Great classical pianists

this young Russian pianist (he died) is especially loved in Japan... He has a special manner of performing (he was engaged in martial arts)... Chopin in his performance is a hit.
In this video, my favorite Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2

Gieseking for Beethoven. Most especially his 1944 'Emperor' with anti-aircraft cannons breaking through. Did not fully appreciate 'Emperor' till then.

There are so many great pianists that I find making comparisons to be somewhat silly. I’ve heard conservatory students who were amazing and many of them will go through life without getting the attention they deserve. As for those who enjoy stardom, I saw in concert Andre Watts, Helene Grimaud, Fredrick Rzewski. At the Theatre Champs Elysee in Paris I caught Elisabeth Leonskaja perform Beethoven Sonatas. Around 1983, I saw Paul Bley with Steve Swallow and Paul Motion in Greenwich Village at the Lush Lounge. The club was very small; Jaco Pastorius and myself sat together in the far back. Paul Bley is forever etched in my mind from that experience.

As far as recordings go, I’m loyal listener to; Clara Haskil, Edwin Fischer, Alexander Melnikov, Andras Schiff, Maurizio Pollini, Angela Hewett, Marc-Andre Hamlin, Artur Rubinstein and recently Anna Malikova, to name a few. 

Pascal Roge is great as well. His performances of Debussy, Poulenc and Ravel are tops in my book. 

Arrau in Op. 111 is one of my desert island discs