I wasn't specific in the title because I'm not looking for anything specific. I want everything and anything that is piano based. I have little experience with music centered around this instrument and I would like to change that. From mainstream artists that everybody knows to artists that only you and your online BFF from Argentina have heard. Minimalist, virtuoso, singer/songwriter, melancholic, upbeat... From Warren Zevon to Chopin, if it's quality I want to hear it. Thanks in advance.

Well, an obvious start is Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

The soothing new age piano ambient of Steven Cravis certainly has its place in the hearts of me (and probobly others as well). Worth looking into for some fantasy stuff.

Try Eluvium. He does classical and ambient stuff.

A Whisper in the Noise

http://www.myspace.com/awitn

John Boswell - brilliant, melancholic solo piano.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8JCrE_FaRo

Alkan, as played by Hamelin:

http://www.amazon.com/Alkan-Grande-sona ... 730&sr=8-4

http://www.amazon.com/Alkan-Symphony-So ... 730&sr=8-3

This stuff is amazing. You wonder if somehow Hamelin had 28 fingers or something.

I recommend Sagittarius from Germany. They have a lot of songs based mainly on piano. Great stuff.

http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=18466

Maybe the album Open Window by Robert Rich might interest you. Its basicaly improvised piano playing containing both very rhythmic pieces and more mellow ones. i havent heard much of it myself but it can be worth checking I have heard it is very avant-garde in execution so be prepared

Van Morrison's "Moondance" is an excellent jazzy sort of Rock/Pop song you might enjoy.

Roberto Cacciapaglia is also worthy of listening. I discovered him only recently:
http://www.myspace.com/robertocacciapaglia

Check out Kátai Tamás - Erika szobája, it's mostly piano based, with parts reminiscent of Chopin. Here's a little sample.

The best piano works for me are Mozart's. Usually both moving and "virtuoso" works. As personal favourites I recommend Nº20 KV 466, Nº23 KV 488, Nº24 KV 491 and Nº 27 KV 595.

If you really want to see some more complex, virtuoso piano work, chopin's 2 concertos are great, and in a very different style Rachmaninov's 2nd, 3rd concertos.

Beethoven's 3dr movement in sonata "apassionata" could be seen as the thrash metal equivalent of piano sonatas, and the sonata is brilliant from beginning to end. Anyway any of Beethoven's sonatas will do.

Keep in mind that works change considerably depending on who is performing. Vladimir Ashkenazy and Alfred Brendel are excellent Mozart performers, and the album I got with Chopin's concertos performed by Evgeni Kissin is wonderful.

Yuhki Kuramoto plays some nice and "soft" contemporary classical stuff.

Sigur Ros' mid period stuff (Agaetis Bryjun, () and Takk...) have some beautiful piano based music. Try the songs Saeglopur, Untitled 1 or Staralfur.

I second Butkuiss's suggestion. Sigur Ros is amazing, and Staralfur is my favorite song by them.
I like Tori Amos too.
Try "Cooling":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSIty6Reils
Also, try "The Beauty of Speed":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVxwOSniACM
The album version has bass and percussion, and I think I prefer it, but this really shows off the piano playing for you.

Balmorhea is something I think you'd really enjoy.

http://www.last.fm/music/Balmorhea

Also, perhaps some Library Tapes?

http://www.last.fm/music/Library+Tapes


Also, I don't mean to thread jack this, but does anyone have any recommendations for piano focused hip-hop?

Try Warmen, Children of bodom's pianist's band. Beyond abilities sounds pretty good to me.