The history of piano playing begins with the invention of the piano in the early 18th century. Before that, there were other keyboard instruments, such as the harpsichord and clavichord, which were popular during the Baroque era. However, they had significant limitations—they did not allow control over dynamics. Pressing a key always produced a sound of the same volume, which greatly restricted artistic expression.

The breakthrough came with the invention of Bartolomeo Cristofori, an Italian instrument maker working at the Medici court in Florence. Around 1700, he built the first working prototype of an instrument called gravicembalo col piano e forte (“harpsichord with soft and loud”), which later became simply known as the piano. The piano allowed playing both softly and loudly—depending on the force applied to the keys. This was a revolution in the world of keyboard music.

Cristofori was not only a constructor but also a musician. He tested his instrument himself, improved it over the years, and demonstrated its capabilities. Therefore, he can be considered the first pianist in history, though not in today’s concert sense of the word. However, none of his compositions or performance records have survived.

The first known composer and performer to use the new instrument and write music for it was Lodovico Giustini, an Italian musician who in 1732 published a collection of 12 sonatas written exclusively for the piano. This was the first such repertoire in history, showcasing the dynamic and expressive potential of the new instrument.

For several decades, the piano spread slowly—it was initially expensive and difficult to produce. Only toward the end of the 18th century did composers such as Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven begin to use it more widely. They not only wrote for the piano but also performed on it, developing performance technique. Beethoven in particular contributed to establishing the piano as a concert and solo instrument capable of profound emotional expression.

Thanks to these pioneers, the piano became the most important instrument in Western music for centuries to come, and the profession of pianist gained the status of artist and virtuoso.

In summary—Bartolomeo Cristofori can be considered the world’s first pianist, as he not only invented the piano but also played and demonstrated it. However, the first composer and professional performer to use the piano was Lodovico Giustini, whose works inaugurated a new era in the history of keyboard music.