Greatest Classical Musicians of the Recording Era
Criteria: These Classical Music Musicians of the recording era were chosen and ranked for their skill, impact, influence, historical significance and lasting popularity.
Greatest Classical Pianists
1. Vladimir Horowitz
2. Arthur Rubinstein
3. Sergei Rachmaninoff
4. Sviatoslav Richter
5. Glenn Gould
6. Martha Argerich
7. Alfred Cortot
8. Dinu Lipatti
9. Emil Gilels
10. Claudio Arrau
11. Arthur Schnabel
12. Murray Perahia
13. Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
14. Wilhelm Kempff
15. Alfred Brendel
16. Maurizio Pollini
17. Radu Lupu
18. Daniel Barenboim
19. Vladimir Ashkenazy
20. Krystian Zimerman
21. Josef Hofmann
22. Lang Lang
23. Evgeny Kissin
24. Grigory Sokolov
25. Andras Schiff
26. Mitsuko Uchida
27. Leif Ove Andsnes
28. Myra Hess
29. Edwin Fischer
30. Yuja Wang
31. Alicia de Larrocha
32. Van Cliburn
33. Georges Cziffra
34. Stephen Hough
35. Walter Gieseking
36. Marc-André Hamelin
37. Clara Haskil
38. Ignaz Friedman
39. Maria João Pires
40. Wilhelm Backhaus
2. Arthur Rubinstein
3. Sergei Rachmaninoff
4. Sviatoslav Richter
5. Glenn Gould
6. Martha Argerich
7. Alfred Cortot
8. Dinu Lipatti
9. Emil Gilels
10. Claudio Arrau
11. Arthur Schnabel
12. Murray Perahia
13. Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli
14. Wilhelm Kempff
15. Alfred Brendel
16. Maurizio Pollini
17. Radu Lupu
18. Daniel Barenboim
19. Vladimir Ashkenazy
20. Krystian Zimerman
21. Josef Hofmann
22. Lang Lang
23. Evgeny Kissin
24. Grigory Sokolov
25. Andras Schiff
26. Mitsuko Uchida
27. Leif Ove Andsnes
28. Myra Hess
29. Edwin Fischer
30. Yuja Wang
31. Alicia de Larrocha
32. Van Cliburn
33. Georges Cziffra
34. Stephen Hough
35. Walter Gieseking
36. Marc-André Hamelin
37. Clara Haskil
38. Ignaz Friedman
39. Maria João Pires
40. Wilhelm Backhaus
Greatest Classical Organists
1. Marie-Claire Alain
2. Christopher Herrick
3. Peter Hurford
4. Ton Koopman
5. Simon Preston
6. Maurice Duruflé
7. Kevin Bowyer
8. Louis Vierne
9. Wolfgang Rübsam
10. Michael Murray
2. Christopher Herrick
3. Peter Hurford
4. Ton Koopman
5. Simon Preston
6. Maurice Duruflé
7. Kevin Bowyer
8. Louis Vierne
9. Wolfgang Rübsam
10. Michael Murray
Greatest Classical Violinists
1. Jascha Heifetz
2. Yehudi Menuhin
3. Itzhak Perlman
4. Isaac Stern
5. David Oistrakh
6. Fritz Kreisler
7. Nathan Milstein
8. Pablo de Sarasate
9. Eugene Ysaÿe
10. Joseph Szigeti
11. Leonid Kogan
12. Henryk Szeryng
13. Joseph Joachim
14. Arthur Grumiaux
15. Maxim Vengerov
16. Hilary Hahn
17. Zino Francescatti
18. Anne-Sophie Mutter
19. George Enescu
20. Gidon Kremer
21. Joshua Bell
22. Pinchas Zukerman
23. Kyung-Wha Chung
24. Mischa Elman
25. Ginette Neveu
26. Janine Jansen
27. Ivry Gitlis
28. Leonidas Kavakos
29. Nicola Benedetti
30. Michael Rabin
2. Yehudi Menuhin
3. Itzhak Perlman
4. Isaac Stern
5. David Oistrakh
6. Fritz Kreisler
7. Nathan Milstein
8. Pablo de Sarasate
9. Eugene Ysaÿe
10. Joseph Szigeti
11. Leonid Kogan
12. Henryk Szeryng
13. Joseph Joachim
14. Arthur Grumiaux
15. Maxim Vengerov
16. Hilary Hahn
17. Zino Francescatti
18. Anne-Sophie Mutter
19. George Enescu
20. Gidon Kremer
21. Joshua Bell
22. Pinchas Zukerman
23. Kyung-Wha Chung
24. Mischa Elman
25. Ginette Neveu
26. Janine Jansen
27. Ivry Gitlis
28. Leonidas Kavakos
29. Nicola Benedetti
30. Michael Rabin
Greatest Classical Violists
1. William Primrose
2. Lionel Tertis
3. Yuri Bashmet
4. Tabea Zimmermann
5. Nobuko Imai
6. Kim Kashkashian
7. Lawrence Power
8. Paul Hindemith
9. Paul Neubauer
10. Rebecca Clarke
2. Lionel Tertis
3. Yuri Bashmet
4. Tabea Zimmermann
