Rubinstein, Artur (1887–1982)

Polish-born US pianist. Considered by many to be the greatest 20th-century piano virtuoso, he played with an intellectual and commanding tone, appeared in films, and made many distinctive recordings. He was a supreme interpreter of Chopin and was also acclaimed for his reading of modern Spanish composers. His early encounters with Joseph Joachim and the Belgian violinist, conductor, and composer Eugène Ysaÿe (1858–1931) link his interpretations of Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin with the virtuoso Romantic tradition. He was also a noted interpreter of de Falla.

He studied in Warsaw and Berlin. He made his US debut in 1906, but it was not until a concert at Carnegie Hall in 1937 that he was hailed as a genius in the USA. Rubenstein settled in Hollywood at the outbreak of World War II and became a citizen in 1946. His reputation grew until he was recognized as a great pianist in the 1950s, and for 85 of his 95 years he appeared with the world's major symphony orchestras. Rubenstein was awarded the US Medal of Freedom in 1976.