. 47 Reply 2 replies @zenaidaelepano7801 2 months ago YunChan Lim, hands down! 20 Reply @vernonsmart 2 months ago Another young pianist worthy of mention is Yeol Eum Son. 35 Reply @Juscz 2 months ago I'd agree that Yunchan Lim is the finest pianist to have emerged in the past two decades. 44 Reply 3 replies @danielhoover2790 2 months ago There are critics and there are wonderful musicians who each add something special for us to marvel over. Happy that I'm alive to hear them. 7 Reply @marizacabral5141 2 months ago The Chopin Nocturnes and Preludes recorded by Maria João Pires are something out of this world... 35 Reply 2 replies @memorosales1952 2 months ago (edited) I love them all. Katsaris should have been included, but so should many others. Thanks for this video. 22 Reply 1 reply @islumperisluggo1830 2 months ago Leaving out Cyprien Katsaris is criminal.. :/ 25 Reply 1 reply @DavidMartinez-rk6fd 2 months ago Some peianist you forget that i apreciate a lot: Cyprien Katsaris, Vikingur Olafsson, Jean-Yves Thiboudet, David Fray, Sergei Babayan, Luc Beausejour, Volodos, Eschenbach, Igor Levit, Rafael Blechacz, Jean-Efelam Bavouzet, Achucarro, Benjamin Grosvenor... 25 Reply 6 replies @freeelectron52 2 months ago Yunchan Lim ❤ 33 Reply @pianogus 2 months ago (edited) Great video, thank you! Some that come to mind, Stephen Hough, Nelson Goerner, Vikingur Olaffson, Arcadi Volodos, Mikhail Pletnev, Hélène Grimaud, David Fray. 11 Reply @Chopin1397 2 months ago Choosing favorites out of so many is really a completely subjective undertaking. I’ve heard people ask who was the greatest composer out of the 3 most often mentioned, Bach, Mozart or Beethoven. Ridiculous question because each was a genius in their on time, each had a different and unique signature expressed in their music. So there no one greater than any other. They were all the greatest composer of all time! As for Khatia Buniatishvili, I’m sorry I’ve never really heard her music because I’m obsessed with looking at her nearly bare chest and wondering what her husband does when they are home alone!!❤❤ 7 Reply @gmwdim 2 months ago Martha Argerich, Krystian Zimerman, Vladimir Ashkenazy. 42 Reply 4 replies @raleedy 2 months ago “Greatest” puts you on the wrong foot before you even start. 27 Reply 4 replies @Pablo-gl9dj 2 months ago For young pianists i would vouch for Beatrice Rana. 28 Reply 2 replies @adriandegraaf2444 2 weeks ago To me, Alexander Malofeev is the greatest pianist with the potential to become the world's best; his technique is outstanding and the emotional and spiritual depth of his interpretation is not equalled. He and Kirill Gerstein have a great musical relationship. I met Kirill once and Alexander many times. It is an experience to hear them live. 2 Reply @porkyappleyard641 2 months ago There are MANY wonderful pianists and thank you for this video! Yet, super-virtuoso Marc-Andre Hamelin leads the pack, then Volodos (although limited recordings), and finally Kissin. Perahia and Sokolov are also remarkable. 10 Reply @Robert-yc9ql 2 months ago Nicely done. And thank you for supporting those who are up and coming. Because of people such as yourself, classical music continues to live on and enrich people's lives. 6 Reply @Mester1979 2 months ago Arcadi Volodos - Check him out. You will be amazed. 57 Reply 5 replies @brdwyguy 1 month ago Thank You Robert for the links to all these amazing pianists. I will systematically be going thru and listening to everyone of these pianists. 3 of my very favorite pianists are included: Martha A, Maria P, and of course Alexander M. 2 Reply @natalyahennings1085 2 months ago You didn't mention Mikhail Pletnev and Nikolai Lugansky, the great Soviet/Russian pianists. 25 Reply 1 reply @PVZBlover 2 months ago (edited) Do you know? Ruth Slenczynska will be turning 100 in January 15 2025 25 Reply LivingPianosVideos · 2 replies @catherinejones9396 3 weeks ago Thank you. I reckon, you are pretty well spot on. They all deserve our humble thanks and awe. And the delight they give to this sorry old world is, in an approximation of the words of Marin Alsop, representative of "" the best humanity has to offer." 1 Reply @andrewloftus4579 1 month ago I see what you did there! You got everyone ready for a fight by insinuating that there could possibly be a “top 3” list, then you proceeded to list so many wonderful pianists. So much talent, so little time. I’m glad you mentioned young Alexander Malofeev, who just turned 23. I’ve been following his development since he was 12. In my humble (and admittedly biased) opinion, here’s the best piano performance ever 😊 … Piano Concerto #2 Rachmaninov by Alexander Malofeev / Fayçal Karoui https://youtu.be/GvAD_lKkpBw?si=ZbsUlKQg5U95pfCx 4 Reply @PS-kd1if 1 month ago I absolutely respect and admire your taste in picking the greatest. “Emotional depth” was mentioned several times in your criteria for your final picks. That’s an absolute must-have for a “great” pianist. Technical feat alone would be enough for a showman or show woman pianist, but not for the greatest. I’m glad and grateful that you didn’t go that route. 2 Reply @robertbangkok 2 months ago Good list! And it's Malofeev all the way for me. It's a tragedy that no record company has picked him up. It makes no sense. YouTube shows his growth over time, wonderful after he got away from the Moscow school. Astonishing depth and insight. And unlike many others, he's humble and approachable. 9 Reply 2 replies @johnnyp6202 2 months ago Interesting to see votes for Lisitsa. Wouldn't be in my Top 50 in all honesty. Wanted to shout out a more unknown pianist in Chloe Jiyeong Mun, especially for Schubert, her live performance of the Impromptus is the best I have heard, and her 19th Sonata is spectacular.. Sticking with Schubert Paul Lewis is brilliant and deserves mention. I don't really have an opinion on greatest living I have many pianists that I feel play the best version of a specific piece. like Richter with the 21st Sonata. Khatia plays probably the best version of Clair de Lune (the only piece of music I know that everyone likes), Zimmerman with the Ballades, Horowitz with the Traumerei and 3rd Impromptu, and Rubinstein with many Chopin pieces. 9 Reply @callumkenmuir2825 2 months ago This is a redundant idea. There is no such thing as a greatest pianist. There are so many wonderful musicians these days who are a joy to hear. Over the years I have even heard relatively unknown pianists give top class performances. The world of music is not the right place for league tables. 15 Reply 3 replies @mendyman 2 months ago An excellent list! Aren't we lucky. I'm equally excited about Yunchan Lim. But Yundi hasn't yet met my hopes. Some people need time. 8 Reply @NN-rn1oz 2 months ago I agree about Trifonov and Lim, but the other youngster has to be Alexandra Dovgan! 19 Reply @rajkoboric 2 weeks ago Thanks for the insight. You are very knowledgeable. My favourite is Valentina Lisitsa (Валентина Лисица) 2 Reply @AlIRegis 2 months ago Im glad to let the group know. that both, Argerich and Barenboin were born in Argentina. Aberto Lysy, violinist, too. 5 Reply @robertallen2832 2 months ago Yuja Wang. Utterly brilliant. 24 Reply @kristinamusik7414 2 weeks ago Tomorrow I will listen to Kirill Gerstein. So existed. And my,place is so close that I really could see him playing. Im so exited. 1 Reply @ukyo2010 2 months ago The most stunning concert performance I have attended by far was Mitsuko Uchida directing the English Chamber Orchestra from the piano performing Mozart's piano concerto #22. I was left stunned, feeling a buzz for many days afterward. This happened nearly 40 years ago and I still remember it quite vividly. 4 Reply @davidanderson215 2 months ago Ranking composers, performers, or compositions is a fool's errand. 22 Reply 5 replies @gerry30 2 months ago Cyprien Katsaris is still around too. (Had to look him up to make sure he hadn't passed.) 