Young pianists: an embarrassment of riches these days

[Nick Armstrong]

One of the great pleasures of the music 'scene' for me at the moment is the plethora of great new pianists coming to prominence.

The ones to spring to mind from the last couple of years who've dazzled me include Yevgeny Sudbin, Christian Ihle Hadland, Daniil Trifonov, Sunwook Kim, Rafal Blechacz, Jan Lisiecki...

Most recently, I've been most impressed by these two:

Boris Giltburg - who's very kindly put on Youtube the Rachmaninov Preludes from his recent Wigmore recital (switch it to 720p or 1080p and full screen and enjoy) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkoVS-nTeBQ Extracts from the recent 'Romantic Piano Sonatas' disc are on CD Review this coming weekend (I've already been enjoying the Rachmininov Sonata No 2 from that recording)

Francesco Piemontesi - I've been listening to his limpid Schumann Concerto with Bělohlávek... and I found his lunchtime recital today a delight: a terrific Schubert D960, I thought http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03lnbwc

Anyone got any other current 'up and coming' piano stars...? And are any of them women...?!

[Thropplenoggin]

Agree about the Piemontesi - was very tempted to get a ticket for this.

Igor Levit - his QEH recital of Beethoven's last three sonatas was a transcendent experience. He held the room in the palm of his hand and he seemed to feel every note with none of Lang-Lang's showboating. Stephen Johnson's comparison to Gilels on Saturday's CD Review were not amiss. This was phenomenal playing for a 26-year-old.

Bertrand Chamayou is another fine young pianist. His Liszt is very highly rated.

[Richard Tarleton]

Francesco Piemontesi ....I found his lunchtime recital today a delight: a terrific Schubert D960, I thought http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03lnbwc

I was much taken with it.

[amateur51]

Anyone got any other current 'up and coming' piano stars...? And are any of them women...?!

Depending on your definition of 'young' and 'up and coming' I'd suggest Ingrid Fliter, Yuja Wang, Khatia Buniatishvili (of whom I have high hopes as yet unfulfilled ), Valentina Lititsta (a vigorous self-promoter), I'd pay out some of Mr Dunkin' Smiff's money to see any of the first three 'live'.

[amateur51]

Agree about the Piemontesi - was very tempted to get a ticket for this.

Igor Levit - his QEH recital of Beethoven's last three sonatas was a transcendent experience. He held the room in the palm of his hand and he seemed to feel every note with none of Lang-Lang's showboating. Stephen Johnson's comparison to Gilels on Saturday's CD Review were not amiss. This was phenomenal playing for a 26-year-old.

I'm wary of listening to too much late Beethoven these days. I've only heard Levit's op.101 the predominant chaacteristic of which I found to be flaccid. I was surprised by Johnson's Gilels remark because to my ears Gilels adopts a different colour for each section which Levit did not. To my ears it was too civilised by half. My benchmark op.101 'experience' is a 'live' performance given by Pollini at the RFH in the 1980s where he approached the piano at speed more like a farmer than a musician, sat down and almost before the applause had stopped had created a wonderful orchestral sound full of horn-like sonorities, something which I also associate with Gilels but which I don't get from Levit yet.

Stephen Kovacevich said that he feels that only Backhaus really understood Beethoven's Hammerklavier sonata, but I have yet to hear it. Solomon, whose performance was the first I got to know, began making recordings at the same age as Levit was when he made these recordings. Let's hope that this is a good omen.

[Nick Armstrong]

Thanks for some interesting contributions already, esp ammy with some non-blokes I must acquaint myself with their playing.

In the 'blokes' corner I suspect we must add Benjamin Grosvenor, but I didn't mention him as I've not heard him play, so it's just hearsay... But convincing hearsay!

[amateur51]

I'll try to catch Francesco Piemontesi's recital from lunchtime at Wigmore Hall today.

Readers of BBC Music Magazine may have heard his recording of Schubert piano sonata D.959 which accompanied the May 2013 edition.

[gradus]

I have heard radio performances from those already mentioned and been impressed, could I add Cedric Tiberghien whose playing of Debussy preludes broadcast a couple of years ago was exceptionally vivid. I also enjoyed Edward Kunz's playing - especially a L'isle joyeuse from Wigmore Hall - but he disappeared from the NGA scheme a few years ago and I've not heard anything else from him.

[amateur51]

Thanks for the reminder of Eduard Kunz, gradus

There's plenty of him 'live' on youtube, thankfully

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG1N2wHG3gY

His website is

http://eduardkunz.eu

and here is is his concert schedule

http://eduardkunz.eu/concerts.html

I'm pleased to have made contact with his career again. Many thanks gradus

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

Depending on your definition of 'young' and 'up and coming' I'd suggest Ingrid Fliter, Yuja Wang, Khatia Buniatishvili (of whom I have high hopes as yet unfulfilled ), Valentina Lititsta (a vigorous self-promoter), I'd pay out some of Mr Dunkin' Smiff's money to see any of the first three 'live'.

I found Yuja Wang's Rachmaninov most enticing when I did some blind listening earlier in the year. (Valentina Lisitsa emerged from the exercise less well...). I've also been impressed with Khatia Buniatishvili's R3 recitals.

I'd entirely agree about Yevgeny Sudbin, who is very special, in my view. Daniil Trifonov has great potential if his Tchaik 1 is anything to go by.

[EdgeleyRob]

Any of these newbies playing Alkan ?

[Barbirollians]

Not so young anymore but Freddy Kempf is a wonderful player in my opinion .

[Sir Velo]

Is Yevgeny Sudbin no longer considered young (b. 1980)?

[Nick Armstrong]

Is Yevgeny Sudbin no longer considered young (b. 1980)?

I considered him young in my #1

[Sir Velo]

I considered him young in my #1

So you did!

Thats the problem with skimreading. I saw Lisiecki (wasn't she at Wimbledon?), Giltburg and the guy from Piedmont but missed YS.