Evgeny Kissin

The International German Piano Award was launched five years ago by Frankfurt’s International Piano Forum and recently staged its first festival as part of the city’s annual Music Fair. IP talks to the Forum’s founder and festival director Maryam Maleki about the genesis and future of the Award

Vikingur Ólafsson talks to Toby Deller about the challenges of balancing a growing solo career with his role as artistic director of two important Nordic music festivals

Evgeny Kissin has proved his critics wrong: those who doubted he would grow beyond a child prodigy have seen him evolve over three decades into a virtuoso who is perceptive and mature. These days, Kissin’s artistry is informed by a deep devotion to his Jewish identity and his mastery of the Yiddish language. Stephen Wigler follows the unique and surprising career path of one of today’s most popular pianists

From new pianos to the latest accessories for pianophiles, IP surveys some of the highlights from this year’s Frankfurt music fair

Making a world-class piano recording used to be very expensive and time-consuming, but a pioneering studio in the UK is looking to change that with its new bespoke MIDI to audio service. Owen Mortimer reports

Making a world-class piano recording used to be very expensive and time-consuming, but a pioneering studio in the UK is looking to change that with its new bespoke MIDI to audio service. Owen Mortimer reports

On the occasion the 150th anniversary of Erik Satie’s birth and the publication of a new edition of the complete piano works, Robert Orledge explains why this controversial composer should be regarded as a true visionary, whose groundbreaking ideas and a quest for simplicity continue to influence the development of music in our own time

Too much practice isn’t always good for you, warns Murray McLachlan

Don’t take the score too literally, advises Murray McLachlan. It’s best to focus on how your playing sounds to your audience, rather than slavishly following instructions in the music

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Rafael Todes is impressed by a stereo microphone that offers highquality recording in a mini device

With influences that range from fi lm noir to gospel music, pianist and composer Ran Blake’s spare, elusive improvisations have a singular style that take the listener into dream-like, shadowy worlds.

The celebrated and long-standing piano duo of Yaara Tal and Andreas Groethuysen recollect the musical infl uences that have shaped their artistry