Beatrice Rana

With his deadpan demeanour at the keyboard, Nikita Mndoyants eschews the on-stage histrionics of his peers, saving the emotion and drama for the music he performs. Stephen Wigler introduces a remarkable young pianist steeped in the traditions of Russia’s glorious musical past

Do fans of ageing pianists risk deluding themselves in unquestioning adoration of their idols? Benjamin Ivry examines our fascination with old performers

Should a musician’s artistry be questioned just because of the way they dress? Charivari encourages performers of whatever gender to express their personalities through the clothes they choose to wear on stage

Beatrice Rana is one of the brightest lights in a new generation of young stars of the piano, establishing her credentials in the music of Bach and displaying a level of depth and maturity that is uncommon in a 24-yearold. Jessica Duchen meets an artist who never fails to impress, both on stage and off

Russian-born pianist Anton Lyakhovsky provides a first-hand account of what it’s like to perform and record on the world’s first carbon fi bre piano – the Phoenix Carbiano

Bechstein is a name with a long and eminent history of pianomaking, but during the postwar era the company suffered a downturn in fortunes that took several decades to reverse. Now a new CEO is bringing the vision, energy and investment needed for Bechstein to look to the future with renewed vigour. Owen Mortimer reports

Time for a new piano, but do you buy acoustic or digital? Jeremy Nicholas hedges his bets as he waves farewell to his faithful childhood Blüthner and takes delivery of his shiny new Yamaha U1TA TransAcoustic, a bona fide acoustic upright which transforms into a digital powerhouse at the press of a pedal

Equal Temperament has become the universal though imperfect compromise in tuning modern pianos. There are, however, less distorting approaches: James Bacon assesses the Apental piano, which achieves greater purity by eliminating the fifth harmonic when a key is struck

Disarmingly simple but surprisingly effective, Townshend Piano Isolators have been shown to transform any piano for the better, bringing depth and clarity to sound with less effort from the player. Mark Swartzentruber puts the new equipment to the test

The Italian-American pianist Alessio Bax has gone back to his roots to become the new artistic director of the Incontri in Terra di Siena, an intimate chamber music festival with the unspoilt beauty of southern Tuscany as its backdrop. Michael White sets the scene

Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude (1847)

Critical success and public adulation has not made Angela Brownridge complacent, even when she’s playing favourite works from the core repertoire. Bryce Morrison discusses her latest recording project – one of familiar faces seen in a new light

An inspiring, intellectual performer, Maurizio Pollini has throughout his long career shown an exceptional grasp of complex musical structures, championing the piano repertoire’s most ambitious and substantial works. Benjamin Ivry assesses Pollini’s towering legacy, as captured in a major retrospective of recordings from Deutsche Grammophon

A pianist of great intensity and intuition, Alan Broadbent’s approach to performing has been profoundly influenced by his musical guru, Lennie Tristano, who taught the pianist that every single note counts. No serious jazz musician, says Broadbent, could ask for a better guide and mentor

Oleg Marshev’s musical tastes were consolidated during his student days in Moscow, harking back to a Golden Age of recordings by past masters who remind us of music’s ability to touch our very souls