pianist

American  

[pee-an-ist, pyan-, pee-uh-nist] / piˈæn ɪst, ˈpyæn-, ˈpi ə nɪst /

noun

1. a person who plays the piano, especially one who performs expertly or professionally.

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pianist British  

/ ˈpɪənɪst /

noun

1. a person who plays the piano

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Etymology

Origin of pianist

1830–40; < French pianiste < Italian pianista. See piano ¹, -ist

Example Sentences

Paul Cummins, headmaster of a Santa Monica elementary school called St. Augustine-by-the-Sea, was in the market for a music teacher and a colleague suggested he call a Rustic Canyon pianist named Mary Ann.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

Dr Samantha Ege, pianist and music historian said Odeleye's performance in The Piano "shone a massive light on the Black women in classical music who came before her".

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

On a dreary February afternoon in Chinatown, Ben Lovett, pianist and keyboardist of the British folk-rock group Mumford & Sons, was hours away from releasing his band’s sixth album, “Prizefighter.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

Sedaka, an accomplished pianist, became a star in his own right in the early 1960s, with pop hits including "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do."

From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026

He was also an accomplished pianist, a devotee of Fats Waller, and capable of pulling off anything from swing tunes to Mendelssohn.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown