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Eugene Istomin was long acknowledged as a leading pianist
of the 20th Century. A rare combination of virtuosity, poetic insight
and aristocratic style won him international acclaim as a recitalist,
orchestral soloist, and chamber musician. |
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Born in New York City of Russian parents who were both professional
singers, Mr. Istomin's prodigious musical gifts were discovered at
age six by Alexander Siloti, the distinguished Russian pedagogue.
At the age of twelve, he was accepted by
the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia to study with Rudolf Serkin and
Mieczyslaw Horzowski. |
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Mr.
Istomin came to national attention at age seventeen, as a
result of winning both the Leventritt and Philadelphia Orchestra
Youth Awards, making sensational debuts in the same week with both
the Philadelphia and New York Philharmonic Orchestras.
In
1950, he was the youngest performer at the fist Prades Festival
under the artistic direction of Pablo Casals.
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From then he gave more than 4,000 concerts with the world's leading
orchestras and appeared in recital
on six continents.
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He had the unique musical experience of peforming with such legendary
conductors as Bruno Walter, Fritz Reiner, George Szell, Charles Munch,
Dimitri Mitropolous, Eugene Ormandy, and Leonard Bernstein - in brief,
a who's who of great maestros.
That list continues up to our time. Eminent composers Henri Dutilleux,
Roger Sessions, and Ned Rorem, among others, have written and dedicated
works to him. |
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No less impressive
than his career as a soloist were his celebrated performances with
the legendary Istomin - Stern - Rose Trio, which was formed in 1960
with his friends Isaac Stern and Leonard Rose.
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Many of their
recordings are still held as exemplifying the highest standards
in music-making. In addition to his music, Mr. Istomin had a serious
interest in the visual arts, literature, and history.
He was passionate about sports, particularly baseball.
All of these diverse interests enriched his life as well as his
friendships.
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He participated in many significant world events as a cultural ambassador
around the
world under the presidencies of Eisenhower, Kennedy,Johnson, Nixon,
Carter,
and Reagan.
He played at the White House
and performed on three important occasions at the United Nations
General Assembly in New York.
He was also an
active participant
in numerous events to promote
culture and education.
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In 1988 he embarked on an unprecedented undertaking of a four - month
solo recital tour of thirty cities throughout North America, accompanied
by his own piano technician and using a specially fitted truck carrying
two Steinway concert grand pianos.
Mr. Istomin was keenly aware that great music belongs in the musical
life of the music centers. In his own words,
"instrumentally speaking, this helps to bring the standards of
a New York or Paris concert to large cities as well as the most modest
venue." He continued these tours for eight
consecutive years.
Over the course of his long career, Mr. Istomin made dozens of recordings,
including concertos, solo works, and his famous trio's extensive survey
of the chamber music literature.
In 2001 he recorded three additional concerti with orchestra, including
the Paul Paray Fantaisie for piano and orchestra, never recorded before,
with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra with Jean-Bernard Pommier conducting.
Mr. Istomin, who had been suffering from liver cancer, died
aged 77 on October 10th, 2003 in Washington D. C. |
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