1925
Born in New York, on November 26, to Russian parents who emigrated after the Revolution.
1932
Begins his education with Siloti, a former student of Liszt who had been the central figure of St Petersburg’s musical life for several decades.
1939
Enters the Curtis Institute in Rudolf Serkin’s class.
1943
Wins the two most important American competitions and makes his debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic.
1944 & 1945
Two major tours with the Busch Chamber Players conducted by Adolf Busch. First record (Bach, Concerto in D minor BWV 1052).
1946
First recital at Carnegie Hall.
1947
Rodzinski, music director of the New York Philharmonic, asks his most influential colleagues (Koussevitsky, Monteux, Szell, Mitropoulos, Dorati) to invite Istomin. Numerous Community Concerts throughout the United States.
1948
Two recitals at Carnegie Hall, in February and December. Prolonged stay in France and Italy, for his own pleasure, without giving any concerts.
1950
Youngest participant at the Prades Festival. Spends the whole summer with Casals.
1951
Numerous recordings, in solo (Brahms’ Handel Variations), concerto (Mozart K. 449 under Casals), and chamber music (five trios by Beethoven and Schubert with Casals). Spends two weeks on holiday in Greece, discovering ancient Greek civilization.
1953
Takes over the artistic direction of the Prades Festival. In December, plays the Brahms Second Concerto in New York with Szell, the Chopin Second in Detroit with Paray and the Beethoven Fourth in Philadelphia with Ormandy.
1954
His recital in London is awarded the Harriet Cohen Prize for the best recital of the season.
1955
Beginning of a regular collaboration with Munch and the Boston Symphony. First tours in South America and South Africa. Records the complete Chopin Nocturnes for Columbia.
1956
First major tour in Asia (fifty concerts). Organizes a series of concerts for Clara Haskil in the USA. Time Magazine publishes his profile. His recording of Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Concerto becomes a best-seller.
1957
Participates in the first Casals Festival in Puerto Rico. Spends the summer in Marlboro. Appears on the cover of Musical America.
1958
Records Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto with Ormandy.
1959
Records Tchaikovsky’s 1st Concerto and the Chopin Concerto No. 2 with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Ormandy.
1960
Supports Kennedy in the presidential campaign. Records the Schumann Concerto with Bruno Walter. Conflict with Columbia and cancellation of subsequent projects.
1961
Performs with 12 different American orchestras. Launch of the Istomin-Stern-Rose Trio in Israel and London.
1962
Trio debut in the USA (Metropolitan Museum, Carnegie Hall, White House). Recital at the first Athens Festival, in Herod Atticus Theatre.
1963
Cultural Ambassador to Bulgaria and the Middle East.
1964
Gives seven concerts with the Philadelphia Orchestra and six with the Boston Symphony. Supports Johnson and Humphrey against Goldwater in the presidential elections.
1965
Tour in Russia and Romania in the spring. Beginning of his friendship with the painter Avigdor Arikha and writer Samuel Beckett. At Rubinstein’s request, adds Szymanowski’s Symphonie Concertante to his repertoire.
1966
Summer residency in Meadow Brooke with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Trio and its students (Pommier, Zukerman and Harrell).
1967
After the military coup in Greece, welcomes his friend Manos Hadjidakis to his apartment in New York. Fulfills the contract signed by the Trio for two concerts at Herod Atticus’ Theatre, but from then on refuses to play in Greece.
1968
Chairman of the Arts and Letters Committee supporting Humphrey’s candidacy for the presidential election. Records the Beethoven Fourth Concerto for the 25th anniversary of his debut.
1969
A year rich in recordings: Schubert (Trio D. 929 and Sonata D. 850); Beethoven (Trios, Violin and Cello Sonatas); Songs by Ned Rorem.
1970
Beethoven Year. The Trio Istomin-Stern-Rose presents his complete chamber music with piano in four series of eight concerts (London, Paris, Switzerland and Carnegie Hall).
