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Outstanding Russian pianists of the 20th century. Great pianists

You can live music, but never make a fortune from your talent. But these people - the richest pianists in the world - managed to break into the elite, besides, their capitals amount to millions of dollars. These are real stars, masterly at the piano, performing in shows and giving grandiose concerts, themselves writing music or just putting their whole soul into the instrument.

Musicians and showmen

Briton Jules Holland full name- Julian Miles Holland) perfectly combines a career as a musician with work in the television industry. A composer and showman, he, while still a boy, labored in London pubs and earned his own money. In addition, he had a good voice and his own singing style, so that was an added advantage. young performer. He released several albums, collaborated with Sting and George Harrison, David Gilmour and Eric Clapton, Bono and Mark Knopfler. Performances around the world brought Jules a capital of $ 2 million.

Gives over two hundred shows a year american singer and pianist Michael Feinstein. The passion for the piano arose in his childhood - his parents sent his son to take music lessons, then he discovered that he could play without notes before his eyes. At 20, he, like Jules, entertained people in bars, and then he was lucky to get into a grandiose project. He recorded an extensive collection of records (works by Ira Gershwin). The work took 6 years, at the same time the musician performed on Broadway, later Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera theatre, The White house and Buckingham Palace - everywhere Michael gave big concerts. As a result, Feinstein's net worth is $10 million.

Gifted multi-station pianists

The list of the richest pianists also includes a native Soviet Union- Regina Spector. She was born in Moscow, in a musical family, later her parents (who gave the girl her first lessons) moved to America. There she began to play the piano in the synagogue. Regina studied with Sonya Vargas, wrote songs, and later graduated from the conservatory. In 2001, the girl's first album was released, three years later she already had a contract with Sire Records. Regina's interests are diverse: not only classical, but also folk, punk, hip-hop, rock, jazz, Russian and Jewish music. Tours and recordings brought the pianist 12 million dollars.

Spector's age, 35-year-old Sarah Barellis, began as a member of the school choir, then moved to musical group specializing in a cappella singing. As a student, Sarah worked in nightclubs and bars, and later began to perform at festivals and large venues. Barellis' debut disc earned recognition, she soon signed a contract with Epic Records, her career went uphill - and now Sarah is touring all over America. Her style is piano-rock with influences of jazz and soul, she not only plays the piano, but also the guitar, harmonium and ukulele. Concerts, duets with Sheryl Crow and Norah Jones, performances for the Obama family, guest appearances on TV shows, albums and singles have earned Sarah $16 million.

Asian Phenomenon

And here is the classical pianist - one of the richest pianists in our "hit parade" - the representative of China Lang Lang. He - the youngest in the ranking - achieved fame (and $ 20 million capital) quite early. His first encounter with Western music was a fragment from the cult TV series Tom and Jerry (where the characters perform Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2). He graduated from the conservatory and, after several victories at competitions, was considered best pianist in the country. Already at the age of 14, Lang Lang moved to Philadelphia and entered the Curtis Institute of Music. A 3 million contract with Sony, concerts for world leaders, tours in Europe, the USA and Asia made him a universal favorite and allowed him to enter the hundred most influential people on the planet according to Forbes.

Arranger, improviser, producer

Composer, performer, music producer, arranger, organizer of a group named after himself, Yanni Chrysomallis was born in Greece, but now lives in the USA. He did not immediately decide that music is the main thing in his life. Initially, Yanni entered the psychology department at the University of Minnesota, and already there he began to learn to play the keyboard. The first recognition came to him on the 1988-1989 tour, when he performed with the Dallas symphony orchestra. After that, Yanni made an amazing career with a huge number of concerts, music awards, unique recordings. The capital of Chrysomallis today is 40 million dollars.

Head of La Scala

At music director legendary theater"La Scala" 72-year-old Daniel Barenboim - Russian roots. His parents moved from the USSR to Argentina, where Daniel grew up. The gifted boy gave his first concert at the age of 7 (his father and mother were pianists, they taught their son). creative way the musician is amazing: he led the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of Paris, the Berlin State Opera, he is an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire, the Order of the Legion of Honor, he was awarded the Grammy seven times. The pianist's fortune is estimated at $50 million.

