30 pianists under 30 - Rhinegold Publishing

next generation

It’s impossible to predict the future,
particularly with regard to pianistic talent.
Claire Jackson tentatively selects
30 pianists under 30 who are likely to

30 dominate the world stage in years to come
30under The music world is a Sunwook Kim has impressed both
paradoxical place. It has a fervent on record – he’s recorded the ‘Emperor’
interest in young prodigious talent, Concerto with the Seoul Philharmonic
yet simultaneously warns that early fame – and on stage, also with Beethoven,
rarely leads to keyboard greatness. The performing with the Philharmonia
30 pianists outlined below are proof that Orchestra. But the jewel in Deutsche
youth can be equated with brilliance. Grammophon’s crown has to be Daniil
Each has achieved the impossible dream: a Trifonov. Beloved by fellow pianists and
combination of technical excellence and a critics – including IP writers – Trifonov
passion for pianism strong enough to base won Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Competition
a career on. No doubt there are others, not in 2011 and has not put a pedal wrong since.
listed here, who also deserve our attention. His Carnegie Hall debut last February was
This list is not intended to be exhaustive, released on disc, to critical acclaim.
but to provide an overview of young
players who look set to sparkle. Former BBC New Generation Artists
Khatia Buniatishvili (26) and Igor Levit
The superstars (27) are both signed to Sony. Buniatishvili,
who has been supported by Martha
A septet of 20-somethings have been lucky Argerich, divides critics with her penchant
enough to harness support from major for extremes in rubato. In 2011, the Liszt
record labels.Dazzling on disc and on stage, bicentenary year, her interpretations stood
they are slated as the next generation of out as both poetic and individual, and
super-pianists. Deutsche Grammophon has her lunchtime Lisztian Prom at Cadogan
snared the lion’s share of them: Yuja Wang Hall was a festival highlight. Her Chopin
(27), Daniil Trifonov (23), Alice Sara Ott recording was equally divisive, but those
(IP cover artist, issue 6, March/April 2011, that admire her playing – and there are
now 26) and Sunwook Kim (26) have many – do so for its confidence and fiery
all recorded for the yellow label. Wang, a temperament. Levit (IP cover artist, issue
charismatic soloist, has won praise for her 21, September/October 2013) is a pianist
unbridled virtuosity (see her YouTube clip with a burning intellect and a lively
of Flight of the Bumblebee, 3.5 million hits interest in wider repertoire. He has taken
and counting) ­– no technical challenge harpsichord lessons and champions the
is too great for her dexterous fingers. In work of Frederic Rzewski, as well having
recent years critics have questioned her an affinity with Beethoven. Levit’s recent
musicianship, but nearly all agree that the Southbank debut was universally hailed a
best is yet to come. The same could be said success, with five-star reviews across the
of Ott. When she gave her Proms debut broadsheets.
in 2011 Ott was relatively unknown, and
wowed the audience with her performance The final artist in the super-pianist group
of the Grieg Piano Concerto, returning to is HJ Lim (IP cover artist, issue 11, January/
the stage for several encores. Today, she is February 2012, now 27). Signed by EMI
an international soloist par excellence and Classics, now Warner Classics, Lim released
recently recorded Mussorgsky’s Pictures at the complete Beethoven sonatas in 2012
an Exhibition.
as four two-CD sets grouped into eight ⌂

themes, such as ‘The Eternal Feminine’

21May/June 2014 International Piano

next generation

⌂ and ‘Destiny’, with a box set now available. Alexandra Dariescu Daniil Trifonov

