Far be it from me to comment on your jackassedness (I'll leave that for Stuart) but Kyle might be right when it comes to asking whether Ashkenazy is a household name in our mp3 age even though I agree Brian that he is probably the biggest name when it comes to the piano. Here's a list off the top of my head of 10 other still living and high profile pianists:

Angela Hewitt, Alfred Brendel, Yvgeny Kissin, Marc Andre Hamelin, Murray Perahia, Martha Argerich, Helene Grimaud, Mitsuko Uchida, Lang Lang and Emanuel Ax. There might be others who are better known that I have left off this list but is it possible to say that any of these are household names? Even mentioning the grand old man of classical music Rostropovich, who turned 80 the other day, would only pull quizzical looks from most people.

As for the poncy music played by Sharon Bezaly she is actually a flautist not a violinist and while we're on the topic of things poncy, a rock band named Bee and Flower?