Many of us have dabbled in piano at one point or another. This could be as simple as jamming out "Chopsticks" with a buddy, figuring out our favorite tunes, or even committing to formal lessons.
The piano plays a role in every Western musical tradition, spanning from classical compositions to jazz and extending into the popular tunes of our current era.
According to online sources, up to 40 million individuals reportedly play the piano. While the statistics may not be entirely reliable, there’s no question that it ranks among the most beloved musical instruments globally.
Moreover, this instrument holds great significance for many individuals.
"Throughout my life, it has served as a strong emotional and artistic reference point for me," remarks ABC broadcaster Jeremy Fernandez, who began studying the instrument at age seven.
The Australian concert pianist Tamara-Anna Cislowska began her musical journey at around 18 months of age and performed her initial recording with the ABC when she was merely three years old.
She believes that individuals form such deep connections with the instrument because "the piano has the ability to comprehend and convey genuine emotions."
ABC Classic is celebrating the piano in its annual poll to find Australia's favourite classical music, the Classic 100.
Each year, the network invites Australians to cast votes for their favorite music based on a specific theme, with the top 100 revealed over two days. For 2025, the chosen theme revolves around the piano.
To pay tribute to this multifaceted and cherished instrument, we delve into a concise history of the piano’s role in music.
The pianos we recognize today are a fairly modern creation.
The piano as we recognize it today came about around 1700, but it wasn’t until the 1800s that it evolved into its current form. However, keyboard instruments and their repertoire date back much earlier than these dates suggest.
Perhaps the most renowned and cherished among pianists is the work of Johann Sebastian Bach, an composer active with keyboard instruments such as the organ, harpsichord, and clavichord towards the end of the 1600s and beginning of the 1700s.
This composition continues to inspire pianists even today, with works like the widely celebrated Well-Tempered Clavier collections and the Goldberg Variations remaining highly influential.
Bach's compositional underpinnings form the basis for much of the music enjoyed currently. Elements from his work appear in pieces by musicians like The Beatles, Lady Gaga, among others.
Cislowska similarly highlights Domenico Scarlatti, an composer from the same era. She acknowledges Scarlatti for showcasing the potential of the piano.
He introduced various groundbreaking techniques such as repeating notes or crossing over the hands. These were not done previously until Scarlatti came along.
Primarily, Bach composed his works with a divine inspiration aimed at glorifying God; however, it was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who elevated the piano to an almost legendary stature towards the end of the 18th century.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart exhibited exceptional talent from a young age. He stood out as one of the finest organists and performers of his era, entertaining many prominent personalities across Europe.
In Bach's time, the keyboard frequently played a supportive role alongside other instruments within ensembles or orchestras. It was thanks to Mozart that the piano took center stage and became renowned through the popularity of the piano concerto.
It is said that Mozart’s sister, Nannerl, was also a remarkable keyboard player, often performing alongside her brother during their youth tours. Although none of her compositions have endured over time, indications suggest she engaged in composing herself. Some academics even speculate that she may have had a hand in writing parts of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s works.
Although he passed away at the young age of 35, Mozart composed an impressive number of 27 piano concertos along with numerous piano sonatas and other keyboard works that continue to be cherished today. Among these compositions are pieces such as his Rondo alla Turca sonata or his variations based on the well-known French nursery rhyme Ah! vous dirai-je, maman, which many will recognize as the melody for Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
Following closely behind Mozart was Ludwig van Beethoven, another remarkable pianist. His compositions for the piano, coupled with advancements in the instrument such as sturdier structures and richer tones, pushed the boundaries of what the piano could achieve.
Much of his compositions were crafted specifically for his piano pupils during the early 1800s, and this body of work remains fundamental for aspiring musicians even now. It’s almost inevitable that nearly every individual who has taken piano tutorials would have attempted to perform Beethoven'sFür Eliseor theMoonlight Sonata.
Yet his compositions were equally capable of being explosive and passionate, much like his subsequent piano sonatas.
Much of Beethoven's later, and more difficult, music was written when he was completely deaf.
As we enter the 19th century, Beethoven's later piano compositions reveal their dramatic essence anew.
Music evolves into something more liberated and emotionally resonant. It also grows in technical complexity, resulting in the emergence of piano performance stars.
The elusive Frédéric Chopin composed music that continues to challenge piano techniques even now and infused the instrument with fresh poetic expression. Spanning from the intimate lyrical quality of his Preludes and Nocturnes to the virtuosic brilliance of his Waltzes, Polonaises and Études, his compositions covered an impressive range.
Much of Chopin's innovation is attributed to Cislowska by the use of the sustain pedal, allowing the notes from the instrument to resonate for an extended duration.
She explains that he discovered the essence of the piano since using the pedal and playing it in a specific manner allows one to make it sound more akin to the human voice.
Remove the pedal, and the piano loses its life.
At around the same time as the excitement builds among fans at his shows.
As per Cislowska, 'Liszt likely had a greater impact on music and all facets of musical performances than most others have.'
Liszt set the stage for the modern-day concert pianist, yet Cislowska notes, “He was far more than merely a pianist.”
His piano transcriptions aided in introducing works such as Beethoven’s symphonies and Wagner’s operas to fresh listeners. Additionally, he was an advocate for fellow musicians including Chopin and Clara and Robert Schumann, often featuring their compositions along with his own during performances.
At around the same period, a young Clara Wieck (later known as Clara Schumann after her marriage to another pianist named Robert Schumann) gained recognition as an acclaimed traveling musician. She is acknowledged for championing the custom of performing musical pieces from memory during recitals.
As a distinguished composer herself, much of Schumann’s music was overlooked following her passing. However, her compositions are now regaining recognition as current artists advocate for her work.