Most Awarded Film Composer

The most famous and titled of film composers, John Williams is also one of the richest pianists in the world. 100 million capital, five Academy Awards (and 49 nominations), 21 Grammys, 4 Golden Globes and many other awards - this is very significant! Williams wrote music for all the paintings of Steven Spielberg and for the masterpieces of George Lucas - among them " star Wars and a series about Indiana Jones. John started out as jazz pianist, acting in New York clubs. He began composing film scores in the 1960s and has since earned the title of the most celebrated film composer of all time.

Music legends

The second line of our ranking of the richest pianists is rightfully occupied by Billy Joel. His net worth is $160 million. Musician, singer, songwriter William Martin Joel grew up in a musical family: his father was classical pianist, he became a teacher for his son. Billy played the piano while still in school to help his mother with money. He later enrolled at Columbia University. The first solo album, Cold Spring Harbor, was a complete disaster, but some songs began to play on the radio, and Joel managed to sign a contract with Columbia Records, after which things went smoothly for him.

The leader of the rating is fabulously rich - 440 million dollars. He began to take an interest in the piano at the age of three and took lessons at the age of seven. Very soon the boy managed to win a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, during his studies he performed in a nearby pub. People from all the surrounding streets flocked here - to listen to the boy. The young pianist became a rock star, gained a sea of fans, conquered thousands of stages, sang a duet with the greatest singers of all time, recorded albums, won many awards. Have you guessed who it is yet? The richest (and most talented) pianist in the world, Elton John.

The most famous pianist is not Mozart

If you take a poll of who is the most famous pianist in history, most people will probably answer - Mozart. However, Wolfgang Amadeus not only mastered the instrument, but was also a gifted composer.

It is known that a unique memory, an incredible ability to improvise and the talent of a great pianist developed only thanks to the father of a little genius. As a result of daily activities, under the threat of being locked in a closet, a child at the age of 4 easily performed enough complex works surprising those around you. No less famous is Salieri, deprived of a spark of genius, the eternal opponent of Mozart, unjustly accused by his descendants of his premeditated murder.

By the way, in most cases, a musician becomes a composer and thus achieves fame. Therefore, it should not be surprising that virtually any brilliant musician becomes a famous writer. It is very rare that someone manages to achieve fame only as a performer.

Domestic pianists

The history of music knows many examples when a famous pianist became more popular due to the incredible success of his creations. It's nice to know that many such geniuses were born in Russia. Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Shostakovich are only a small part of the galaxy of great Russian musicians. Among modern famous performers Special mention should be made of Denis Matsuev, a worthy successor to the traditions of the Russian musical school.

Anyone who was born in the Soviet Union will surely remember the success of the famous and virtuoso performer Van Cliburn during the Cold War. First Winner International Competition named after Tchaikovsky, the young American pianist was not afraid to come to a country closed to Western society. Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto in his performance was also the first platinum album among classical musicians.

By the way, there are three epochs in the history of pianism, which are named after the great pianists: Mozart, Liszt and Rachmaninoff. The era of Mozart is classicism, the era of Liszt is characterized by refined romanticism, and the era of Rachmaninov, respectively, became the beginning of modernism. It should not be forgotten that such great pianists as Schubert, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin worked simultaneously with these most famous musicians.

Contemporary pianists

Some people think that the heyday of pianism is already over, and contemporary performers and composers have practically nothing to present to the court of a spoiled public. However, the brilliant Svyatoslav Richter worked at the end of the last century. In general, the 20th century among experts is considered the heyday of piano art. The beginning of the century was marked by the appearance of such magnificent pianists as Schnabel, Hoffmann, Paderevsky, Karto and, of course, Rachmaninoff. In the second half of the 20th century, such names as Richter, Horowitz, Gilels, Kempff, Rubinstein sounded.

Vladimir Ashkenazy and Denis Matsuev, piano virtuosos, delight their fans with their talent even today. It is unlikely that the 21st century will be poor on musical talents and in the future.

Specializing in piano performance musical works.

An interesting fact is that it is especially important for the profession of a pianist to start playing music at a very early age, around three or four years old. Then a “wide” shape of the palm is formed, which in the future helps to masterfully play.

Depending on the era of the development of piano music, diametrically opposed requirements were sometimes put forward for pianists. In addition, the profession of a musician inevitably intersects with. Most pianists compose piano pieces themselves. And only rare virtuosos managed to become famous by performing exclusively other people's melodies.

In any case, like any musician, it is important for a pianist to be sincere and emotional, to be able to dissolve in the music he performs. According to Harold Schonberg, the famous music critic, is not just an instrument, it is a way of life, which means that the meaning of a pianist's life is not just music, but music for the sake of the piano.