The recordings have a Marmite ‘love/hate’ Conrad Tao Alice Sara Ott
quality; some claim the interpretations
will turn younger musos on to Beethoven, off – Liu studied at the Royal Academy © vanessa briceno
while others dislike the sheer force behind of Music and is currently undertaking a
her playing. practical PhD project at King’s College, by the Music Incubator and supported
London. Other artists on the brink of by Vladimir Ashkenazy, culminates in a
The elusives international success include Alexandra special concert on 11 June that features solo
Dariescu (29) who won a Women of the repertoire, new transcriptions and works
While the super-pianists fill the concert Future Award in 2013, Joyce Yang (28), for six hands on one piano. The pianists are
halls, another smaller group of world-class who has subbed for Lang Lang and received Julian Clef (23); Salih Can Gevrek (22) and
musicians are quietly honing their art. the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant; Arsha Kaviani (23). The more established
Benjamin Grosvenor (21) is busy studying Joseph Moog (26), whose 2013 Scarlatti Grace Francis will also perform. Each come
at the Royal Academy of Music and rarely disc (via Onyx) impressed; Dutch pianist with dazzling recommendations from
gives public performances. When he does, Hannes Minnaar (29), whose debut album artists such as Stephen Hough and all have a
they are extraordinary concerts – such as (on Etcetera) was dubbed ‘sensational’ by clutch of awards to their name. Expect eye-
his performance of Liszt’s Second Piano IP critic Eric Schoones; and Wu Qian (30), watering technique and musical maturity
Concerto to open the 2011 Proms season, pianist with the Sitkovetsky Trio, which beyond their years.
or his more recent Wigmore Hall recital. has been favourably compared to the
Ever since he won the piano category of the Beaux Arts Trio. The competition winners
BBC Young Musician of the Year
competition at the age of 11, Grosvenor has London-based piano fans will have While securing a prize at a piano
been marked for great things. Shunning the the opportunity to see some new names competition does not automatically
opportunity of a meteoric rise to fame, he perform at Cadogan Hall this summer as guarantee long-term career success, it can
has kept out of the limelight, recording – part of a new initiative to give young pianists be a useful stepping stone to super-pianist
but not over-promoting – for Decca (two a London platform. Pianoworks, launched status, particularly if the competition is one
discs so far). An astonishing talent and a of the big hitters. For example, Sunwook
very nice man, Grosvenor will no doubt rise Kim came to international attention when
to the very top of the pianistic ranks – he’s
practically there already.

The second pianist in this category also
records for Decca. Behzod Abduraimov
(24) is not yet a household name, but
his Wigmore Hall debut was a triumph
and subsequent performances have been
unanimously praised. (Michael Church
once dubbed him ‘a new Horowitz’.) Both
Abduraimov and Stefan Ciric (28) remain
lesser known, with Ciric’s debut recording
soon to be released under Hedone Records.
These pianists, though at the start of their
careers, have built very strong foundations
from which to sustain a long and successful
life at the piano stool.

The ones to watch

The phrase ‘up and coming’ is a magazine-
friendly term for artists who are yet to
be properly defined. These are pianists
who have proved themselves exceptional
in many ways and are reaching pivotal
moments in their pianistic lives. Supported
by Classic FM, Chinese pianist Ji Liu (24)
– also an accomplished breakdancer –
recently reached number one in the UK
classical chart with his debut solo album
Piano Reflections. But don’t let that put you

