International Piano

International Piano offers a rich mix of inspiration and guidance to pianists and piano fans around the world, from dedicated amateurs and students to professional pianists, teachers and aficionados. Celebrating the piano in all its forms, including the fortepiano and digital keyboards, each edition of our magazine is packed with interviews, features, news and reviews showcasing the top artists of today and yesteryear.

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International Piano

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international Piano NEWS NOTES

Fibbing, fakes and fantasies • Fresh from competition jury service, Jonathon Brown considers aspects of piano playing that elude some younger performers and wonders what can be learnt from older generations

Historical Perspectives • Mark Ainley offers an overview of the playing of Wilhelm Backhaus, perhaps best known for his deeply considered post-war Beethoven but whose early playing brims with vivacity and virtuosity

Musings of a musician • Following last issue’s Liszt/Stradal interlude, Kenneth Hamilton picks up on his previous column exploring the work of Chopin as a teacher, and what we can learn from the recently published letters of a pupil

The Ill-Tempered Clavier • In his final column for International Piano, Charivari bids farewell and refects on what went right, what has changed, and what more could have been done

Old-school flair • For his latest album the German pianist Joseph Moog returns to his musical roots with a programme of fin-de-siècle works, both familiar and obscure. He talks to Jeremy Nicholas about this album and his pianistic journey

A century at the keyboard • As the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia celebrates its centenary, Thomas May explores the legacy of one of the world’s most sought-after and exclusive piano departments

Conjuring colour • Can a piano evoke colour? George Xiaoyuan Fu describes the special qualities of Debussy’s Études and introduces the music he has chosen to complement these masterpieces on his latest album for Platoon, ‘Colouring Book’

Rzewski’s The People United Will Never Be Defeated! • Jed Distler works his way through the recorded versions of a 20th-century piano masterpiece, marking the 50th anniversary of its composition, and recommends his favourite versions

NUTS AND BOLTS • A manual breaking down aspects of piano technique with practical advice and step-by-step guidance for players of all standards, written for International Piano by Murray McLachlan

Festive Fare • Jonathon Brown peruses summer festival schedules and rummages through his sock drawer for his passport

Youthful dynamism • Jonathan Dobson listens to the distinctive EMI legacy of the French pianist Michel Béroff, who turns 75 this year

Understated mastery • Jed Distler surveys the magisterial playing of Sergio Fiorentino, recorded from the 1950s to the 1990s and collected in a box-set from Brilliant Classics

Critics’ choice

INTERNATIONAL PIANO CHOICE

REVIEWS CDs

A quarterly round-up • Nigel Simeone works his way through recent recordings with a wide range of repertoire

Live Reviews

REVIEWS BOOKS

REVIEWS SHEET MUSIC

NEXT ISSUE AUTUMN 2025

The power of true art • Dmitri Alexeev reflects on recordings that influenced him growing up in the Soviet Union, from Rachmaninov to jazz

Celebrating the piano’s music and musicians