Mozart, Liszt and Rachmaninov - classics of piano art

The history of piano music is quite interesting. There are several stages in it, each of which has its own traditions. Often, the canons of the era were set by one (rarely several) who masterfully played the instrument (at first it was the harpsichord, and later the piano).

Therefore, highlighting three eras in the history of pianism, they are called by the names famous composers- Mozart, Liszt and Rachmaninoff. In the traditional terminology of historians, these were the eras of classicism, then romanticism and early modernism, respectively.

Notable pianists of the 18th and 19th century

In each of these periods, other pianists also worked, many of whom were simultaneously composers of musical works and left an indelible mark on the history of piano music. These are two of the three "Viennese classics" Schubert and Beethoven, the Germans Brahms and Schumann, the Pole Chopin and the Frenchman Charles Valentin Alkan.

Johannes Brahms

During this period, pianists were primarily required to be able to improvise. The profession of a pianist was closely connected with composing. And even when performing other people's works, his own interpretation, a free interpretation, was considered correct. Today, such a performance would be considered tasteless, wrong, even inept.

Notable pianists of the 20th and 21st century

The 20th century is the heyday of piano art. This period is unusually rich in exceptionally talented, outstanding pianists.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Hoffmann and Cortot, Schnabel and Paderewski became famous. And of course, Rachmaninov, a genius Silver Age, which marked new era not only in piano music but also in world culture in general.

The second half of the 20th century is the era of such famous pianists like Svyatoslav Richter, Emil Gilels, Vladimir Horowitz, Arthur Rubinstein, Wilhelm Kempff...

Svyatoslav Richter

continue their musical creativity at the beginning of the 21st century, such outstanding pianists as the American Van Cliburn, who in the distant 1958 became the first laureate of the International Tchaikovsky Competition. It is worth mentioning the musician who won the same competition the following year - the most popular pop pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy.

1. Jamie Cullum (Jamie Cullum) Popularity - 1.95 million | Born on 08/20/1979 | Great Britain Known for his charisma and the highest skill jazz pianist and vocalist. Basically, he is presented as a "performer", that is, as a person who, first of all, makes a show at concerts. Several times recognized by various publications as the best jazz performer of the year. And just my favorite musician :)

One of his favorite "tricks" is to climb with his feet on the piano and sing from there, tap rhythms on the piano, mixing everything with beatbox. He mainly writes and performs music in the style pop jazz, plays wonderful and original covers of both songs of the 30s and songs recent years, for example, on the song Rihanna (Rihanna) "Please Don" t Stop The Music ". You can also find many recordings jazz standards in his performance, for example, "I" ve Got You Under My Skin "or" Devil May Care ".

Platinum Album Jamie Cullum"Twentysomething" became in 2003 (and still is) the best-selling UK jazz album of all time. The latest albums "The Pursuit" and "Momentum" (by the way, a few months ago I was at the presentation of this album in London during his world tour) gravitate more to pop music than to classical jazz. Note the melodic and completeness of all his improvisations, as well as the funky riffs he uses when he plays alone.

2. Keith Jarrett (Keith Jarrett) Popularity - 3.55 million | Born on 05/08/1945 | USA Keith is famous not only as one of the best jazz pianists and improvisers of our time, but also as a performer of the classical piano repertoire. He is also a composer: already at the age of 7 he gave his first concert, in which he performed 2 own compositions, and at 17 - gave a concert, consisting entirely of his own works.

Keith Jarrett's jazz improvisations are among the most recognizable. His melodies are organic and sincere, which is only worth his "whining" during the game (he is usually even equipped with microphones for backing up). During the execution of the most emotional moments, he rises and shakes touchingly. In his youth, he wore an Afro haircut, played with Miles Davis. Winner of many international jazz awards.

3. Bill Evans (Bill Evans)Popularity - 97.70 million | Born on 08/16/1929 | USA One of the most significant jazz musicians 20th century. He made a huge contribution to the development of jazz. His harmonies and solos are sophisticated to the limit, but at the same time, they are easily perceived and listened to. Over 30 Grammy nominations and 7 wins. He received one of the awards posthumously.

