Pianist

A pianist is a person who plays the piano.

A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an orchestra or smaller ensemble, or accompany one or more singers or solo instrumentalists.

A performing classical pianist usually starts playing piano at a very young age, some as early as three years old. Many well-known classical composers were able pianists themselves; for example, Sergei Rachmaninov, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Liszt, Frederic Chopin, and Robert Schumann were all virtuoso pianists. Some pianists have special preferences as to which composer's music they play.

Most western forms of music can make use of the piano. Consequently, pianists have a wide variety of forms and styles to choose from, including jazz, classical music, and all sorts of popular music.

Well-known or influential classical pianists:

• Martha Argerich
• Claudio Arrau
• Vladimir Ashkenazy
• Gina Bachauer[?]
• Wilhelm Backhaus[?]
• Daniel Barenboim
• Simon Barere[?]
• Boris Berman[?]
• Idil Biret[?]
• Jorge Bolet[?]
• Alfred Brendel
• Bruno Canino[?]
• Robert Casadesus[?]
• Shura Cherkassky[?]
• Dino Ciani[?]
• Van Cliburn[?]
• Jean-Philippe Collard[?]
• Clifford Curzon[?]
• Bella Davidovich[?]
• Alicia de Larrocha[?]
• Vasso Devetsi[?]
• Peter Donohoe[?]
• Barry Douglas[?]
• Hans Eijsackers[?]
• Vladimir Feltsmann[?]
• Annie Fischer[?]
• Edwin Fischer
• Leon Fleischer[?]
• Walter Gieseking[?]
• Emil Gilels[?]
• Jacob Gimpel[?]
• Misha Goldstein[?]
• Richard Goode[?]
• Glenn Gould
• Lola Graham
• Gary Graffman[?]
• Helene Grimaud[?]
• Friedrich Gulda[?]
• Horatio Gutierrez[?]
• Clara Haskil[?]
• Ingrid Haebler[?]
• Gerard Hengeveld
• Myra Hess[?]
• Angela Hewitt[?]
• Vladimir Horowitz
• Stephen Hough[?]
• Jeni Jando[?]
• William Kappel[?]
• Julius Katchen[?]
• Wilhelm Kempff[?]
• Evgeny Kissin[?]
• Stephen Kovacevich
• Katia Labeque[?]
• Marielle Labeque[?]
• Louis Lortie[?]
• Maura Lympany[?]
• John Lill[?]
• Dinu Lipati[?]
• Eugene List[?]
• Franz Liszt
• Yvonne Loriod
• Radu Lupu[?]
• Joanna MacGregor[?]
• Hephzibah Menuhin[?]
• Ivan Moravec[?]
• Benno Moseiwitsch[?]
• John Nakamatsu[?]
• John Ogdon[?]
• Garrick Ohlsson[?]
• Gerhard Oppitz[?]
• Ignace Paderewski[?]
• Vlado Perlemuter[?]
• Murray Perahia[?]
• Egon Petri
• Maria Joao Pires[?]
• Mikhail Pletnev[?]
• Maurizio Pollini[?]
• Viktoria Postnikova[?]
• André Prévin[?]
• Eduaro del Pueyo[?]
• Livia Rev[?]
• Karl Richter[?]
• Hans Richter-Haaser[?]
• Sviatoslav Richter
• Arthur Rubinstein[?]
• Andreas Schiff[?]
• Artur Schnabel
• Peter Serkin[?]
• Rudolf Serkin[?]
• Craig Sheppard[?]
• Juan Maria Solare
• Solomon
• Jean-Yves Thibaudet[?]
• Alexander Toradze[?]
• David Tudor
• Rosalyn Tureck[?] (also famous for her harpsichord playing)
• Fou Tsong[?]
• Mitsuko Uchida[?]
• Arcadi Volodos[?]
• André Watts[?]
• Earl Wild[?]
• Elisso Wirssaladze[?]
• Paul Wittgenstein
• Krystian Zimmerman[?]

Well known popular music pianists :

• Tori Amos
• Oksana Kolesnikova[?]
• Vanessa Carlton[?]
• Russ Conway[?]
• Liberace
• Billy Joel
• Elton John
• Barry Manilow

Well known jazz pianists include:

• Count Basie
• Dave Brubeck
• Harry Connick, Jr.
• Chick Corea[?]
• Duke Ellington
• Bill Evans
• Herbie Hancock
• Roland Hanna[?]
• Keith Jarrett (who also plays classical music)
• Norah Jones
• Thelonious Monk
• Dudley Moore
• Jelly Roll Morton
• Oscar Peterson
• Bud Powell
• Mel Powell[?]
• Gonzalo Rubalcaba[?]
• J. Russell Robinson
• Art Tatum
• Butch Thompson[?]
• Teddy Wilson[?]
• Clarence Williams

Well known blues pianists include:

• Ray Charles also jazz, and country music
• Fats Domino
• Little Willie Littlefield[?]
• Professor Longhair
• Jimmy Yancey

See the List of boogie woogie musicians for more blues players.

Well known country piano pickers include:

• Owen Bradley[?], also a record producer
• Floyd Cramer[?], "Last Date"
• Mickey Gilley[?], Jerry Lee Lewis's cousin
• Jerry Lee Lewis, also rock and roll
• Ronnie Milsap[?]
• Moon Mullican[?], "I'll Sail My Ship Alone"
• Charlie Rich[?]
• Hargus "Pig" Robbins[?], legendary session player
• Fred Rose[?], also a music publisher
• Del Wood[?], "Down Yonder"