22 International Piano May/June 2014

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international piano
A high-quality magazine crafted for and
loved by pianists and discerning fans of TAKE FIVE eduCatIon
piano music the world over
the USA. In 1965, Brand appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival that we can learn to play the piano as if we
Abdullah and Carnegie Hall, and then joined the Ellington Orchestra for were learning to cook an egg,’ he says.
Ibrahim a West Coast tour. He also embraced the more experimental
jazz of John Coltrane, whose music raised questions of freedom the site, in essence, is a selection of
IP’s jazz expert Graham Lock and spirituality that had a particular resonance for him. cache filmed masterclasses in which a series of
picks some quintessential benefits teachers concentrate on one work at a
recordings by South African Following his conversion to Islam and name-change, Ibrahim time. You get analysis, opinion and perhaps
pianist Abdullah Ibrahim returned to Cape Town in the late 60s. He le again a er the Online piano learning resource inspiration. the lessons are divided
suppression of the 1976 uprisings and settled in New York, iplaythepiano.com offers conservatoire- into ten stages, from beginners through
Take Five ABDULLAH IBRAHIM becoming what he called ‘a cultural ambassador’ for the standard masterclasses at the touch of intermediate to advanced. Before tackling
1. Bra Joe from Kilimanjaro African National Congress (ANC) and, in songs such as Hit a button. Keith Clarke logs on any pieces, beginners receive practical
began life as Adolph and Run and Tula Dubula, he looked forward to apartheid’s introductions to aspects of playing the
downfall and the promise of ‘a new world a-coming’. instrument, including hand position,
Brand and made his first Commentators have discerned a number of influences in Ibrahim’s learning to sight read, creating a good
music, from Negro spirituals and Islamic incantation to Cape Town sound and crossing the thumb under
(solo, 1969), from African recordings as Dollar Brand, a tag street dances and the percussive dissonances of Thelonious Monk. to get a legato.
Blended together they fuel what critic Francis Davis has called the
Piano (ECM/JAPO) that stuck until his conversion to ‘defiant joy’ that characterises so much of Ibrahim’s African jazz. Beginners’ pieces include a Mozart
Eruptions of joy certainly punctuate the rolling le -hand ostinatos minuet, a Czerny study and a waltz by
2. Moniebah (with Archie Islam in 1968, which prompted on the live 1969 recording of Bra Joe from Kilimanjaro, where Ibrahim’s It sounds lIke quIte a deal: no online teacher is going to tell you Hummel. Intermediate pieces range from
Shepp, 1978) from Duo the change to his current name. darting right-hand flurries evoke both the spirit of free jazz and a more than 100 piano lessons at your that your posture is wrong, your legato Beethoven’s Bagatelle op 119 no 9 and the
(Denon) Born in Cape Town in 1934, he dervish-like ecstasy. The extraordinary force with which his right fingertips for just over £3 a week. too leaves something to be desired, or that first of satie’s Gymnopédies to debussy’s
heard his first jazz courtesy of the hand strikes the keyboard (a signature technique) means the notes good to be true? Yes and no. For this is your pedalling is all over the shop. La fille aux cheveux de lin and Ravel’s Pavane
3. The Wedding (with township ice cream vans, whose seem to jangle and shimmer in the air like shards of frozen light. online learning, where the world is your But it would do Papadiamandis a disservice pour une infante defunte, while advanced
Ekaya, 1989), from African loudspeakers blared out hits by oyster but you don’t actually get to shake to suggest that iplaythepiano.com was ever players can tackle liszt’s Ballade no 2 in B
River (Enja) American bandleaders such as Louis Ibrahim’s Cape Town recordings of the early 1970s were hands with it. intended to take the place of live one-to- minor and Beethoven’s ‘appassionata.’
hugely popular in South Africa, particularly his township one piano lessons.
4. African Market (1988, with Jordan and Erskine Hawkins. Brand tributes Mannenberg and Soweto. Elsewhere, he was better When Mathieu Papadiamandis set up the lessons are in the hands of seven
known for quieter, meditative pieces such as The Pilgrim and his online piano learning resource, he In fact, he was driven to create the site teachers, including Papadiamandis himself
sextet), from Mindif (Enja) had studied piano since childhood Moniebah. The latter can be heard in a leisurely 1978 duo version got a mixed response. Murray Mclachlan because of the sheer volume of bad advice and headed up by Michel Béroff, who, like
with US saxophonist Archie Shepp. Ibrahim’s piano de ly wrote in this magazine: ‘online piano on the web. ‘there was a need for me anne-lise Gastaldi and Marie-Joseph Jude,
5. Joan – Cape Town and, a er stints with dance bands, ushers the raspy, slithering tenor through a set of improvised resources are inspirational and extremely to create such a website because on the is a colleague of Papadiamandis at the Paris
Flower (with trio, 1997), joined up with trumpeter Hugh arabesques that curl like smoke around the haunting theme. important, but they will never be better internet you can find a lot of blogs and Conservatoire. Making up the team are
from Cape Town Flowers Masekela and alto saxophonist than what can be provided by human Youtube videos where people give advice Jean-Marc luisada of the École normale de
(Tiptoe/Enja) Kippie Moeketsi to form the Jazz Ibrahim’s best-loved tune is probably The Wedding, with contact in the traditional sense.’ For sure, without any knowledge, so people imagine Musique in Paris, Jerome Rose of Mannes
Epistles. In 1961, they became the a ‘lovely arching melody’ that Wilfred Mellers likened to College in new York and Jacques Rouvier,
‘the breath of God’. He has recorded it in several di erent a professor at the salzburg Mozarteum and
first black group in South Africa versions (as he has many of his pieces), and it sounds especially the university of the arts in Berlin.
poignant on the alto saxophone – try the ardent sound of
to record an LP. However, increasingly sickened by the repressive Carlos Ward on the Water from an Ancient Well CD or the more I PlaYtHePIano.CoM staRted
stately, slightly wistful tone of Horace Alexander Young on life as jejouedupiano.com in 2011.
apartheid regime, Brand le for Europe the following year. African River, both framed by Ibrahim’s gently rejoicing piano. ‘It was easier to start in France with
French teachers,’ says Papadiamandis. ‘I
In 1963, Duke Ellington heard him play in Zurich and was so Those two albums, featuring Ekaya (it means ‘home’), the septet studied at the Paris Conservatory and I
he formed in 1983, are among Ibrahim’s finest, though principally found it really natural to ask some of the
impressed that he recorded the young pianist and invited him to because of his attractive compositions and arrangements rather teachers there to take part in this project. We
than his self-e acing piano. To better appreciate his value as started three years ago and because it was a
an ensemble pianist, listen to African Market, from the Mindif big success in French language countries –
album, where his delightful splatters of improvisation inspire Belgium, switzerland, even French Canada
the horns in their carousing evocations of a busy marketplace. – I decided to make an english and more
international website.’
Once apartheid had ended, Ibrahim was able to return to Cape
Town. Peace and contentment are the predominant emotions on the French site boasts more teachers and
Yarona and Cape Town Flowers, the two trio albums he made in the a lot more lessons – a total of more than
mid-1990s. Joan – Cape Town Flower, from the latter, is remarkably 300. the French masterclasses are gradually
calm and limpid; a handful of well-chosen notes that seem to float being dubbed into english. It is time-
on air, then dissolve into nothingness. The music tells you he was consuming work, but Papadiamandis is
home at last. e keen to see the site grow as comprehensive
as possible and he welcomes approaches
Graham Lock has written several books on jazz, including Forces in from new teachers.
Motion, Chasing the Vibration and Blutopia
46 International Piano January/February 2014
35January/February 2014 International Piano