5. Nobuko Imai
6. Kim Kashkashian
7. Lawrence Power
8. Paul Hindemith
9. Paul Neubauer
10. Rebecca Clarke
Greatest Classical Cellists
1. Pablo Casals
2. Mstislav Rostropovich
3. Yo-Yo Ma
4. Jacqueline du Pré
5. Mischa Maisky
6. Paul Tortelier
7. Gregor Piatigorsky
8. Emanuel Feuermann
9. Steven Isserlis
10. Pierre Fournier
11. Julian Lloyd Webber
12. János Starker
13. Truls Mørk
14. Heinrich Schiff
15. Lynn Harrell
16. Natalia Gutman
17. Gautier Capuçon
18. Beatrice Harrison
19. Alisa Weilerstein
20. Anner Bylsma
2. Mstislav Rostropovich
3. Yo-Yo Ma
4. Jacqueline du Pré
5. Mischa Maisky
6. Paul Tortelier
7. Gregor Piatigorsky
8. Emanuel Feuermann
9. Steven Isserlis
10. Pierre Fournier
11. Julian Lloyd Webber
12. János Starker
13. Truls Mørk
14. Heinrich Schiff
15. Lynn Harrell
16. Natalia Gutman
17. Gautier Capuçon
18. Beatrice Harrison
19. Alisa Weilerstein
20. Anner Bylsma
Greatest Classical Trumpeters
1. Maurice André
2. Wynton Marsalis
3. Sergei Nakariakov
4. Håkan Hardenberger
5. Timofei Dokschitzer
6. Alison Balsom
7. Adolph Herseth
8. Philip Smith
9. Rafael Méndez
10. Tine Thing Helseth
2. Wynton Marsalis
3. Sergei Nakariakov
4. Håkan Hardenberger
5. Timofei Dokschitzer
6. Alison Balsom
7. Adolph Herseth
8. Philip Smith
9. Rafael Méndez
10. Tine Thing Helseth
Greatest Classical French Horn Players
1. Dennis Brain
2. Barry Tuckwell
3. Hermann Baumann
4. Dale Clevenger
5. Philip Farkas
6. Radek Baborák
7. Sarah Willis
8. Stefan Dohr
9. Marie-Luise Neunecker
10. Radovan Vlatković
2. Barry Tuckwell
3. Hermann Baumann
4. Dale Clevenger
5. Philip Farkas
6. Radek Baborák
7. Sarah Willis
8. Stefan Dohr
9. Marie-Luise Neunecker
10. Radovan Vlatković
Greatest Classical Flutists
1. James Galway
2. Jean-Pierre Rampal
3. Georges Barrère
4. Emmanuel Pahud
5. Jeanne Baxtresser
6. Marcel Moyse
7. Jasmine Choi
8. Julius Baker
9. Paula Robison
10. Michel Debost
2. Jean-Pierre Rampal
3. Georges Barrère
4. Emmanuel Pahud
5. Jeanne Baxtresser
6. Marcel Moyse
7. Jasmine Choi
8. Julius Baker
9. Paula Robison
10. Michel Debost
Greatest Classical Clarinetists
1. Sabine Meyer
2. Martin Fröst
3. Richard Stoltzman
4. Karl Leister
5. Stanley Drucker
6. Sharon Kam
7. Harold Wright
8. Robert Marcellus
9. Charles Neidich
10. Gervase de Peyer
2. Martin Fröst
3. Richard Stoltzman
4. Karl Leister
5. Stanley Drucker
6. Sharon Kam
7. Harold Wright
8. Robert Marcellus
9. Charles Neidich
10. Gervase de Peyer
Greatest Classical Oboists
1. Heinz Holliger
2. Albrecht Mayer
3. Marcel Tabuteau
4. François Leleux
5. Alex Klein
6. Paul McCandless
7. Elaine Douvas
8. Katherine Needleman
9. Leon Goossens
10. Eugene Izotov
2. Albrecht Mayer
3. Marcel Tabuteau
4. François Leleux
5. Alex Klein
6. Paul McCandless
7. Elaine Douvas
8. Katherine Needleman
9. Leon Goossens
10. Eugene Izotov
Greatest Classical Bassoonists
1. Klaus Thunemann
2. Milan Turković
3. Julie Price
4. Judith LeClair
5. Gustavo Núñez
6. Albrecht Holder
7. William Waterhouse
8. Archie Camden
9. Bernard Garfield
10. Martin Gatt
2. Milan Turković
3. Julie Price
4. Judith LeClair
5. Gustavo Núñez
6. Albrecht Holder
7. William Waterhouse
8. Archie Camden
9. Bernard Garfield
10. Martin Gatt
Greatest Classical Harpists
1. Marcel Grandjany
2. Carlos Salzedo
3. Nicanor Zabaleta
4. Judy Loman
5. Henriette Renie
6. Lily Laskine
7. Isabelle Moretti
8. Susann McDonald
9. Xavier de Maistre
10. Catrin Finch
2. Carlos Salzedo
3. Nicanor Zabaleta
4. Judy Loman
5. Henriette Renie
6. Lily Laskine
7. Isabelle Moretti
8. Susann McDonald
9. Xavier de Maistre
10. Catrin Finch
Edited By: Brian
First published: 2025-01-21