As we celebrate World Piano Day – the 88th day of the year (the number of keys on a standard piano), it’s the ideal time to share our new ‘alternative’ piano playlist, feature again the inspiring piano innovator Sarah Nicolls, and highlight our dedicated piano composing resources.
Alternative Piano Playlist
While the ‘Greats’ like Beethoven and Chopin are the bedrock of piano repertoire, there’s a vast world of evocative, boundary-pushing music that rarely makes it onto the standard playlist. To celebrate World Piano Day, I’ve curated an ‘alternative’ selection of tracks that venture off the beaten path, ranging from the lyrical sketches of Ryuichi Sakamoto and toe-tapping melodies of Jon Batiste to the syncopated rags of Elena Kats-Chernin and jazz-inspired soundtrack to The Firm by Dave Grusin.
These pieces aren’t just hidden gems for your own listening; they’re great tracks for bringing fresh curiosity in the classroom and showing them that the piano’s voice is far more diverse than they might expect.
Meet Piano Innovator Dr Sarah Nicolls
As part of our ‘Inspiring Women’ series for Women’s History Month, I chatted to composer, pianist and inventor, Dr Sarah Nicolls, who is reinventing the grand piano. You can hear one of her pieces in the playlist (above) and read all about her fascinating journey in our conversation earlier this month.
Start Composing For Piano – 10% off resources!
Our popular piano-writing resources are designed to support you with composing for piano, whether you’re an experienced pianist or complete beginner.
- Piano Accompaniment Patterns booklet: 20 different piano accompaniment patterns derived from a simple chord sequence.
- How to Write a Piano Accompaniment: self-paced online course with clear examples for both classical and popular styles, practical tasks and key terms.
For World Piano Day 2026 you can get 10% off these resources (please note: both resources are included in the Teacher Access Plan). Simply add what you need to your basket, proceed to checkout and add code: PIANO10 to the coupon code box (code valid until midnight GMT 30/04/26).