35_IP0114_Take Five_CJ.indd 35 03/12/2013 14:54:36 46_47_IP0114_Iplaythepiano_CJ.indd 46 04/12/2013 14:24:54

masterclass

examples example 1a are infinite shades of colour. the
same is true in terms of articulation:

Allemanda ‘staccato’, for example, is

5 generally considered as an

{&#c f4 12fffj fff#ff4 f nf f f f5 2 3 f ™f 5 indication of ‘detached’ playing,
R J
fff#ff ™ff ™f 1 f f f f ™f f ffJfj™™™ f4
∏∏∏ fj #f f f f but many different types of
∏∏∏∏
staccato are possible on a modern

? #c ≈ w‰ f f #f ff ff 2Ff f #f fj f ffnff ffff grand piano, and it is up to
f
f the pianist to decide just how

34 short or how long an individual

example 1b staccato marking should be

played.

Gigue #fJ nf™ #Jf f™ µ example 2 comes from one of
Π#F the most densely packed scores in
{&42 Œ ‰ fj #f ™ #fj f™ f f™ f nf the classical literature: the third
? 42 J J movement of Beethoven’s sonata
in a flat, Op 110. In examples like
12 this, it is extremely difficult to

even project an ‘aural photograph’

precisely,simply because there is so

{3 Œ #f ‰f f2j 3 f f #f2j f™ fj #f ™ f nf #fj much information to process. But
&f f #f ff the magic and creativity comes
#ff ™ from refining and choosing
from the infinite range of shades
? possible within the parameters

laid down by Beethoven in this

Bach sixth partita in e minor, allemande and Gigue sublime spiritual masterpiece.
this is where real freedom resides:

in small, carefully considered and

example 2 measured differences of approach.
In the second bar of example 2,the

Adagio, ma non troppo performer needs to decide on the
touch to adopt within the held
ad lib. 5 pedal – does he stay close to the
keyboard or come ‘off’ the keys
{&bbbbbb41 f4j 2 1126 3 f f f f f 43 and let the music carry across
22 the hall? the third bar’s dynamic
fj f oscillation needs special care,
ff ff ff ff ff ff fff fff fff fff fff fff experimentation and refinement,

p tutte le corde cresc. dim.

? bbbbbb41 ∑ 1126 f f f f f f ff ff ff ff ff ff fff fff fff fff fff fff

°

{4 Arioso dolente f3 f f mf f f f3 ™ nf2 ™ f1 bf4 f f3 while in the fourth bar tonal
& bbbbbb f4 ™ f balancing between the hands and
J experimentation with just how
flat or curved the right fingers
p fff fff fff fff fff fff fff fff fff fff fff fff fff ff fff fff fff fff fff fff fff fffnffff should be will be time consuming
? bbbbbb fff (though not boring if you are
working with freedom and
*3 5 creativity within the parameters
Beethoven sonata in a flat, Op 110, third movement given on the text).

the scope for freedom within

the given parameters laid out

not. Whatever the performer’s choice, written after 1800. By its very nature, by a composer is vast. We should never

decisions also need to be made with regard music notation is extremely vague and underestimate just how much freedom we

to articulation, dynamics, fingering and approximate. One only needs to think of actually possess as interpreters; especially

tempo – all of which can be considered the basic distinctions of dynamics; within when we observe every printed marking

as a continuation of composition. the boundaries of pianissimo, piano, mezzo to the letter in a Beethoven sonata, Bartók

and exactly the same is true for music piano, mezzo forte, forte and fortissimo there romanian Dance or Debussy etude. 

45January/February 2014 International Piano

44_45_IP0114_Masterclass_CJ.indd 45 04/12/2013 11:15:48

Music in the 21st century

asked if we can help with an instrument.

We’ll say, “Well, we do have a very good

piano dealer in that area so perhaps we

can also offer some tickets to the piano

dealer’s customers, perhaps Artur can visit

the store or perhaps we can arrange some

links between a retailer who stocks cFX

pianos and Artur.” Or if stephen hough

decides to record a particular cD on a

yamaha instrument, we will know about

that. hJ Lim is a brand ambassador, so we’ll

say to eMi, “hJ is recording this particular

repertoire for a cD to be launched next

year – can we include some information

about why she selected a cFX for this

repertoire, for this record?” And because

it’s all so top end and so professional, the

comments of venues and pianists all add

up to a critical mass with momentum

that gets other serious pianists or labels or

venues thinking about the yamaha cFX.

it’s quite different from just asking an artist

to do an advert for you.

‘Outside the classical world, we have

people like Jools holland and Jamie

cullum, who actively get engaged in

programmes to promote pianos and piano

playing. A brand ambassador will do a

variety of activities beyond just playing

the instrument – maybe workshops in

schools, or developing software in the case

of chick corea, who plays yamaha pianos

and synthesisers.’

Other pianists lending their name

to the brand include Julian Joseph,

hiromi, Ananda sukarlan, who has been

working with yamaha on a national

piano competition in indonesia, and nise

Meruno, who was the first indian to be

named a brand ambassador of yamaha and

who also represents AKG microphones.

everywhere you look, pianists are

jumping on the brandwagon. yundi Li is

a brand ambassador for audio and video

product manufacturer Bang & Olufsen;

German-russian  pianist Olga scheps  flies

the flag for  Audi and swiss-based luxury

company chopard, and was the first person

to appear on the front of German women’s ‘They get nothing. They’ve never even asked
magazine COVER; and Jordanian telecoms to have a line in the programme saying I’m
company umniah has native pianist Zade dressed by Chanel. It was just a gift; goodwill
Dirani on the line.

Music and fashion are a marriage made
in heaven from a promotional point of

from a very generous company’view – male pianists get away with a dark ⌂

suit, but when women walk onstage to

27January/February 2014 International Piano

26_29_IP0114_Sponsorship_CJ.indd 27 08/01/2014 14:52:00

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next generation

he won the prestigious Leeds International semi finals, but the Russian pianist went extensively while undertaking his studies at
Piano Competition in 2006, aged just 18. on to take the much-coveted first prize and Juilliard. Li, whom IP critic Stephen Wigler
Pianists with recent wins include Federico his profile has since rocketed. He gave a noted ‘has everything needed to achieve
Colli (26), who won the Leeds prize in superb Southbank recital last year (dubbed pianistic greatness,’ keeps a lower profile,
2012 and will be giving his Southbank the ‘outstanding event of the season’ by the focusing on his dual-degree programme at
Centre recital debut as we go to press; ever-discerning Michael Church). Harvard University and the New England
Alexej Gorlatch (26), winner of the 2009 Conservatory. Both pianists – and the newly
Dublin International Piano Competition; The prodigies announced 2014 Gilmore Young Artists,
and Pavel Kolesnikov (25), who took Andrew Hsu (19) and Llewellyn Sanchez-
first place at the Honens International There are many issues to consider when Werner (16) – have all the elements
Piano Competition in 2012. Kolesnikov nurturing young talent; burnout lurks required for glittering careers; the next five
and Gorlatch both garnered rave reviews gloomily in the shadows. One key years will be crucial in their development.
of the Wigmore Hall recitals they gave as organisation that aims to support young
part of their competition prize packages. artists is the Gilmore Young Artist Award, And if these high-achieving young
Sean Chen (25) has just won the American a biennial prize for US pianists aged 22 pianists cause us to wince at our own
Pianists Association’s DeHaan Classical and under that is strictly monetary and comparative musical shortcomings, spare a
Fellowship (having also won third prize advisory, without managerial assistance. thought for friends of Serena Wang. The
at the 14th Van Cliburn International Each Gilmore Young Artist receives a nine-year-old is clocking up competition
Piano Competition), which provides him $15,000 stipend to further their musical wins across Asia and has caused jaws to drop
with numerous high-profile recital dates career and educational development, as across the world. Channel Classics Records
in between his studies at Yale School of well as $10,000 to commission a new has just released Wang’s first recording,
Music. piano composition for which they will Dances of the Dolls; it features children’s
have exclusive performance rights for one music by Chinese composers, including her
Another pianist who has given herself year. Nominations are made by music tutor Dan Zhao Yi, plus works by Schubert
a head start thanks to her success on the professionals from around the world, and Chopin. Those anticipating a technically
competition circuit is Beatrice Rana and an anonymous selection committee brilliant but robotic performance, prepare
(20). Rana impressed at the Montreal evaluates the nominees (who do not know to be amazed. Listening blind, it would be
International Musical Competition in 2011, they are under consideration). The most virtually impossible to tell that this was a

Igor Levit Serena Wang Boris Giltburg

© sasha gusov

where she was awarded first prize. She then recent recipients – Conrad Tao (19) and nine-year-old. Aware of the challenges such
won second prize and the Audience Award George Li (18) – have won international prodigious talent brings, Serena’s parents –
at the Van Cliburn competition, was acclaim for their extraordinary pianism. who are not musical themselves – limit the
picked up by an agency, released her first Tao, who is also a Davidson Fellow number of concert performances she gives.
disc on ATMA (to universal praise) and Laureate, is a composer, artistic director The disc, brought out by an independent
hasn’t looked back. and recording artist (last year he released label, is intended for children.
two records: Voyages, via EMI; and Gordon
Similarly, Boris Giltburg (30) thought Getty: Piano Pieces on the Pentatone Classics With the right support – from fans and
his chances of winning the Queen label). Unlike his British contemporary promoters alike – this impressive pool of
Elisabeth Music Competition in Brussels Grosvenor, Tao has continued to perform talent could move us into a new golden age
were over when he blacked out during the of pianism. Watch this space. 

23May/June 2014 International Piano