Subsequently arriving was the renowned Russian composer Rachmaninoff. His compositions can be quite intimidating for performers due to their extensive finger stretches and numerous notes.
Many believe it’s incredibly skilled music. However, that’s not true; they simply can’t perform it due to lacking fingers akin to Rachmaninov’s... he had the ability to execute fingerings others couldn’t even attempt,” explains Cislowska.
Fifty years after Liszt left audiences dazzled with his virtuosic piano performances, French composers began steering the instrument towards a different path.
Fernandez was unable to choose just one favorite from the piano repertoire, but he mentions, "I do have a soft spot for Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel because their music has such an ethereal quality."
Inspired by fellow artists surrounding them, such as painter Claude Monet, composers like Erik Satie and his colleague Debussy concentrated on expressing moods and atmospheres through symbolic means. Additionally, they incorporated elements of music from non-Western traditions and ragtime into their work.
The composition utilized contemporary enhancements to the piano, such as the sostenuto pedal (found on most grand pianos, which enables specific notes to continue sounding after being struck) to generate layers of tone and musical hues.
At the forefront was the unconventional Satie, whose compositions such as his cherished Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes were inspired by ancient and mystical sources.
Debussy’s expressive compositions frequently featured vivid titles such as “The Sunken Cathedral” and “The Girl with the Flaxen Hair.”
Even if you believe you have no knowledge of classical music, you would likely recognize his piece called Clair de Lune [Moonlight].
The music has appeared numerous times on-screen, ranging from the cringe-worthy chat between Edward and Bella in Twilight to the bizarre toe dance by Jamie Lee Curtis in Everything Everywhere All at Once’s hot-dog finger dimension.
At around the same period in North America, pianists such as Scott Joplin were instrumental in promoting music rooted in African-American traditions.
The piano played a crucial role in defining the sound of ragtime and is recognized as a distinctively American musical genre.
Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag was among the earliest published musical pieces to become a hit, with many asserting it was the first instrumental composition to achieve sales exceeding a million copies.
Ragtime and Joplan's compositions later influenced early jazz as well as American composers such as George Gershwin.
Gershwin's iconic
Rhapsody in Blue
closed the divide between classical and jazz through its rich melody and jazzy harmonies.
It may be familiar to you through Disney's "Fantasia," or perhaps Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby." Additionally, it was showcased during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, played by 84 pianists.
The initial piano arrived in Australia in 1788, and this instrument has steadfastly become an integral part of the country’s musical landscape ever since.
Numerous composers have drawn inspiration from the Australian landscape, like Miriam Hyde's "Reflected Reeds," which captures the essence of the Sydney scenery, or much of Peter Sculthorpe's compositions.
Fernandez mentions that he also detects these influences in the work of pianist Nat Bartsch. He explains, "To me, her compositions capture the essence of the Australian scenery with vibrant depictions, expressing a deep wellspring of affection and gentleness within her heart."
Numerous composers have incorporated elements from their multicultural backgrounds, such as Elena Kats-Chernin, who was born in Uzbekistan but has been influenced by her time in Russia, Australia, and Germany. Her compositions reflect the rich tapestry of her life experiences.
One instance is her piece "Russian Rag" for piano, which builds upon the ragtime style pioneered by composers such as Joplin. However, Kats-Chernin has mentioned that it also incorporates elements of Russian café music.
Australian piano music often draws inspiration from the traditional compositions of Indigenous peoples, yet in recent times, more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians are using the piano as a tool to share their own narratives directly.
In 2020, four First Nations composers explored 250 years of intertwined Indigenous and European history through compositions performed on a 250-year-old square piano. The artists—Rhyan Clapham, Elizabeth Sheppard, Tim Gray, and Nardi Simpson—each contributed distinct narratives to this historical instrument, which mirrors the first piano to reach Australian shores in 1788.
Since the early days of cinema, the piano has been present. Initially accompanying silent films with live music, it remains a crucial element in composing music for films, television shows, and video games.
The beloved French film Amélie would lose its magic without the upbeat, fanciful piano soundtrack, and Michael Nyman’s composition "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" has turned into a must-play piece.
The piano plays a crucial role in Joe Hisaishi's compositions for the cherished Studio Ghibli movies.
In 2020, he shared with ABC Classic's Dan Golding, 'The piano is highly responsive.' It carries the tune beautifully, making the visual realm come to life effortlessly.'
Over the past ten years, the piano has experienced a revival in appeal. Concerts featuring pianist-composers such as Ludovico Einaudi, Max Richter, Yiruma, and Hania Rani are now just as common with sellout crowds as performances by the newest indie-pop stars.
Einaudi tops the charts as the most-streamed classical musician ever, ranking above legends such as Bach and Beethoven.
Cislowska believes that in our "noisy world," it's intriguing how listeners are drawn to these pianists who incorporate extensive repetition into their compositions.
"When you gravitate towards hearing repetitive sounds it's because it helps you to turn inward. You can go within instead of being forced to be without all the time," she suggests.
Cislowska feels that with the piano "the opportunities are limitless."
There is an abundance of piano music waiting to be discovered. The repertoire we frequently discuss and listen to, as outlined in this concise history, only touches the tip of the iceberg.
She mentions that they only perform pieces by a few composers, and even then, only select works.
The Classic 100: Piano offers you an opportunity to find some fresh favorites.
Voting has begun for the Classic 100: Piano category. The ballot includes more than 400 compositions available for listening on the voting roster; these selections will be featured throughout the coming month on ABC Classic. From June 7th to 8th, you can tune into ABC Classic or use the ABC listen app to discover what secured the top 100 spots during those dates.
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