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List first:
 
Scott Cossu
Phil Coulter
Kevin Kern
David Lanz
Liz Story
Jim Brickman
Richard Clayderman
Danny Wright
George Winston
John Tesh
Rob Costlow
David Nevue
Robin Spielberg
Yiruma
Daydream/ Renodia
John Boswell
Jim Gibson
Dustin O'Halloran
 
Ludovico Einaudi
Ryuichi Sakamoto
 
Explanations:
 
I use the term “New Age” liberally and loosely here. As you may already know, George Winston’s style is different from Jim Brickman’s, and more so from Richard Clayderman’s. Some may refer to Jim Brickman’s style as “Soft contemporary”, while others may refer to Richard Clayderman’s style as “semi-classical/easy-listening classical”. Let us be liberal with the categorization here and recommend whatever piano music that sounds good and has a similar style.
 
Thank you for reading / contributing to this thread.

 

[tzjin]

I wholeheartedly approve of this thread.

You have a pretty comprehensive list, so no new artists, just +1 for Ludovico Einaudi and Yiruma!
 

 

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The following 5 are some of my favorite albums of New Age piano:
 





 
Please note that I tend to like happier and more fluid style when it comes to piano. My recommendations reflect that preference. I tend not to like the following styles: dark, minimalistic, overly repetitive or slow. I listen to classical piano as well, however I would only discuss New Age piano here since there have been some good discussions on classical piano here at Headfi (while none on New Age piano).

 

[zzffnn]

I also like this compilation album:
 

 
This "20 Years of Narada Piano" is a compilation album recommended by Headfi'er Happy Camper. The funny thing is that I prefer this compilation album than the individual albums from those "Narada" artists (except for individual albums from David Lanz, Mia Jang and David Arkenstone).
 
I also found a professional piano teacher (Kathy Parsons) who reviewed lots of Amazon piano albums:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/AF74UAKV3Q3W0/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp
 
She has her own web site which reviewed lots of new/"unknown" piano albums. I have not heard most of those albums, but I picked two random albums from her recommendation list and I like them a lot:
http://www.mainlypiano.com/Mainly_Piano/Kathys_2011_Favorites.html

 

[Happy Camper]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YuWI3nWyF8

Ryan Farish-Pacific Wind

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60M-KZUcFqQ&feature=related

Yanni-Felitsa

http://www.newagepiano.net/wocms.php?siteID=44&viewArtistID=110&viewAlbumID=430

Interesting if meditative and relaxing.

 

[zzffnn]

^ Thanks Happy Camper for chiming in! I like that piano/string interplay in Yanni - Felitsa.

 

[Lux Nocte]

Yanni - Enchantment is actually one I am currently practicing. I got to see a Yanni concert just last summer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9slanQ4UF0

When thinking about Celtic music, piano will be the last thing to pop into your head. I found one artist, Michele McLaughlin who implements Celtic styles into piano superbly.

Across the Burren:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjFCMNQkyJE

The north sea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbeMR-2H8uM


And Jennifer Thomas who implements classical styles, also has some great songs

Illumination
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH81mKKK9Go

A Beautiful Storm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUKcPqPaCu0

 

[zzffnn]

Thanks Lux Nocte. I like that "A Celtic Dream" album by Michele McLaughlin. The Youtube video of "The north sea" that you linked to shows some stunning scenic photos as well.
 

 
Indeed, I have not heard any Celtic piano so far.

 

[zzffnn]

The following album presents a good contemporary interpretation of classical piano works:

 

[fatcat28037]

This is a great Windham sampler, available used on Amazon for $3.88. http://www.amazon.com/Sundown-Windham-Hill-Piano-Collection/dp/B000H0MKH4/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1346639134&sr=1-1&keywords=sundown+piano
 

 

[Norbert]

William Ackerman, "Imaginery Roads" is the most emotional album I ever heard. It came out on the Windham Hill label. One word: pathos.

 

[Norbert]

Well I got carried away and off the topic of this thread. Ackerman plays guitar although there are some piano parts. Apologies. But don't let that stop you from sampling this amazing album. I love all the Windham Hill stuff.

 

[shockdoc]

+1 David Lanz. George Winston, Jim Brickman

 

[FalconP]

Scott Cossu is to me the best pianist under the Windham Hill stable, especially the albums She Describes Infinity and Reunion.
 
Ketil Bjørnstad comes from a jazz/classical background, but most of his works falls pretty much in the new age style.  Try Epigraph or The River.
 
Phil Coulter might be the grand daddy of new-age style Celtic launch music.  His Tranquility series sell like hot cakes.  Pianist Paul Machlis has one new-age outing, Greenwoods, which I love to bits, but he chiefly works in the Celtic trad scene.
 
Two notable pianists from the old Narada label are Michael Gettel and Wayne Gratz.  Both have some interesting chamber-music style works, just stay away from the collection of cover versions that Gratz put out to get out of his contract.
 
The label Real Music has been signing one pianist after another: David London, Omar Akram and Kenio Fuke.  I have an album from each of them that I unfortunately haven't find the time to listen.

 

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Quote:

Scott Cossu is to me the best pianist under the Windham Hill stable, especially the albums She Describes Infinity and Reunion.
 
Ketil Bjørnstad comes from a jazz/classical background, but most of his works falls pretty much in the new age style.  Try Epigraph or The River.
 
Phil Coulter might be the grand daddy of new-age style Celtic launch music.  His Tranquility series sell like hot cakes.  Pianist Paul Machlis has one new-age outing, Greenwoods, which I love to bits, but he chiefly works in the Celtic trad scene.
 
Two notable pianists from the old Narada label are Michael Gettel and Wayne Gratz.  Both have some interesting chamber-music style works, just stay away from the collection of cover versions that Gratz put out to get out of his contract.
 
The label Real Music has been signing one pianist after another: David London, Omar Akram and Kenio Fuke.  I have an album from each of them that I unfortunately haven't find the time to listen.

Great recommendation as usual, FalconP. Thank you!
I love albums by Scott Cossu and Phil Coulter. Shame on me for missing these two heavy-hitters from the opening post.
I like Omar Akram's Secret Journey as well, it is upbeat (comprising piano, violin, percussion, guitar, winds, ect) and has an ethnic twist.