13 Reply @nickk8416 2 months ago I've studied the greatest pianists of the last 125 years from old piano rolls to present day. To say someone is the greatest is sheer folly. The truth is there are so many that play at an unbelievably high level today. It's really a matter of personal taste. And ones personal taste can change over the years. It has for me. When I was younger it was blazing speed that did it for me. Not so today. Today artistry is everything for me. Robert was right to name many not just a top 3. I would have added Jorge Bolet, Grygory Sokolov, Mikhail Pletnev, Yeol Eum Son to name a few. My thought is to keep an open mind and listen for the subtle beauties in phrasing, dynamics, and expressiveness etc. In the end you must follow what touches your heart. Classical piano performance has never been in better shape than it is in today. Thanks Robert for your fabulous videos. Your practice videos really helped me. Best Regards. 17 Reply 4 replies @kellystone5014 2 months ago You didn't mention Cyprien Katzaris ? 15 Reply @johnpointon4462 2 months ago Great list! So much talent out there, we are very lucky! Another name not already mentioned: How about Zlata Chochieva ? Always worth a listen. 5 Reply @WilfriedBerk 1 month ago Yuja Wang, Daniil Trifonov and Martha Argerich 3 Reply @NorsePJ 2 months ago I had a listen to Viktoria Postnikova performing Tchaikovsky's piano concertos - just brilliant. Your list is pretty good. It's a hard list to make. For me, my 3 favourites still living would be Martha Argerich, Krystian Zimerman and Daniel Barenboim. 4 Reply @sungschoo 7 days ago (edited) I agree with you about the incredibly talented pianist. Yes, the youngest one Yunchan Lim. 1 Reply @nicolehourcade 2 months ago I am 76 years old and I had the opportunity to listen to the hestbpianists of 20th century of course Richter, Zimmermann, BarenboiArgyerich, Lugansky, Kocsidsis, , pires buchbinger and so on but at présent Time 3 Young pianists capture my attention Yunchan Lim, Bruce Xiao Liu, Hyuk Lee and also Japanese Ayato sumino sumino… 17 Reply 1 reply @8beef4u 2 months ago (edited) Cyprien Katsaris is a super virtuoso and a master among masters. His Chopin Valse Op. 64, No. 2 has some of the most interesting voicing I've ever heard. I'd also add Keith Jarret to the list. He has retired since his stroke but he's probably the greatest living jazz pianist and also a great classical pianist as well. 7 Reply 2 replies @AndyRubio1 2 months ago Yulianna Avdeeva, Anna Fedorova 9 Reply @stevenuttley 2 months ago Given that they can all play the notes it then becomes a matter of taste. Of course you can add in additional criteria such as longevity, repertoire, versatility etc and even assign numbers to them to create an illusion of objectivity but ultimately those things are subjective too. 5 Reply @jimkost2002 2 months ago The young Russian Genius, Alexandra Dovgan is already one of the greats at 16. Ask Grigory Sokolov! 14 Reply 2 replies @evantorch6122 2 months ago I’ve heard Horowitz, Rubinstein, Pollini, Rudolf Serkin, Argerich and Volodos LIVE AND IN PERSON! Hands down— Volodos! I’d like to put Emanual Ax up for consideration, and two more: Hough and Zimmerman? 18 Reply 2 replies @EmmySpirgi 1 month ago Danke, dass Sie Maria João Pires erwähnt haben. Ich habe sie dreizehnmal im Konzert erlebt, zuletzt am 27. November 2024 in Luzern 5 Reply @ddgyt50 2 months ago Alexandra Dovgan is one to watch. 5 Reply @maryrowell2055 2 months ago Vladimir Ashkenazy and John Ogdon were winners in the 1962 Tchaikovsky Competition, not the Cliburn. 19 Reply 1 reply @donaldallen1771 1 month ago You said Ashkenazy and Ogden were co-winners of the 1962 Van Cliburn Competition. No -- it was the Tchaikovsky Competition. 4 Reply @gatesurfer 2 months ago Richard Goode, for playing Beethoven like Beethoven. 6 Reply 1 reply @steveg2471 2 months ago (edited) I would also include Piotr Anderszewski and David Fray, both of them magical in Bach and Schubert in their own ways. And Joanna MacGregor, if only for her exquisite Art of the Fugue. And Stephen Hough (listen to his Beethoven Conc. #3...). And, and, and, . . . We are so lucky to live in a golden age of so many fabulous pianists, and we can listen to any one of them with the tap of a screen. Incredible. 6 Reply 1 reply @paulkramer7844 2 months ago What about Alexandra Dovgan? 8 Reply 1 reply @jameshunt-feagai726 2 months ago Many have already mentioned him but I’ll pipe in with Arcadi Volodos too! He’s the favourite pianist of many living legends already playing the concert stage….Volodos is from another universe. 3 Reply @zenaidaelepano7801 1 month ago Yunchan Lim, hands down. 2 Reply @789armstrong 2 months ago i depends on the piece being played. Nobody plays transcriptions better tan Volodos, yet Yunchan Lims Rach 3 is incomparable. and Argerich is always legendary. 15 Reply 1 reply @user-iy6rm6pm4j 2 months ago I heard Ashenazy, Ohlson, and the late Pollini when they were young men, and Trifonov when he was a teenager. To my ear, Mykola Suk is unsurpassed. 5 Reply @p1anosteve 2 months ago I always thought that Radu Lupu was one of the finest interpreters of Schubert and Brahms in particular he was so naturally musical. 17 Reply 4 replies @Music2Die4 2 months ago Pity that Seong-Jin Cho was snubbed in this video..... I personally think, as of right now, he's the best living pianist on the planet...... 17 Reply 2 replies @stacerogers4008 2 months ago Louis Lortie is another. I saw him play Chopin in Perth several years ago. He made it all look and sound effortless. 4 Reply @robertvandertoorn3306 2 months ago (edited) Very personal , for me : 1. Ivo Pogorelich 2. Krystian Zimerman 3. Boris Giltburg 20 to 40 years ago it was : 1. Aldo Ciccolini 2. Lazar Berman 3. Svatloslav Richter All on the basic of much live experiences , To my regret i did not see Horowitz live , he could be my favorite , but i choise only on what i hear live several times , as number 4 i can say Denis Matsuev 2 Reply @johnd1442 2 months ago Lang Lang? He was a major talent but has thrown some of it away in his quest to become a world famous star! Brendel? The late great American piano virtuoso Earl Wild called him "Brendull". Excellent in some repertoire, but very limited. No mention of Sir Stephen Hough who happened to be on the jury which awarded Yunchan Lim First Prize at the Cliburn Competition. A superb pianist in a wide and varied repertoire. Also agree with other comments about the unfortunate absence of Seong-Jin Cho who I recently heard give an absolutely stunning account of Prokofiev' s 2nd concerto. Also Pletnev - simply superb. Ashkenazy was once a "great" but arthritis means he no longer plays. There is no top three. Merely quite a large group of pianists who have shown excellence. 20 Reply 2 replies @DeanHorak 2 months ago (edited) Great list. I might only add Sergei Babayan, Seong-Jin Cho and Mikhail Pletnev 12 Reply LivingPianosVideos · 2 replies @8kenjacob 2 weeks ago I am a fan of admiring the techniques and artistry of many great pianists but generally have trouble saying who is best. Each brings am incredibly complex and subtle nuance to their music making from which the world benefits. Reply @vivacepianostudio 2 months ago Great list! Thank you! I’ll be coming back frequently to listen to your pianists’ links. What about the young British/ Indonesian pianist George Hariono? I appreciate his technique and musicality/expression. I believe he scored 2nd place in the most recent Tchaikovsky competition. He’s also handsome and charismatic which connects with an audience. Keeping an eye on him. 😊❤️🎶 3 Reply @ernieragogini3994 2 months ago Responsive commentaries reveal the true value of this LVP which is simply a catalogue of personal opinion. 3 Reply @dennisdavis3919 2 months ago (edited) Francesco Piemontesi: check out his b minor sonata! Arthur and Lucas Jussen: they're a phenomenon as a duo who speak with a single interpretive voice, but individually they are the natural heirs to Maria Joao Pires, with whom they studied. 3 Reply @excelsior999 2 months ago Dear Mr. Estrin - Thank you for dutifully including in your list the great Ivo Pogolrelić, the one-of-a-kind pianist whom certain bone-headed critics (both professional and Youtube commenters) love to bash. Sadly, they just don't "get" him. They don't seem to realize that it's Ivo's World, and we just live in it. 6 Reply @davidyeung1516 1 month ago Piano playing is not an item in the Olympic Games! 