This jazz performer is included in the jazz pantheon of fame. The genius of his art. When he plays, it feels like he is one with the instrument. What should I say? Watch and listen for yourself:

4. Herbie Hancock (Herbie Hancock) Popularity - 4.79 million | Born 04/12/1940 | USA Herbie is a jazz pianist who today is considered to be the most influential jazz pianist of our time. Winner of 14 Grammy Awards, recorded over 45 studio albums, known for using a synthesizer and a kitar (keytar or "comb", a synthesizer in the form of a guitar).

This pianist was one of the first to use a synthesizer during solo performances. His piano riffs are so pumping that some of them would be desirable to hear as motivating music during the entry into the ring of heavyweight boxers. The style in which Herbie plays is jazz with elements of fusion, rock, soul. Considered one of the founders of post-bop. Played with Miles Davis, Marcus Miller, and in general it is difficult to name a world-class musician with whom Herbie Hancock would not be joint projects. The musician is so diverse that many of his recordings at first glance seem to be played by some kind of experimenters, and some by romantic pianists. I advise all musicians to carefully study his work, I once downloaded all his albums, starting from the 60s and traced his entire musical career. This approach will allow you to see the evolution of the musician's work, which is very informative and interesting. While listening, pay attention to what kind of freaky sounds he selects on his synthesizer. For me, Herbie is one of my favorite keyboard players.

5. Ray Charles (Ray Charles) Popularity - 170 million | Born 10/23/1930 | Died in 2010 | USA One of the most famous and significant musicians of all time. Winner of 17 Grammy Awards. The main areas of creativity are soul, R "n B, jazz. Being a 7-year-old boy, he was blind and had not seen all his life. He held more than 10 thousand concerts at which he sang and played the piano. A legendary man.

Possessing an extraordinary manner of performing his vocal parts, turning screams, moans, exclamations and giggles into music, emphasizing everything with rhythmic jazz piano and catchy body movements, Ray Charles is one of the most significant figures in music of the 20th century. Author of over 70 albums. Being a multi-instrumentalist, Ray still prefers the piano to other instruments. His parts are so thought out and organic that it seems impossible to remove or add a single note. Rightfully considered one of the best jazz pianists and vocalists last century.

6 Bob JamesPopularity - 447.00 million | Born 12/25/1939 | USA The most popular pianist of this collection. Member of the Fourplay group, winner of 2 Grammy awards. Composer, pianist, arranger, music producer. one of the most famous jazz musicians of all time.

His music is so diverse that it's worth just taking a few weeks to study his work.

7. Chick Corea Chick Corea) Popularity - 2.38 million | Born on 06/12/1941 | USA The genius of classical and Latin American jazz motifs. Winner of many international awards, including Grammy. Chick Corey's compositions among musicians are considered very serious and difficult to perform. Many call his music the highest mathematics. He loves spacious colorful shirts.

You need to be prepared spiritually and intellectually for the music of Chick Corey. His melodies are melodious, sometimes dramatic and difficult to perceive the first time. During the game, he uses non-standard intervals (for example, seconds), which, when played by other musicians, often cut the ear. However, when Chick plays the instrument, his music is so captivating with its melody, complexity and at the same time extraordinary "airiness" that the listener simply forgets about everything and goes into a kind of trance, following the great pianist's hands.

8. Norah Jones (Norah Jones)Popularity - 7.0 million | Born on 03/30/1979 | USA Gentle and at the same time very serious jazz pianist and vocalist, actress. He performs his songs, has a memorable voice.

This singer and pianist is a fragile girl in appearance, but inside she has a solid core of a real jazz player. Pay attention to her cute face during the performance. I like to draw and think while listening to her concerts.

P.S. If you like Norah Jones, I think you'll probably like Ketie Melua too, she's a very soulful singer too.

9. Count BasiePopularity - 2.41 million | Born 08/21/1904 | USA Big band leader, virtuoso pianist, organist. He made a significant contribution to the development of swing and blues. He allowed the musicians in his orchestra to freely improvise, which was one of the serious trump cards of his orchestra.

Listen to this sixties jazz orchestra, immerse yourself in the jazz of that time.

10. Oscar Peterson (Oscar Peterson) Popularity - 18.5 million | Born on 08/15/1925 | Died in 2007 | Canada Oscar Peterson is a legend of world jazz. A virtuoso pianist, composer and teacher, he played with such world jazz legends as Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. One of the city squares is named after Peterson in Toronto.

