person who plays the piano
from piano + -ist, piano from Italian 'soft'
A pianist makes the piano sing - they're the voice behind those soft and loud keys!
Piano performance was feminized in the 19th century (appropriate for women's 'genteel education') but virtuosic composition remained coded male. This created a hierarchy: female pianists performed male composers' works.
Use 'pianist' inclusively. When discussing classical music, credit female composers and performers equally; avoid framing performance as inherently feminine.
Women composers like Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn were skilled pianists who composed major works, yet histories often separate their performance careers from compositional legacies.
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