3 Reply @QueensWino 2 months ago Thanks ever so much for this list which contains names I haven’t heard of! I will make sure to return to this video in the future! 1 Reply @Sophistcated-q5t 2 months ago I would put down Sokolov as a must on your list. 😊 6 Reply @krairerksintavanuruk9360 2 weeks ago (edited) Please count on Fazil Says , Alice Sara Otte and Nicolai Lugansky. 2 Reply @stevem8149 2 months ago I appreciate this video for it has bought a lot of interesting discussion in the comments. My only criticism would be the video title.....it really should say " greatest living classical pianists" as you admit that you have limited it to classical, that being your specialty. You did mention that there are many talented musicians in other genres, I should add. I have my own favorite, of course, who is someone not even on your radar....probably not a "world's best", but certainly is to me. Regardless, enjoying the music is the point....there are competitions, of course, on various world stages but I am happy to simply sit back and listen. 2 Reply @saratoon.s8410 2 months ago Alexandre Kantorow, Yulianna Avdeeva and Seong-Jin Cho are on my list! 4 Reply @phillipluwes9077 2 months ago I just love this channel, thank you so much. 1 Reply @daviddouglass 2 months ago My favorite Haydn piano sonata cycle and favorite Mozart piano concerto cycle are both by Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. He should be on your list! 4 Reply @guillermovillacorta4590 2 months ago Thanks Robert, this is a great video...I did not know of some of them, specially the youngest you mention. What is your views on Leslie Howard (the complete Liszt), Angela Hewitt (and her Bach) and Maria Lettberg (and her Russian recordings, including Scriabin)? Thanks again!! GV 1 Reply @bobcochran2890 2 months ago Totally agree with Malofeev. I’ve never heard/watched any pianist of any age with his combination of insight, creative talent, and excitement. 3 Reply @maximskabkin9562 2 months ago I am not an expert in music. Further more, I cannot play any instrument and have no ideas of music symbols and etc. However, I like listening to music and I try to keep in my mind the names of performers who impressed me. So, I can definitely say that the best music extracted from the piano I ever heard, apart of Horowitz, was of Mikhail Pletnev. This guy even not mentioned him. What a rediculous list of names!!!. 3 Reply @peggyuser-oq6xz7fg9o 2 months ago What an interesting video! Thank you, I have subscribed. 1 Reply @almur88 2 months ago my top three would be: Valentina Lisitsa (from another planet obviously), Yunchan Lim, Barenboim. of the ones passed away, definitely Gilels, the Zeus of them all in XX century. 11 Reply @DietervonBraun1973 2 months ago there are so many skilled pianists that you can be as critical as you want and there are still dozens to chose from. I chose them based on if I feel sympathy for the person. If the artist as a person leaves me cold then how could I feel attracted to the expressions of that person through his or her playing ? 1 Reply @Joe1935429 2 months ago I knew that once you started you would not be able to stop. It comes down to who plays what piece or composer the way I like it this time around. All of us are fickle, some admit it. If we are alive, we are changing, which is healthy 1 Reply 1 reply @sandrobisotti4645 2 months ago Surely Sokolov, then Trifonov, then Kissin. No doubts for my tastes. 4 Reply @musimedmusi8736 2 months ago Helene Grimaud: extraordinary sensitivity 9 Reply 2 replies @emilgilels 1 month ago FYI, Vladimir Ashkenazy and John Ogdon won the 2nd Tchaikovsky Competition a mere 3 months before the Cliburn Competition "was around" - the Cliburn Competition having been held for the first time in Fall of 1962. 1 Reply @PhilippPJG 2 months ago I also really like Yulianna Avdeeva. 6 Reply @jacobberman1122 2 months ago Pletnev being left off must have been an oversight. A true giant and such an individual and compelling voice. No one has mentioned Yundi Li, and I agree with a few others that Cyprien Katsaris more than deserves his place on this list. 4 Reply 2 replies @Digibeatle09 2 months ago “Fun fact” about Krystian Zimmerman - he’s very choosy about the piano he performs on (naturally enough) - seemingly, he strikes the keys - in various ways - to assess the tone the piano produces - and - if the piano “clicks with him” - that’s it - he believes everything else about the particular piano (we’re talking of the top marques) can be worked on by a piano technician - in consultation with him - so as to provide an instrument that will allow him to best express his musical intentions ! 3 Reply 2 replies @johnb6723 2 months ago How long is a piece of string? 9 Reply 1 reply @knzw25 2 months ago (edited) Honorable Mention: Idil Biret, Valentina Lisitsa, Yulianna Avdeeva, Mikhail Pletnev, Angela Hewitt, Luke Faulkner, Vadim Chaimovich, Hakon Austbo, Pascal Roge, Helene Grimaud 1 Reply @krishnamoorthyiyer8805 2 months ago Thank You for this amazing and informative video! 1 Reply @kevinlynch1231 2 months ago Gosh, I think this list had 8 of my Top 10! Zimmerman deserves to be on this list so I am glad you included him, And Uchida and Argerich. But Radu Lupu should also be mentioned. 2 Reply 1 reply @novagerio 2 months ago Ashkenazy cowon the Tchaikovsky Competition with Ogdon, not the Van Cliburn. Huge typo. 3 Reply @lawrencetaylor4101 3 weeks ago (edited) I have been listening to Marta Czech, who has a very rich catalogue. That's why I always click on Robert when I see a video. The 3 greatest? Did he mention 53? Probably. No problem. I learned a lot. Reply @thisismoyukhsworld2022 2 months ago (edited) Seong Jin-Cho, Nikolai Lugansky, Arcadi Volodos, Valentina Lisitsa, Ivan Moravec, Crypien Katsaris, Francesco Libetta 9 Reply 1 reply @landonmcafee9425 2 months ago That's a great list of pianists. I would add Sergei Babayon to that list. I believe he is a mentor of Daniil Trifonov. Also, while Khatia Buniatishvili can play those fast pieces effortlessly, I really enjoyed 2 videos of a couple slower works that she has performed- a video of her performance of Liszt's transcription of Schubert's Standchen at the Verbier Music Festival many years ago and another of her performance of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Her performance of Standchen, was especially good. I think she played it a bit slower than most and it was quite mesmerizing. While YouTube may have many flaws, one of its strengths is that it brings accessibility of these great pianists' performances to anyone willing to search them out. 3 Reply 1 reply @sdavidfreud 2 months ago In My Opinion, the greatest living pianist is Keith Jarrett. The scope of his repetoire ranges from Bach and Mozart to Bebop Jazz. Listen to to records of his solo piano improvisations 1) Bremen Lausanne - a 3 record set recorded in 1973 on ECM Records. 2) The Koln Concert - a 2 record set recorded in 1975 on ECM Records. He also has many classical recordings of him play the major classical composers. Yes Argerich, Ashkenazy, Yuja Wang, and 19 year old Yunchan Lim are all brilliant in their own special ways. I really admire Yuja Wang's ability to play Art Tatum's version of Tea for Two and Yunchan Lin is uniquely brilliant...and to be so young. But for pure genius on the instrument regardless of style, Keith Jarrett is ina league of his own. He suffered from a stroke a few years ago and can only play with his right hand. For those of you unfamiliar with him, you should watch a You Tube video featuring educator Rick Beato interviewing him. You will be blown away. 2 Reply 1 reply @fibhufky 2 months ago (edited) Mitsuko Uchida! Her Mozart is the best. Even though she mentioned in one of her interviews that it was not appreciated in Vienna as their musical establishment prefers traditional interpretation. 2 Reply @circiter 1 month ago Left out: Hewitt, Cho, Aymard, Levit, Leonskaya, Volodos, Cooper, Pletnev, Piemontesi, Fliter, Hough, Bronfman, Liu, Rana, Chamayou, Buchbinder, Grimaud, Ólaffson many others... because "the best" is a childish game... 2 Reply @francescoolivieri5778 2 months ago Pollini isn’t alive anymore 😢 19 Reply 1 reply @johndavey72 1 month ago WOW !! They say every days a school day and boy ! What a lesson ! You rolled off pianists l've never heard of . I count myself as a keen listener of the piano and l did recognise quite a number but l think l'm at grade 1 level 😊 . I was surprised Stephen Hough didn't get a mention . You sir ,are a connoisseur . Thankyou . Reply @johnburgess6572 3 weeks ago Wonderful content !!!!!!! Loved it ! Thankful for so many artists !!!!!!! Khatia for me ! Reply @Snipely 1 month ago Khatia Butinshanelli? 3 Reply @michaelkennis6097 2 months ago Alexandre Kantorow and Yulianna Avdeeva 7 Reply @wamexart 2 months ago I couldn’t be more in agreement, pleasantly surprised with the inclusion of Hamelin, Ove Andsnes, Trifonov and Perahia. 7 Reply 1 reply @cedubc1 1 month ago You forgot to mention: Mikhail Pletnev, Arcadi Volodos, Nikolai Lugansky, Behzod Abduraimov, Alexandre Kantorow, Helene Grimaud, Lucas Debargue, Denis Matsuev, Federico Colli, Mariangela Vacatello, Beatrice Rana, Benjamin Grosvenor. Just to say a few. 1 Reply @rawvision6701 2 months ago Ashkenasy was a winner in the Tchaikovsky Piano competition the Cliburn competition wasn't around then. 4 Reply LivingPianosVideos · 1 reply @Kimmobiino 2 months ago (edited) Pletnev, Anastasia Makhamendrikova, Natalie Schwamova, Angela Hewitt, Zlata Chochieva, Marina Yahkhlakova ( and Dovgan of cource).. 4 Reply @RobertMurphy-nc5kx 2 months ago I can't believe no one has mentioned Boris Berezovsky! He's fantastic! 4 Reply 1 reply @michaelschefold3299 2 months ago "Ohne of the greatest pianists alive and of all times." (Teddy Abrams about Yuja Wang). "One of the greatest pianists alive" (Vikingur Olafsson about Yuja Wang) "There are good Bach- or Chopin-players, but few who play every composer on the same highest possible level like Yuja does." (Gary Graffman) My favorite pianists: Yuja Wang Vikingur Olafsson Bertrand Chamayou Nikolai Lugansky ........ 1 Reply @pianotalent 1 month ago Playing fast doesn't mean anything, everybody can play fast... this is not the indication... 2 Reply @PriscillaVandenHeuvel-t6q 2 months ago Yefim Bronfman must be on this list. 9 Reply @flabrada 2 months ago (edited) Unfortunately the great Maurizio Pollini passed away in march 2024. 😢 10 Reply 3 replies @SidewaysThinking 2 months ago Thanks, you did a good job with an impossible question. 1 Reply @antoniomaccagnan7200 2 months ago Alas, Pollini is no longer with us. 5 Reply LivingPianosVideos · 1 reply @republiccooper 2 months ago (edited) Criteria: 1. Considerable standard and accuracy. 2. Spanning various repertoire periods 3. Unique voice (distinctiveness, without distortingthe music) 4. Still performing Using those criteria, I'd say: - Marc Andre Hamelin - Mikhail Pletnev - Nikolai Lugansky But while these are probably the best, they aren't necessarily my favourites. My favourites would be: . Yeol Eum Son . Nikolai Lugansky I think they have a lot of variety in their repertoire and consistently get a very high standard. 3 Reply @barbaraglynn1531 2 months ago I cannot believe you did not even mention Helene Grimaud!! No one interprets Brahms as well as she does. Her technical skills and her sensitivity are without equal. And……she has made her mark as an excellent author, and a world renowned environmentalist as founder of the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, NY. 2 Reply 1 reply @donaldcoppersmith1018 1 month ago Interesting! You are correct; you don't have them all. A lot of the criteria not all was based on experience and a broad selection of pieces, composers, and late pianists. Only people who are 80+ years could possibly be in this category.😢 But you mentioned pianists around 40yrs and a couple who are young. About the young around or in their 20s is the energy and sweat pouring from their head while playing -Bravo! Reply @emericklamontagne3652 2 months ago 3 Greatest Living Pianists......Great presentation! But I assume that this one involves classical concert pianists? Would you be able to future Greatest Living Pianists who play different genres such as the best jazz, blues, gospel, pop, stride, contemporary, even pianists who can play any genre? Thanks! 1 Reply 1 reply @JosephJohnGeorge 1 day ago Khatia BUINIATISHVILI is also a great living pianist of Europe and she plays very excellently throughout Europe and other parts of the world . Reply @ianboard544 2 months ago I hate these 'who's best' competitions. All I can say is who I enjoy the most consistently, regardless of what 'experts' say. That would be Arcadi Volodos, Evgeny Bozhanov and Fazil Say. 2 Reply 1 reply @felixalex3966 3 weeks ago what happene to khatia's last name 2 Reply @bigwong6206 1 month ago Martha Argerich and Cyprien Katsaris always come to mind, particularly for Chopin, as does early Ivo Pogorelic. A performance of the F Major Ballade at the Chopin Competition about 45 years ago is deeply eccentric if not psychotic, but nevertheless astonishing. Other favorites are Mitsuko Uchida, John Browning, and Alfred Brendel. 1 Reply @joelipare7857 1 month ago Polling passed away early 2024 1 Reply @robertfriedman1731 2 months ago I heard, via a friend of John Browning, that when Browning was a finalist in the Queen Elizabeth of Belgium competition competing against Ashkenazy, he went to Ashkenazy's practice room to express his best wishes, only to find the room empty, save for a bloodied piano. At that moment Browning knew that Ashkenazy was certain to win. Reply @0.68_11 1 month ago (edited) Marnie Laird ( Brooklyn Duo ) Hayato Sumino ( jazz and classical ) Yuja Wang ( classical ) Valentina Lisitsa ( classical ) Francisco Parrino ( pop ) Arcadi Volodos ( classical ) Reply @chadhemingway3335 1 month ago Martha Augerich, Yuga Wang, and Jan Lisiecki are fantastic! 1 Reply @reubenlee6438 2 months ago I would also add Bruce Liu, the 2021 Chopin Competition winner. He's an amazing pianist who really stands out with his technique and passion. 5 Reply 1 reply @brandonmacey964 2 months ago Mitsuko Uchida?? Or did I miss the mention? Did she pass? 4 Reply 4 replies @martinhanson2513 1 month ago "Criteria" is plural. Should be "criterion is" 1 Reply @MarkFarago 2 months ago Mikhail Pletnev. 3 Reply @AshleyMultiAdventures 2 months ago My only quibble is that Arcadi Volodos doesn’t make the list. 2 Reply @jimhill4725 1 month ago Three: For me it has to be: Martha Argerich; Evgeny Kissin; and Alexander Malofeev. Though I would have preferred to include at least two more, to give credit where due. 1 Reply @catherinevandagriff1865 1 month ago I really enjoy this channel!! I'm familiar with many of these musicians, but there are others I will look for now. PS I would add Vikingur Olafsson to this list. Reply 3 replies @ultraanaloguerecordings 2 months ago Vadym Kholodenko, incredible poet of the piano, has it all! 1 Reply @floxy20 2 months ago I have followed classical music for a long time and can honestly admit: there isn't much of a difference among the lot of the top ones. I love what Seymour Bernstein said about piano competitions: you could take the five finalists and award each one first place. 3 Reply @robinhosein1 2 months ago One of the most accomplished that I really like to listen to, is: Khatia Buniatishvilli. 2 Reply @classicallpvault 1 month ago (edited) Markus Becker, Marc-André Hamelin, and Arsentiy Kharitonov. Bertrand Chamayou has the potential to be on that level as well but hasn't yet undertaken a recording project of the scope of Becker's complete Reger piano works, Hamelin's many recordings of Alkan, Henselt, and other neglected Romantics, or Kharitonov's recordings of Leo Ornstein's complete piano music. Reply @eddydelrio1303 2 months ago What would be REALLY INTERSTING, would be "Peer-Review." Survey all of these you've included/mentioned - and many other successful professional concert pianists (adding women like Olga Kern, Anna Federova, Alice Sarah Ott, Helene Grimaud, Olga Scheps, etc.) and other men, and/or winners of top international competitions and their juries, and ask THEM to select their top five "greatest living pianists" and see what the pooled "expert opinion" is. Can somebody make that happen? 1 Reply @NoName-zn1sb 1 month ago One criterion, two criteria 1 Reply @chojae60 2 months ago What about Seong-Jin Cho, 2015 Chopin Competition winner? You should check out, among others, the Handel Project released last year. 9 Reply @freeelectron52 2 months ago Pollini is no longer with us unfortunately. 2 Reply @vaccaphd 2 months ago Argerich, Richter, Rubinstein and also Horowitz are my favorite all times. It depends on the piece 1 Reply @marlenemeldrum7382 2 months ago Wonderful List and indeed they are all just grandios-incredible musicians ..at this present time I am enjoying immensely Benjamin Grosvenor....his Ravel Piano concerto in G (I believe) just wonderful, and his Prokofiev... 1 Reply 1 reply @joseortiz3582 1 month ago Agree with somebody here. There is no such thing as the greatest pianist, violinists or whatever. Only if the performance was good or bad! Nothing else!😋😋 1 Reply @jonathanwyble4227 2 months ago Anyone considering a spot for Trifonov? Glad to see Babayan being mentioned. 2 Reply @sourcehasspoken3238 2 months ago Seymour Bernstein stands out for many reasons. One of them for having put the entitled narcissistic little freak of Glenn Gould in his place after his outrageous rant on Mozart. Having called that contemptuous envious brat "a travesty" "incapable of producing one single articulated phrase" will go down in history. Unfortunately for GG and his apologists, such audacity yielded nothing but the oblivion of the immense majority. Mozart, on the other hand, will live for ever. 1 Reply @wtkoemans 2 weeks ago Where is Lugansky? 2 Reply LivingPianosVideos · 1 reply @evamalchiodi8956 2 months ago This man forgot to mention Maestro Pletnev. 1 Reply @kschuman1152 2 months ago (edited) Yulianna Avdeeva. She is a great artist, for me the most consistent and emotionally communicative pianist I've ever heard. Their is no bravura for bravura's sake in her performances, just one astonishingly poetic and expressive phrase after another. So many pieces that I'd never appreciated or grown tired of take on a completely new life when I hear her play them. Listen to her Chopin Fantaisie in F minor or Liszt B Minor Sonata, performances that could never be approached by any other pianist alive or dead. A distant second, for me, would be Grigory Sokolov... Note: Adveeva won the 2010 International Chopin competition, competing against a very talented field that included Daniil Trifonov (third place?). She and Martha Argerich are the only two women to win the Chopin competition. Reply @MiltonAdam-r4e 2 months ago Igor Levit, Ivo Pogorelich, Bruce Liu. (Reserves: Martha Argerich, Juja Wang, Mikhail Pletnev) 5 Reply @karinaazatyan4231 1 month ago Martha Argerich! Evgeny Kissin! Andras Schiff! 2 Reply @okseokseokseok 2 months ago It is such a matter of taste. I think it goes with their personnality. I personally love Khatia B. She plays the way I want to hear things. Eric Lu is also one of my favourites, and what about Daniel Ciobanu and, and, and... 😆 1 Reply @asaluk3149 1 month ago Acknowledging the inherent weaknesses of any "top 3" contest like this, nonetheless I would include Murray Perahia in the top 3. If only for his Mozart piano concertos. 1 Reply @sevelatula 2 months ago Martha Argerich has my vote 1 Reply @William-r3c 2 months ago Stephan Hough, Benjamin Grosvenor 2 Reply @kevinm6790 2 months ago I’d have to leave a 10 minute long voice reply to cover all the mispronunciations. 1 Reply @Eugene_The_Libertarian 2 months ago Where's Mikhail PLETNEV? 4 Reply 1 reply @angeloabella9971 2 months ago You have never heard of Cecile Licad? Kissin and Wang have speed, but sacrifice wholeness of tone and poetry. She brings out passages you didn't even know exist and her tone is whole and round because she plays with her fingers pressed all the way down the keybed. She studied with Rudolf Serkin and won the Levintritt Foundation Award - noted because the judges were anonymous and so were the contestants. Judging was over a period of time instead of the current meat-grinder apporach of most of today's competition. Contestants weren't even notified they were in the running, until they win the prize. 2 Reply 3 replies @luisurquiza804 2 months ago Hi, so as you say it is imposible to make a list. But I think you left Alice Sara Ott out and Yuja deserves a better place. Any way it is what it is. 1 Reply @ruthclyde6127 2 months ago Gavin George is fantastic. So is Mark Ehrenfried. But Alexander Malofeev is my absolute favorite; he's wonderful at everything he plays. 1 Reply @jasonhuddleston2720 2 months ago I love your channel❤ 1 Reply @kategarrett2097 1 month ago The Georgian pianist, Khatia Buniatishvili undoubtedly deserves a mention. She, alone, has advanced the essential magical bond that must exist between soloist and orchestra to thrill audiences. Reply LivingPianosVideos · 1 reply @hortonharry3492 4 weeks ago All of them are great. I must heed Vladamir Horowitz's warning ---------- he was totally against competitions. May as well be the same for figuring out who are the best. I do remember Beethoven stated Handel was the greatest composer among he (Beethoven) and his contemporaries. I really like Sokolov a lot. I have been listening to him a lot lately especially Beethoven's 3rd movement of the Tempest sonata. And what do you think of Valentina Lisitsa? She is definitely an interesting one. She has American, Ukrainian and Russian citizenship and possibly a photographic memory. Reply @prashantkumar137 13 days ago Murray Perahia, Marc-Andre Hamelin, Arcadi Volodos. Also Argerich. Reply @fiandrhi 2 months ago When I heard the subject, I immediately thought Zimerman, Hamelin, Wang because of their range of repertoire, their historic virtuosity, and the consistent quality of their performances. But it's a very difficult choice to pick just three since, in some ways, it's difficult to compare these great artists. 1 Reply 3 replies @gerry30 2 months ago No sugar for Stephen Hough? 9 Reply LivingPianosVideos · 2 replies @TheGreenTuna 2 months ago Sokolov. He's the greatest in my mind. 7 Reply @VinayMusicCorner 2 months ago (edited) Good ! But Why do you contradict the title of your video with the content of the video ? For views ? 1 Reply 1 reply @michieldpiano 1 month ago The greatest pianist today is Arcadi Volodos. 1 Reply @kellystone5014 2 months ago Cyprien Katsaris ? 5 Reply @evapiekarz8499 1 month ago Thank you❤ Reply @rikspector 2 months ago Why top three?? Then you mention a whole list and every voice is unique!????? Cheers, Rik Spector 1 Reply 1 reply @christopherczajasager9030 2 months ago The most original and complete virtuoso since Cherkassky, B.GROVESNOR😊 2 Reply @pablosanchezgutierrez7482 2 weeks ago I agree with you, mostly. Can't believe you didn't mention Vikingur Olafson. I'm gonna be honest, there were 4 pianist you mention that I didn't knew. Anyway, Olafson is, for me, the best. And he meets your criteria, is young and maybe is one of the best Bach interpreters. Reply @trevorpsy 2 months ago Must not forget Yulianna Avdeeva. I never heard anything by her that isn't wonderful. 7 Reply 2 replies @BillSullivan-ju8lv 1 month ago Cannot argue with the choices, but Eric Himy was recently named one of the “Top 100 American Pianists”. Rightfully so. Reply @gokalpatabek3903 10 days ago FAZIL SAY another renowned name should’ve been mentioned in the list Reply @fastguitars4380 2 months ago Who are the 3 Greatest Living Pianists ?.......... Yuja Wang 15 Reply 3 replies @tomyoarrete3060 1 month ago Marc André Hamelin 🎉❤ 2 Reply LivingPianosVideos · 1 reply @benedictcowell6547 4 weeks ago I do not go in for ordination, I live in the performance I m listening to, and they azz bring something special to their . performance. I heard a performance of the Schubert Impromptu no 3 opus 90 in G flat the other day which made me weep as much as Artur Schnabel, and we are iving in a golden age of music today, and it it is thrilling that so many of them come from all over te world, and the same is true of the orchestras. I am glad to have been spared to hear Yuja Wang play an encore Gluck's Dance of the Blessed Spirit arranged or piano, To have all that power but to play this work with such tenderness was proof of a great musician but there are so many and now women are bringing their genius into the Organ loft and giving new life to works that can be just routine. So many women, and I must apologise to them when I say I love to watch them, They all seem so immersed. This lady seems to talk to the composers. Beethoven and Bach and Mozart would love to hear from her as much as we do. I want to hear her play Ravel and Poulenc Reply @sadaomuraki3143 2 months ago Arcadi Volodos if you have nostalgia of the 19th century touch. Daniil Trifonov has an interesting blend of old and new views (thanks Babayan for transmit it) and for modern tastes not yet in the historic top but growing very quickly pay attention to Hayato Sumino!!!!!!!! 1 Reply @jamesmoule1145 1 month ago Young pianists leave the previous generation for dead. Yuja Wang is the best I've heard (beating all the best of the 20th Century). Reply @Htfsik 2 months ago Curious no one mentioned Conrad Tao. Not only a technical wonder with perceptive interpretations, but a composer who is trying to expand musical expression with new methods of instrumentation. Also loves collaboration. Reply @AnnaKhomichkoPianist 2 months ago It would be cool if the cover picture would include at least one female member:) 2 Reply 1 reply @junginbae3959 1 month ago 역시 임윤찬 피아니스트가 언급이되었네요. 한세기에 한번 나올까말까한 대가의 반열에 서리라 생각해요. 더깊고 더넓은 음악세계를 구축해서 길이남을 명피아니스트로 서길 바랍니다. 4 Reply @pR-ms4cr 2 months ago Cziffra Cziffra et Cziffra : best technique, musical innovation and able to trancript perfectly 4 Reply 2 replies @marcotobia2331 2 months ago Maurizio Pollini R.I.P. 2 Reply @antonkranjc6130 2 months ago Helen Grimaud? 3 Reply @issadad 1 month ago Maybe 3 Youngest . . . but Greatest Living? Perverse criterion. 1 Reply @jorgeazamora73 2 months ago Ashkenazy co-won the Tchaikovsky competition not the Cliburn 1 Reply @felixzapata9058 2 months ago So many to choose from, but I personally enjoy the music of Adam Swanson...American...and not only classical...4 time world champion ragtime pianist~ !☺ Reply @jesus-of-cheeses 2 months ago You missed some big ones: Stephen Hough (repertoire and breadth beat Hamelin’s. His recital albums are the most exciting of any artist repertoire-wise), Yuja Wang, Yefim Bronfman, Igor Levit…. I think this video should be the first of several just naming great pianists worth hearing, so no one gets missed. 5 Reply 2 replies @laurencefinston7036 1 month ago A concert pianist, famous at the time, but now largely forgotten, said of Horowitz, "He may be an Octavian, but he'll never be a Caesar." I can't recall his name. Not really pertinent, but I thought I'd shoehorn it in here. Three greatest living pianists? No such thing. I like my playing best, because it's exactly according to my taste, given my limitations as a musician, and I think everybody should play the way they like and like their playing best. That's what makes ballgames, as my mother used to say. Reply @teodorb.p.composer 1 month ago For Me, It's Marc Andre Hamelin on the fisrt place, his Medtner, Feinberg and Scriabin are absolutelly wonderfull and miraculous, also his repertoir is one of the largest. Then I would put there Geoffrey Tozer and Hamish Milne, the greatest Medtner pianists, who have played complete of Medtner's works, but they are have unfortunatelly died recently. Reply @Pianoman965 2 months ago How about Freddy Kempf, Marc Salman, Valentina Lysytsa, Denis Matsuyev, Nikolay Lugansky? Pianism is not like tennis with Djoko, Fed, Nadal. Or soccer with Messi and Cr7. It is not a perfect idea to pick even best 20, not saying about 3 1 Reply @emericklamontagne3652 2 months ago In Japan, it's Cateen. 4 Reply 1 reply @danielkristianson208 1 month ago (edited) Have you heard of Chun-Ning Cheng ? This young (13 ?) pianist will be on the worldwide radar very soon. Her technique and musicality are absolutely off the charts. Reply 1 reply @Hega-xs7hd 2 months ago I'm missing shishkin, pletnev and my personal goat Igor Levit 2 Reply @leestamm3187 2 months ago Bruno Leonardo Gelber. In his prime, he was as good or better than many mentioned here. 4 Reply 1 reply @myklkay 2 months ago I would add Cyprien Katsaris, François-René Duchable and Beatrice Rana. 1 Reply @jpsmaj3235 1 month ago Great ! I would add Helen Grimaud, Christian Zacharias and Berezovsky, 1 Reply 1 reply @irenaoparov5784 2 days ago Sokolov. Argerich. Pogorelich. Barenboim. And so many more... Reply @milan319 10 days ago Wow you missed Helene Grimaud? Sounds like you're just dropping your faves. Reply LivingPianosVideos · 1 reply @figgymoonpowda 4 weeks ago Stephen Hough and Pierre-Laurent Aimard are glaring omissions. Reply @milanfranek1041 1 month ago Yefim Bronfman is also one of the greatest living pianists. 1 Reply @kevinm6790 2 months ago Alice Sara Ott 3 Reply @caroleann_2142 2 months ago There are no BEST 3 Reply @pollinifan 5 days ago Easy. Martha Argerich, Kristian Zimerman, & Mikhail Pletnev. Reply @vingood7993 2 months ago Surprised no one has mentioned Tony Yun. He doesn’t have much content on YouTube but I saw a critic bracketing his Carnegie Hall performance along with Yunchan Lim. Reply @karinaazatyan4231 1 month ago Other group: Grigory Sokolov Jean- Yves Thibaudet Boris Giltburg ( his name is not on the list for some reason, and he Is One of The Best pianists we have today!) Daniil Trifonov Yefim Bronfman (not on the list for some reason!) Vladimir Ashkenazy Reply @ivor000 2 months ago (edited) in no particular order: mao fujita piotr andrezewski hayato sumino elisabeth smolenskaya svetla protich - bach/lizst a-minor prelude and fugue 2 Reply 2 replies @jimholder6656 2 months ago Possibly a controversial choice: Valentina Lisitsa -- absolutely fabulous playing Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven's Appassionata! 2 Reply @davidbulmer1944 2 months ago One of my (many) favorites is Leif Ove Andsnes. 1 Reply @adrianwright8685 1 month ago If pianist A plays piece x better than B and B plays y better than C who plays z better than A who is the best?! 1 Reply @TomBarrister 2 months ago There aren't more than a hundred or so to choose from. 1 Reply @michaeldelgiudice1057 2 months ago (edited) they forgot to put my name on the list...does great pianist also mean great musician? ...this is too subjective. 1 Reply 1 reply @pascalgrinberg5530 1 month ago Why three men in the picture? Right from the start on the wrong foot! Besides, that kind of question is about as nonsensical as a piano competition. 1 Reply LivingPianosVideos · 1 reply @martinopipino 2 months ago Living …. In the sense that they are still alive? Then there is no contest … Martha Argerich, Alfred Brendel, and Daniel Barenboim…. Not because they are the best right now … but for the impact and recordings they achieved doting their life there is no context … especially because Pollini is dead now … but Pollini has been the most influential pianist in modern time … all modern pianists have either embraced or refused Pollini’s rational approach and technical perfection … so love it or not, he has been the most influential pianist of modern times Reply @pcb1962 2 months ago (edited) Can't believe there are people in the comments saying Lisitsa 🤣 11 Reply 2 replies @marielaclericorhodes3030 1 month ago Please don't leave out Barry Douglas who is an exquisit pianist. All of them are jewels, nobody above or below the others... Reply @bluedragon7925 2 months ago Excluding those retired or about to. Definitely nobody under 50! Women: Argerich, Uchida, Hewitt; Men: Kissin, Hough, Schiff; Reply 2 months ago Alexander Malofeev, Yuja Wang, Yunchan Lim, Rafal Blechacz, Olga Scheps. Reply @Marie-Hélène-p3f 2 months ago Very silly all this nonsense 😮 10 Reply @michaelschmidt5356 2 months ago (edited) Alexandra Dovgan, with her deep and seriously approach to music (especially Schubert, Mozart and Beethoven) and her incrediable talent and musicality, i see her in the tradition of great pianists like Gilels , Richter and Sokolov. 4 Reply 3 replies @richardwillford2418 1 month ago Unless you're living under a rock, you'll know that THE pianist right now is Alexandra Dovgan. Best? There's no such thing. But Dovgan is at 17 already a top 10 pianist. Still developing. What's "scary" about her is that she was a mature artist already at 10. The size of her musical intellect will in time put her up there with the greats – Horowitz, Rubinstein, Brendel... Reply @BsktImp 2 months ago Young pianists? Jan Lisiecki, Jaeden Izik-Dzurko? 