Phenomenal playing speed, virtuoso original bebop passages, harmonic chords, huge fingers and torso size make Oscar Peterson one of the most memorable figures of world jazz. One can often hear from modern smooth-jazz musicians that there is no need to “water notes”, it is enough to play one note and if it is correctly chosen and played where it is needed, this is enough for a musical masterpiece. In the case of Oscar Peterson, it becomes obvious that 10-15 notes played in 1 second, but played the way Oscar does, are also musical masterpiece. Numerous jazz publications still write that Oscar Peterson - best jazz pianist 20th century.

11. Lennie Tristano (Lenny Tristano)Popularity - 349 thousand | Born on 03/19/1919 | USA The famous blind pianist, made a significant contribution to the development jazz music. Recorded with Charlie Parker, winner of many awards, several times recognized by various magazines as the best pianist of the year. By the end of his life, he focused entirely on teaching music.

Unfortunately, Lenny Tristano's concerts are not so easy to find, but after listening to his playing, you will become his fan. In addition to the excellent sound, I am also struck by the beauty of his playing. Yes, it's beauty! Watch his long fingers while playing, they are like living creatures dancing on the keys!

12. Michel PetruccianiPopularity - 1.42 million | Born on 12/28/1962 | France Renowned jazz pianist. His discography includes more than 30 albums. He passed away at the age of 37 from a congenital disease.

I love his improvisations, growing every minute and developing into energetic passages with serious deviations in harmony.

13 Brian Cullbertson Popularity - 1.66 million | Born on 01/12/1973 | USA One of the best smooth jazz pianists, also plays trombone. Winner of numerous awards, author of more than 13 albums.

To be honest, I was only able to rethink his work a few years ago when I listened to some of his funk records. Before that, I had only heard it in the smooth-jazz style, and despite high level performance, it seemed to me that the sound of jazz is a bit commercial. Later I decided to get to know this jazz pianist better and listened more carefully to several of his concerts and albums. The compositions So Good and Back In The Day, as well as the way the pianist mixes light smooth melodies with funky aggressive passages, made such a strong impression on me that Brian Culbertson is one of the best jazz pianists today. Notice in the recording below how well his band plays. I listened to this video dozens of times and each time I discovered something new in the arrangement and solo. By the way, this jazz pianist almost always plays standing up, facing the audience.

14. Thelonius Monk (Thelonius Monk)Popularity - 1.95 million | Born 10/10/1917 | USA One of the founders of bebop, composer and pianist. Has a super-original style of play. without this musician contemporary jazz might not have taken place. At one time he was considered an avant-garde, primitivist and creator of new experimental jazz trends.

Pay attention to his fingers - they do not seem to bend! Listen to his notes, despite the wide abundance of intervals that are incomprehensible at first glance, you can trace the clear melody that he leads. This pianist had a significant influence on me. By the way, he loved to play in a hat, it looks great.

15. Diana Krall (Diana Krall)Popularity - 3.4 million | Born on 11/16/1964 | Canada Professional jazz pianist, recognized old-timer of modern jazz music. Performs to a greater extent classical jazz, winner of 3 Grammy awards, in different years was recognized as the best jazz performer.

This jazz performer Born and raised in a musical family, her parents and her grandmother were musicians and, of course, since childhood, Diana was instilled with a love for music, especially jazz. Her voice has a zest, listen and you will understand what I mean.

I want to note once again that this selection does not claim to be complete, since it is simply impossible to tell about all the significant figures of the modern jazz piano within the framework of one article. Nevertheless, I hope that I managed to place the main accents.

Please write in the comments, on what other topics should such introductory reviews be done, is this form of review suitable?

Recognizing the world's only best modern pianist is an impossible task. For each critic and listener, various masters will be idols. And therein lies forte humanity: the world contains a considerable number of worthy and talented pianists.

Agrerich Marta Archerich

The pianist was born in the Argentine city of Buenos Aires in 1941. For the instrument of the village already in three years old, and at the age of eight she made her public debut, at which she performed a concerto by Mozart himself.

The future virtuoso star studied with such teachers as Friedrich Gould, Arturo Ashkenazy and Stefan Michelangeli - one of the most outstanding classical pianists of the 20th century.

Since 1957, Argerich began to participate in competitive activities and won the first big wins: 1st place in the Geneva Piano Competition and the Busoni International Competition.

However, the real resounding success came to Martha at the moment when, at the age of 24, she was able to win the international Chopin competition in the city of Warsaw.

In 2005 she won the highest Grammy Award for her performance of chamber works by composers Prokofiev and Ravel, and in 2006 for her performance of Beethoven's work with the orchestra.

