Blog

Discovering Federico Longás: from Barcelona to the World

For the first time in the history of the competition, the 2025 American Pianists Awards kick off the season with a free outdoor concert in downtown Indianapolis!

Understanding the stories behind compositions can make the listening experience more enriching. As we near the season announcement of the 2025 American Pianists Awards, we offer a glimpse of the concerti for the Premiere Series with a brief look into the lives of composers at the times they wrote these pieces.

In the Hall: photos from Sara Davis Buechner's "Of Pigs and Pianos"

The five finalists of the 2025 American Pianists Awards came together in New York on May 9 for publicity, professional development and their first performances together as a group. Take a peek at what happened!

In the Club: photos from the Bill Charlap Trio at the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis

Diving into the depths of her history and present-day beliefs, 1981 American Pianists Awards winner Sara Davis Buechner spoke with Lee Clifford about the unique blend of life and art in her autobiographical show, "Of Pigs and Pianos."

We are thrilled to announce the five finalists of the 2025 American Pianists Awards!

Pianist and composer Tadd Dameron once said “There is enough ugliness in the world, I’m interested in beauty.” With that sentiment in mind, here are Five Things to listen for in Dameron's treasured tune, "Our Delight."

A Musical Introduction to Cyrus Chestnut

In anticipation of an upcoming performance, Kenny Broberg shared insights during a conversation with Lee Clifford from the American Pianists Association. Following is an edited transcript of their chat which includes a sneak peek at a new project, his approach to the upcoming program and his connection with the pieces he has chosen to perform.

As the year draws to a close, it's time to celebrate the achievements of American Pianists Awards winners in 2023! We have witnessed a remarkable year of creative projects from recent winners, each showcasing their unique styles in highly lauded album releases. Let's dive into their latest.

Scenes from the Isaiah J. Thompson Quartet at The Jazz Kitchen

The American Pianists Association has received a donation of $2,748,000, a final gift from the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation that underscores Christel DeHaan's everlasting influence on our organization.

As the autumn nights get colder and winter approaches, 2023 American Pianists Awards winner Isaiah J. Thompson has created a warm and inviting musical space for all in his latest release, "A Guaraldi Holiday."

Drew Petersen offers Five Things to Listen for in "The Alcotts" by Charles Ives.

American Pianists Association Grand Encounters 23/24 season begins with a journey through romantic works by performed by the illustrious pianist Olga Kern. Designed as a celebration of the 150^th year since Rachmaninoff’s birth, highlights of the concert include Schumann’s Carnaval and Rachmaninoff’s Variations on a Theme of Corelli. Olga joined us after a recent performance in Chicago to discuss her connection to Rachmaninoff and her thoughts on performing those highlight pieces.

Lee Clifford, Director of Marketing for the American Pianists Association, recently joined our new CEO, Chris Williams, downtown Indianapolis. Over a cup of coffee, they delved into Chris' journey to the organization, his views on nurturing young talent and what he envisions for the future of jazz and classical music.

2004 American Pianists Awards winner Adam Birnbaum has created fresh, improvisatory arrangements of Bach for his latest album, "Preludes."

2011 American Pianists Awards winner Aaron Diehl's latest release features composer Mary Lou Williams' "Zodiac Suite" performed with NYC-based orchestra, The Knights.

Young stars, Grammy winners and trailblazers: Olga Kern, Isaiah J. Thompson, Kenny Broberg, Cyrus Chestnut, Bill Charlap and Sara Davis Buechner perform in our ninth edition of Grand Encounters!

“Goyescas” by Enrique Granados is a collection of piano pieces inspired by the paintings of Francisco Goya. The suite portrays the lives and passions of the majos, dashing folk of 18th-century Madrid who distinguished themselves by their exaggerated outfits and elaborate style in dress and manners. American Pianists Awards finalist Michael Davidman offers his thoughts on the piece to accompany his performance in this special edition of Five Things.

Violinist Maria Ioudenitch's debut album, “Songbird,” is a journey through song, with a thoughtfully curated collection of arrangements, untouched renditions and songful instrumental works. Maria’s friend and musical collaborator, 2021 American Pianists Awards winner Kenny Broberg, proved the perfect partner for this acclaimed project.

We are thrilled to announce that Chris Williams will step into the role of President and CEO of the American Pianists Association starting July 10, taking over for interim CEO Joanne Bennett.

Each piece in György Ligeti’s "Musica Ricercata" is built around a specific set of pitch classes, gradually increasing in complexity. Here are Five Things to listen for in a selection of pieces performed by American Pianists Awards finalist Henry Kramer.

We are filled with joy looking back on the 2023 American Pianists Awards! Caelan, Esteban, Paul, Thomas and Isaiah played brilliantly throughout the entire competition, and we are thrilled to see what comes next for each. We invite you to watch highlights from all of the performances and community engagement of the season and read coverage of Isaiah's thrilling win.

Isaiah J. Thompson Wins the 2023 American Pianists Awards

“Rio Sakairi has singlehandedly influenced New York's current jazz scene more than anyone I know," proclaims jazz pianist and 2013 MacArthur “genius" grant winner Vijay Iyer. We chatted with Rio ahead of her service on the 2023 American Pianists Awards finals jury.

Jazz House at the American Pianists Awards

Brent Wallarab, co-founder of the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, has been making custom big band arrangements for the American Pianists Awards since 2003. Go behind the scenes to learn about the process!