2 Reply @jjp009 5 days ago Emanuel Ax, Yvgeny Kissin, and Tiffany Poon (not that she is among the greatest, but I enjoy watching her play so much). All-time greatest....Vladimir Horowitz. Reply @hansulrichbehner8026 2 months ago (edited) HJ Lim, Marc Andre Hamelin, Marta Argerich, Katja Buniatishvili, Yuja Wang, 2 Reply @evantorch6122 2 months ago PS— Most UNmoved by pianist—Earl Wild 1 Reply 1 reply @nanocasal1474 1 month ago Nabuiuky Tsujii, due to all difficulties he have, he could made it!! Dont think you agree!!! But i think he merit 1 Reply LivingPianosVideos · 1 reply @EPA18 2 months ago (edited) Hough? Bavouzet? Levit? Bronfman? 2 Reply @charlesyu9501 2 months ago Left out Yundi Li , winner of 14th Chopin Piano competition at 18 Reply @pclarsen8765 2 weeks ago Why not share the list in 14 seconds instead of making us wait 14 minutes? Reply LivingPianosVideos · 1 reply @HermanIngram 2 months ago Volodos 4 Reply 1 reply @jdbrown371 13 days ago Rafał Blechacz, Nicholai Luganski, Alexandr Melnikov Reply @alexs1504 2 months ago Competition makes few sense in art, go watch olympics 2 Reply @johnclaiborne2749 2 months ago Any discussion of "greatest living pianist" MUST take into account the pianist's faithfulness to a composer's intentions. We can't simply talk about "technique". There are many pianists with outstanding technique who also have a tendency to butcher the pieces they play by bringing all kinds of quirkiness to the piece that the composer would never approve of. Glenn Gould is an extreme example of that, but pianists such as Lang Lang, Pogorelich, and even Argerich are guilty. For my money, Murray Perahia is the pianist who checks all of the boxes, but I also admire pianists such as Uchida, Garrick Ohlsson, Emanuel Ax, and Brendel for the very same reason. Reply @YGD7 1 month ago Sviatoslav Richter makes all the names you mentioned look like a bunch of mushrooms huddling under a giant oak tree. Your musical vacuity is stunning. Reply 1 reply @sm71-fh 2 months ago I like wojciech switala, professor of music and teacher in Poland, winner of grand prize for best polonaise in Chopin compilation, don't remember what year. Reply @josephciolino5493 1 month ago Greatest living pianists: Paderewsky, Rachmaninoff, Rubinstein (Anton) Reply @Viktorvelat95 2 months ago A great list, however here are some other living piano legends that were not mentioned in this video: A. Volodos, A. Korsantia, V. Feltsman, M. Pletnev, S. Babayan, J. Bartoš, L. Vondráček, M. Voskresensky, E. Virsaladze, E. Bozhanov. Reply @PatrickDieterKlavier 2 months ago Well, I am studied under the influence from the "old" . Michelangeli, Gulda, Horowitz. But: The "young" pianists of our century are so talented and spectacular . And they have an output, that is not real ..... Unbelievable ..... Reply @tbarrelier 2 months ago (edited) Alexandra Dovgan and Volodos. Alexandra is almost 20 and has a technique and musicality that place her in the top tier of current active pianists. Volodos is a force of nature. His performance of the Liszt/Horowitz Mendelssohn Wedding March Variations will melt your brain! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjr9fw5Hi-g Indeed, you mentioned all those great pianists and I learned about some I never heard of. Thanks! Oh, I forgot: Valentina Lisitsa! And Earl Wild! 7 Reply 1 reply @PatrickDieterKlavier 2 months ago What about: Friedrich Gulda, Bruce Liu, Kit Armstrong, Vikingur Olaffson, Igor Levit etc.etc. there are so many outstanding pianists today. It is hard to believe. And their Output means their publishing and concerts are overwelming. Mister Rubinstein or Horowitz or Gulda, Gould, would never ever get close....., It is unbelievable ..... Reply @PeterWhite-q1k 1 month ago I am sure you have your criteria and did well by it. Not seeing Valentina Lisistka is suprising and makes me wonder. Same goes for Olga Kern, imho. Reply @packrat79 2 months ago Another pianist I forgot to mention in my last comment is Michele Campanella. I don't think he is as well known, but some of his Lizst interpretations are dazzling. Reply 1 reply @Wkkbooks 2 months ago Greatest pianists? Hardly means anything, there are so many great ones, it's crazy how many great pianists there are today! 3 pianists I'd go out of my way to hear? Pogorelich (the last Madman), Lugansky (the Aristocrat), Hamelin (the Magician). These 3 for me are more than pianists, they are towering musical forces who happen to concentrate their energies on the piano. Reply @davidjohnson6553 3 weeks ago Alfred Brendel's Mephisto Waltz is also my favorite. Beyond his heroic performance, what sets his recording apart is the "large hall" ambience of the sound. Same with his B Minor Sonata. Most other recordings sound dry to my spoiled ears. Reply LivingPianosVideos · 2 replies @GeorgeEllis-q1u 2 months ago So refreshing to have an actual human and nuanced and articulate narrator on a subject and not the b*llsh*t AI crap that is being palmed off on us lately. Very well presented, thank you. Reply 1 reply @lordsoulis 2 months ago enjoy your programs. I enjoy Yundi Li especially his Chopin. Reply @christopherczajasager9030 2 months ago WHERE IS ARCADI VOLODOS...😮😮😮😮😢😢😢??,,,,,( 3 Reply LivingPianosVideos · 1 reply @markfischer3626 2 months ago I've heard recording by many if not most of these pianists and I agree that all of them are world class virtuosos wkrth attending their concerts and listening to their recordings. I'd also include Valentina Lisitsa. Her solo recording of Totentanz astounded me. I always liked Rachmaninoff's 3rd piano concerto until I hesrd Matyha Argerich's recording. IMO it's the performance of a lifetime. As for Yuga Wang she makes the impossible look easy. Every one of them you mentioned that I heard a winner. How could I m bave omitted Helene Grimaud? So much a.azing talent for what is a niche market in the larger scheme of things. Reply @luc3753 2 months ago Nelson Freire 3 Reply 1 reply @moinjay3274 2 months ago Just Opinions!! 1 Reply @skrachit 2 weeks ago There is a difference between greatest living and greatest currently performing. Reply @donghai110 2 months ago Pierre-Laurent Aimard Pascal Roge Daniil Trifonov 1 Reply @Ben_Y.S 2 months ago By far from everyone, Brad Mehldau.🎖️🎹🏆 Reply @pepero6348 2 months ago Eric Heidsieck. Just listen to any of his recordings. 1 Reply @TheSoteriologist 2 months ago Pogorelich, Pletnev, Eric Le Sage (for Schumann), Perahia, Koroliov (for Bach). Reply @harryh9922 1 month ago You should have titled the video "Greatest classical pianists". Reply @jjgdo1 4 weeks ago Amazing how the living mythical status pianist is unknown. Grigory Sokolov Reply @gaycannon9248 1 month ago I suggest you add Igor Levit and the pianist that to my ears has the best tone today not withstanding the giants of the piano you listed, but don't overlook Yeol Eum Song. Her sound glistens like diamonds and rings like bells. She has an enclopedia of techniques that brings fulfillment to a listeners ears! Reply @cescllopis 3 weeks ago What about S.Richter? A scholar of H.Neuhaus- the russian piano school. Reply @bertrandwabnitz100 1 month ago (edited) Vikingur Ólafsson is one of the greatest living pianists in the world ! Reply @EttorealbertoGelli-vr6sz 2 months ago I choose GORAN IVANISEVIS Winner of Wimbledon tournament Reply @mozrach 3 weeks ago How can you possibly miss to put Idil Biret in this list? Reply LivingPianosVideos · 1 reply @georgehahn2979 2 months ago Perahia. Argerich. Khatia B. 1st 3 greatest living pianists. Next two: Ax. Pulinni. Reply @josesouza9820 2 months ago (edited) Ruth Slenczynska for me. Sometimes, "greatness" is confused with projection or publicity which pianists gain during their lifetime. 1 Reply @christophercurdo4384 1 month ago Yuja Wang, Marc-Andre Hamelin and Pierre-Laurent Aimard. Reply @christophercurdo4384 1 month ago Yuja Wang, Marc-Andre Hamelin and Pierre-Laurent Aimard. Reply @robinmather-uy5vx 2 months ago Kristina Miller ..effortless speed and beautiful interpretation Reply @BernardProfitendieu 1 month ago Adam Laloum, the remarkable French pianist Reply @sindencollier1822 1 month ago There are some young FEMALE classical pianists making quite a difference as well - have a listen to Isata Kanneh-Mason and her younger sister Jeneba Kanneh-Mason. Reply @brianwilliamsart 2 months ago Can't believe Helene Grimaud and Polina Osetinskaya aren't on this list. I echo Reply @3136rw 2 months ago Yundi Li!Greatest pianist.He plays well not just Chopin but Mozart as well. Reply @shilloshillos 2 months ago (edited) Dear Robert , i must suggest the following pianists who are true giants by any standard . Here we go: Jorge Louis Pratts: technical prowess, musicality beyond belief. Sergio Fiorentino: complete Rachmaninov in 4 live concerts : unmatched by anyone yet or since. Cyprien Katsaris: technique equal or better to Hamelins while applying heart and intellect in his playing . Voicings from another world. Shura Cherkassky: The golden tone, who sounds like that? Dead also. Lazar Berman: Liszt like nobody else. Dead unfortunately. And what about Gabriela Montero who improvises fugue and anything you Dan imagine on tunes given to her by the audience. Insane pianist by any standard!! Take a peek at the above, you will be amazed!! Reply LivingPianosVideos · 2 replies @Amante_Del-Piano 4 weeks ago Jorge Luis prats should be on this list ,magnificent pianist who won first and all the prizes at Jacques thibaud and Marguerite long when we was 20 years old Reply @James-mb5jr 2 months ago Despite hearing many play Chopin, the one that comes to mind/deepest impression for me is Dang Thai Son. He should expand his repertoire though, and do more recordings. Reply @dkdhc4475 2 months ago sokolov, argerich, ycl 1 Reply @Gianlucabattelli 2 months ago Zimmerman, Argerich and Barenboim 1 Reply @margaritadubrovina7063 1 month ago (edited) Sokolov, Plenev, Matha Argerich. Zimmerman. Evgeniy Kisin. Reply @elizabethhadi2382 1 month ago What about Nikolai Lugansky? 1 Reply LivingPianosVideos · 1 reply @isqueirus 2 months ago Valery, Sokolov, and Valery Sokolov 1 Reply @vromanspianovault6684 2 months ago 1. Cyprien Katsaris 2. Everyone else 1 Reply 6 replies @achaley4186 2 months ago Valentina Lasitsa is a favorite of mine. What an inspiring video, thank you 🙂🙏🏼❤ 5 Reply @cipher2508 2 months ago I recommend one of the most underrated and least known [at least on this platform]: Luke Faulkner https://www.youtube.com/@LukeFaulkner 1 Reply @richardwillford2418 1 month ago You missed the two biggest young talents: Kit Armstrong and Alexandra Dovgan. Reply @cesimone2009 1 month ago What a treat of a review of some great pianists I have come to appreciate their performance via Youtube! Thank you!!!! Reply @truthpopup 2 months ago A great but relatively unknown pianist is Jill Crossland in the UK. Reply @leoinsf 2 months ago Becoming a great pianist one must be born with the skills: from someone who didn't have them! Yes, teachers can do a lot, but memorizing is not an automatic skill! I have read that the great pianists memorize very easily! What a struggle this was for me!!! Reply 2 replies @jameseastwood3847 2 months ago Northrop Fry the university of Toronto Professor in his delightful book The educated Imagination wrote that the difference between the arts and the sciences which build on and surpass each knew achievement and discovery is that the arts are different because as he put it there will never be a better playwright than Shakespeare. Many as good but never better. In the arts when you achieve a certain level of technique and expression you have joined a club made up of those exceptional artist that are all the best. Reply @whatzause 1 month ago (I'm writing this before I've watched to the end to see your choices.) Imo, 3 who should NOT be considered are Barenboim, Lang Lang, and Ashkenazy. I've heard poor performances by them. Excellent considerations are Ax, Schiff, Hamelin, but not my exhaustive list. Reply @katiesethna 1 month ago Daniel Barenboim. Martha Argerich. 3rd any other! 1 Reply @johngkotsis4408 3 weeks ago As greatest i would pick V. Ashkemazy, M. Argerich, K. Zimmerman, D. Barenboim. Of the more young pianists i would pick Seong Jin Cho. 1 Reply @jwhend49 2 months ago I would add two of my favorites, Yevgeny Sudbin and Alexandre Kantorov. Reply @debbieberg570 2 months ago I would definitely have included Julius Katchen…..a master of Brahms. Such a shame he died at age 43 in 1969. Reply @quidest5 2 months ago Unfortunately Maurizio Pollini is no longer alive. 1 Reply @naftali_nakhshon6745 1 month ago What an absurd, quintessentially American discussion! No surprise here... 1 Reply LivingPianosVideos · 2 replies @johnp.1460 2 months ago (edited) Fascinating video. You cite a stellar, comprehensive list that includes several of my favorites, but I would add a few others: the wonderful Argentine pianist from Martha’s hometown, Buenos Aires, Ingrid Fliter; German pianist Igor Levit - whose recording of the complete Beethoven Sonatas is a wonder; Jan Lisiecki, the young Canadian pianist who is maturing nicely; and a personal favorite: Yoav Levanon of Israel, whose performances are musically mature and sensitive beyond his years. I think Yoav will emerge as one of the standout pianists of the 21st-century. As a young piano student, I had the thrill of hearing Van Cliburn himself in his prime, as well as the legendary Artur Rubinstein. I’m encouraged and so relieved to see such a bright, younger generation of exceptional pianists ready to continue that tradition. Reply @thegaminghermitage5045 2 months ago My list? Yuja Wang, Marc-Andre Hamelin, and, best of all, Martha Argerich. Yes, this is a pretty 'basic' list, but... I guess that's what I am :P Reply @SergioLeon-e2e 1 month ago You forgot to mention the great pianist Claudio Arrau from Chile. 1 Reply LivingPianosVideos · 1 reply @francissquire9910 2 months ago Maurizio Pollini was great but he died in march this year(2024). Reply @MathTheBeautiful 2 months ago Emile Naoumoff 1 Reply @tompribyl2884 3 weeks ago I'm surprised that Olga Scheps was not mentioned. Reply LivingPianosVideos · 1 reply @nicholasthill7151 2 months ago Since some have thrown some deceased artists out there, I am going to give Earl Wild some love. The same with the recently deceased Byron Janis and John Browning. I would throw some names of the living around but what's the metric here? Seriously, what's the tool we use to measure things with? To be honest, I lean towards the Russian players like Berezovsky, Volodos and Babayan. But the fact is, there are so many other good players and so many who make great recordings, I don't know what the gauge would be to determine who are three of the greatest. Think about it. Who has put out as many consistently fine quality recordings as Murray Perahia? What does that really mean? Not much apparently. So, how does one gauge greatness? Reply @arekkrolak6320 2 months ago Argerich and Pollini for sure, I would add Zimerman but I am Polish so may be biased :) Reply @JohnSmith-ei2pm 2 months ago 'Emotional depth' is certainly NOT something I associate with Ashkenazy. Reply @FredCacti 2 months ago My vote is Katherine Cordova Reply @mabrrrrr911 2 months ago (edited) Alexei Sultanov! he has one of the best mephisto waltz I have ever heard, check him out! 1 Reply @hdholl9696 1 month ago (edited) Too bad the badge "greatest pianist" is always associated with virtuosity and stage fireworks. But the greatest pianist really is the one who "makes music" instead of making an impression. Based on this criterion Grigory Sokolov is the greatest pianist alive, hands down (on the keyboard, not theatrically in the air to elicit applause). Reply @cquelhas 2 months ago Can’t send a recording, but I can try to help improve you pronunciation on Maria João Pires. Pires=Peeeeeerush (kindish) João: you actually are close. I know the nasal diphthong “ão” is almost impossible for English speakers. Maria: Maa (as in “but”)-ree (lightly rolled “r”) -aaa (the same as in Maa) Reply @copleysq 2 months ago Ekaterina Mechetina, Cristina Ortiz. And 20th C...Cortot, Lipatti, Richter, Nicole Henriot, Jorge Bolet. Reply @christianmarquinaalvanpian5534 1 month ago Sokolov, Katsaris,, Argerich, Gelber, Bronfman, Prats.