Also in 2005, the pianist was awarded the Imperial Japanese Prize.

Her ardent game and amazing technical data, with the help of which she masterfully performs the works of Russian composers Rachmaninov and Prokofiev, cannot leave anyone indifferent.

One of the most famous contemporary pianists in Russia is the musician Evgeniy Igorevich Kisin.

He was born on October 10, 1971 in Moscow, at the age of six he entered music school named after the Gnessins. Kantor Anna Pavlovna became his first and only teacher for life.

Since 1985, Kissin began to demonstrate his talent abroad. In 1987 he makes his debut in Western Europe.

After 3 years, he conquers the United States, where he performs the 1st and 2nd concertos of Chopin with Philharmonic Orchestra New York, and a week later he performs in a solo format.

Another of the most outstanding contemporary Russian virtuoso pianists is the famous Denis Matsuev.

Denis was born in the city of Irkutsk in 1975 into a family of musicians. Parents with early age taught the child to art. The boy's first teacher was his grandmother Vera Rammul.

In 1993, Matsuev entered the Moscow State Conservatory, and two years later became the leading soloist of the Moscow State Philharmonic.

He gained worldwide fame after winning the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1998, when he was only 23 years old.

He prefers to combine his innovative approach to playing with the traditions of the Russian piano school.

Since 2004, he has been holding a series of concerts called "Soloist Denis Matsuev", inviting domestic and foreign leading orchestras to collaborate with him.

Christian Zimmerman

Christian Zimmerman (born 1956) is a celebrated contemporary pianist of Polish origin. In addition to being an instrumentalist, he is also a conductor.

His early music lessons were taught by his father, an amateur pianist. Then Christian continued his studies with the teacher Andrzej Jasinski in a private format, and then moved to the Katowice Conservatory.

He began to give his first concerts at the age of 6 and in 1975 he won the Chopin Piano Competition, thus becoming the youngest winner in history. During next year he honed his piano skills under the famous Polish pianist Artur Rubinstein.

Christian Zimmermann is considered a genius performer of Chopin's work. His discography includes recordings of all piano concertos by Ravel, Beethoven, Brahms and, of course, his main idol - Chopin, as well as sound recordings of compositions by Liszt, Strauss and Respiha.

Since 1996 he has taught at the Basel Academy of Music. Received the Academy Awards Kiji and Leonie Sonning.

In 1999 he created the Polish Festival Orchestra.

Wang Yujia is a Chinese representative of the piano art. She gained fame thanks to her virtuoso and incredibly quick game, for which she was awarded the pseudonym - "Flying Fingers".

The birthplace of the Chinese modern pianist is the city of Beijing, where she spent her childhood in a family of musicians. At the age of 6, she began her trials for keyboard instrument, and a year later she entered the Central Conservatory of the capital. At the age of 11, she was enrolled to study in Canada and after 3 years she finally moved to a foreign country for further education.

In 1998, she received the prize of the International Competition for Young Pianists in the city of Ettlingen, and in 2001, in addition to the above-described award, the judging panel gave Van an award for pianists under 20 in the amount of 500,000 yen (300,000 in rubles).

The pianist also plays with success by Russian composers: she has Rachmaninoff's Second and Third Concertos, as well as Prokofiev's Second Concerto.

Fazıl Say is a Turkish contemporary pianist and composer born in 1970. He studied at the Ankara Conservatory, and then in the cities of Germany - Berlin and Düsseldorf.

It is worth noting, in addition to his piano activities, his composer qualities: in 1987, the pianist's composition "Black Hymns" was performed in honor of the 750th anniversary of the city.

In 2006, the premiere of his ballet "Patara" took place in the city of Vienna, written on the basis of Mozart's theme, but already piano sonata.

Two composers occupy an important place in Say's performing piano repertoire: musical titans Bach and Mozart. At concerts, he alternates classical compositions with his own.

In 2000, he made an unusual experiment, risking recording the ballet "The Rite of Spring" for two pianos, performing both parts with his own hand.

In 2013, he fell under a criminal case for statements in social network on the subject of Islam. The Istanbul court concluded that the musician's words were directed against the Muslim faith and sentenced Fazil Say to 10 years of probation.

In the same year, the composer filed a motion for a retrial, the verdict of which was again confirmed in September.

Other

In one article to tell about all contemporary pianists there is simply no possibility. Therefore, we will list those whose names are significant today in the world of classical music: