Eugene Istomin

Eugene George Istomin (November 26, 1925 – October 10, 2003) was an American pianist born in New York City of Russian-Jewish parents. He was famous for his work in the trio, with Isaac Stern and Leonard Rose, known as the Istomin-Stern-Rose Trio, with whom he made many recordings, and particularly of music by Beethoven, Brahms and Schubert. He also played with them in orchestral music, with conductors such as Eugene Ormandy, Bruno Walter and also as a soloist.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His earliest public performances were from age 6 with his mother, and at 12 he entered the Curtis Institute. He studied under Rudolf Serkin and also Mieczyslaw Horzowski.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1943 he won the Leventritt award, and also the Philhadelphia Youth Award. He made his debuts with the Philadelphia Orchestra with Eugene Ormandy, playing a concerto by Chopin, and the New York Philharmonic conducted by Artur Rodzinski playing Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2 in the same week in 1943.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He commissioned and premiered Roger Sessions' piano concerto in 1956. Several other composers, including Henri Dutilleux, and Ned Rorem wrote music for him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He won a Grammy Award in 1970 with the trio, for their recordings of Beethoven.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He married Marta Monta?ez (Marta Casals Istomin), the widow of Pablo Casals, on February 15, 1975. She is the president of the Manhattan School of Music former artistic director of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. He moved to Washington in 1980.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the 1980s and 1990s he gave recital tours in which he toured 30 American cities with his own pianos and piano tuner.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He received the French Legion d'Honneur in 2001.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He died of liver cancer in 2003 at his home in Washington.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1925: 1925 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar)....

October 10: October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in Leap years). There are 82 days remaining....

2003: 2003(MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. It was designated the:...

Eugene Istomin related Images and Photos (experimental)

Eugene O'Neill	Eugene-Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte (1856-79) 1874	Francois Eugene Vidocq c.1830-40	Ambassadeurs Eugene Buffet 1893
Portrait of Eugene Sue (1804-57) 1837	Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann	Eugene #121 - Running Around ©Photofile	Bust of Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863)
Service Eugene Rousseau Ridges; Set of Dessert Plates	Eugene Venues in Scottish Costume Standing Walking	Images of Labor - Eugene V. Debs	Portrait of Eugene Delacroix