I considered naming Ashkenazy, but I didn't. I'm not sure why, either.

Probably because he hasn't been "around" very much. We tend to think most of the people who've been right in front of us.

About some of the others:

Kocsis: I'd guess that most people just don't know of him that much. Not sure why not -- maybe because he is (I think) a 'quieter' kind of talent, nothing splashy.

Uchida: I would have mentioned her but just forgot. There's been some controversy about her 'facial expressions' and maybe that's a turn-off to some people.

Lang Lang: We're too sophisticated for him.
But in truth, come to think of it, he'd be in my honest top 10 of people I'd want to go and hear, out of curiosity if nothing else. Although, from what people say, I might very well decide I'd never want to hear him again....

Pletnev: I'd bet he would have been mentioned more if not for the 'incident' last year, even though as far as we really know, nothing might have happened. It's not just that his image suffered; it's also that his career has been a bit de-railed, and we just don't hear about him as much as we used to.

Six years ago I saw Lang Lang play in D.C. and was happy I was able to see
him "early on". Since then I came across a YouTube video of him playing the black key etude with an orange. I was furious...what was that all about...poor judgment to say the least. Then I watched some other of his videos & commented that, in his
heart, he knew that's not how he had been taught, etc. Well, as they say:
he's laughing all the way to the bank.

If someone else were paying (with an expensive dinner and French wine thrown in), I could be persuaded to see LL.

Freire was mentioned a few posts above. Now there's someone I'd like to see. His latest recordings have been of top notch quality, and there's a lotta cool stuff on YT.

BTW, nice job with those summaries!

AFAIK, he hasn't been playing in public for quite a while (since before that incident) and I think he said he was done with it for good.

I would doubt the "for good" part.

I don't mean I'm doubting that he might have said it -- I just don't know. Just whether it'll be the case.

We have it in our blood.

Christopher Shih, after winning the Cliburn amateur competition, apparently said he's not going to play for 3 years, which he later amended to mean as referring just to solo repertoire. That won't be the case either.