Great Contemporary Pianists Speak for Themselves: Piano Book

This book gives your advanced students and serious pianists a window into the minds of artists who have shaped contemporary piano performance. Rather than reading about technique in isolation, they hear directly from the people who live it, gaining perspective on artistry, practice philosophy, and what it takes to sustain a career at the highest level.

Reading these interviews creates an intimate sense of access to the working minds of world-class pianists. You encounter genuine reflections on interpretation, the relationship between technique and music-making, and the personal philosophies that drive artistic choices.

Advanced pianists, conservatory-level students, and teachers seeking to deepen their understanding of contemporary performance practice. This collection also serves private studio teachers who want to inspire their advanced students with real conversations about musicianship and artistic development.

• Assign individual interviews to students as mentorship reading before they tackle challenging repertoire; let them hear a pianist's philosophy before they encounter the technical demands.
• Create discussion groups around specific interviews and have students bring scores to explore how a pianist's stated approach might manifest in actual notation.
• Use these conversations as pre-performance preparation; reading how a master thinks about a piece you're learning reshapes how you listen to yourself.

Assign chapters to advanced students as supplementary reading alongside their solo repertoire. Studio teachers can use specific interviews to illuminate interpretive questions that arise in lessons or to motivate students preparing for competitions or recitals. The introduction by Sir George Solti sets an authoritative frame for the entire collection.

• Understanding contemporary approaches to interpretation and musical style
• Insight into the relationship between practice methods and artistic outcomes
• Awareness of how professional pianists approach repertoire selection and career development
• Exposure to diverse musical philosophies and problem-solving approaches