1971
Willing to go and play in China, but the State Department refuses. The Trio inaugurates the Kennedy Center and tours Japan. Profile in The New York Times entitled Istomin: ‘I like to be Alone’. Grammy Award for the complete Beethoven Trios.
1972
Series of televised concerts at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées with the ORTF Chamber Orchestra conducted by Schneider.
1973
Triumphant recitals in Chicago and Carnegie Hall.
1974
Accepts invitation to play in Germany for the first time.
1975
Marries Marta Casals on February 15.
1976
Plays for the first time in Spain, finally liberated from Franco. Organizes the Casals Days in Mexico for the centennial of Casals’ birth.
1977
Improvises an accompaniment for Luciano Pavarotti during a social evening. First concert under Rostropovich.
1978
Gives nearly a hundred concerts with orchestra.
1979
In the aftermath of the Israeli-Egyptian Peace Treaty, gives a recital and masterclasses in Cairo and Jerusalem and tries to establish ongoing musical relations between the two countries. Becomes an adviser to Jovanovich, president of HBJ Publishing.
1980
Last tour of the Trio. Performs Tchaikovsky’s Concerto again for Carnegie Hall’s 90th anniversary. Supervises the reprinting in facsimile of Joseph Conrad’s complete works.
1981
At Rostropovich’s request, replaces Serkin for Reagan’s inaugural concert.
1982
Numerous recitals, notably in London (Queen Elizabeth Hall) and Chicago (Orchestra Hall).
1983
Plays Rachmaninoff’s Fourth Concerto for the first time, under Rostropovich and Zinman. Completes the recording of the Beethoven Violin Sonatas with Stern.
1984
Spends the summer in Marlboro. Buys the Steinway CD 18 which had belonged to Horowitz and on which he recorded Rachmaninoff’s Concerto in 1956.
1985
Member of the American delegation to the Budapest Cultural Forum, where he defends Václav Hável’s cause. Takes over the direction of the University of Maryland Festival and Competition, to which he gives the name of William Kapell.
1986
Commissions a prelude from Henri Dutilleux.
1987
Long tours in Italy (February and October). Recital at Carnegie Hall on May 9.
1988
Beginning of extended tours using a truck to transport his own pianos throughout the USA. Two series of forty concerts. At the end of the year, performs in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
1989
Continuation of the truck tours, punctuated by sold out recitals at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall.
1990
Participates in the Evian Festival for Stern’s 70th birthday, playing Beethoven’s Archduke Trio again with Stern and Rostropovich. Organizes a concert at the Juilliard School in homage to Alexander and Kyriena Siloti.
1991
Lengthy truck tours across the United States. Participates in the Carnegie Hall Centennial Gala. Beethoven recital at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in October. In June, records the Beethoven Sonatas Nos. 14, 21 and 31.
1992
Continuation of the truck tours. Participation in the Evian and Puerto Rico festivals.
1993
Truck tours in January-February, April and September. Recital at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in homage to Casals.
1994
Last truck tour. Last concerts with Rostropovich and the National Symphony, at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall.
1995
Records the Mozart Concertos 21 & 24 with the Seattle Symphony conducted by Gerard Schwarz.
1996
Tour in Europe (Spain, Switzerland, France, Italy, Netherlands). For the first time, plays the Prelude dedicated to him by Henri Dutilleux in the presence of the composer.
1997
Frequent appearances in Europe (Italy, England, Poland). Participates in the Evian Festival. Undergoes major surgery on his thumb.
1998
Tour in Italy, France and Spain in the fall.
1999
Series of masterclasses at the Manhattan School of Music.
2000
Awarded Knight of the Legion of Honor. Jubilee in New York for his 75th birthday, at Rostropovich’s initiative. Pays tribute to Paul Paray by recording his Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra.
2001
Inauguration of the renovated Casals Museum in Sant Salvador, with Rostropovich. In December, records the first part of the Great Conversations in Music at the Library of Congress, devoted to the piano.
2002
Revelation of his liver cancer in March. Continues the series of Great Conversations with composers, chamber musicians, and conductors.
2003
Death in Washington, D.C. on October 10.