Biography
Arthur Rubinstein (Polish: Artur Rubinstein; 28 January 1887 – 20 December 1982) was a Polish-American pianist widely recognized as one of history's greatest pianists. He gained international fame for his performances of works by numerous composers and is often considered among the finest interpreters of Chopin of his era. His public career spanned eight decades.
Born in Łódź, Congress Poland (then part of the Russian Empire) on 28 January 1887, Rubinstein came from a Jewish family as the youngest of seven children of Felicja Blima Fajga (née Heiman) and Izaak Rubinstein, who owned a small textile factory.
Originally intended to be named Leo, his eight-year-old brother insisted he be called Artur, inspired by a neighbor's son who played the violin beautifully. Consequently, he was known as Artur, though in English-speaking countries he preferred Arthur Rubinstein. His U.S. promoter, Sol Hurok, insisted on the name Artur for billing, and recordings were released under both spellings.
From the age of two, Rubinstein displayed absolute pitch and fascination with the piano, observing his older sister's lessons. By four, he was acknowledged as a child prodigy. Though his father favored the violin and offered him one, Rubinstein declined, feeling drawn to harmony and polyphony. The Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim, impressed by the four-year-old's piano playing, told the family, "This boy may become a very great musician—he certainly has the talent for it... When the time comes for serious study, bring him to me, and I shall be glad to supervise his artistic education." Rubinstein debuted publicly on 14 December 1894 at age seven, performing works by Mozart, Schubert, and Mendelssohn.
At ten, Rubinstein moved to Berlin to advance his studies and made his first appearance with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1900, aged 13. Joachim recommended Karl Heinrich Barth as his piano teacher. Through Barth, Rubinstein was connected to an illustrious pedagogical lineage tracing back to Beethoven via Liszt and Czerny.
In 1904, Rubinstein relocated to Paris to pursue his career, where he met composers Maurice Ravel and Paul Dukas, as well as violinist Jacques Thibaud. He performed Camille Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 in the composer's presence. Through Juliusz Wertheim's family, whose appreciation of Chopin deeply influenced Rubinstein, he befriended violinist Paul Kochanski and composer Karol Szymanowski.
7 wins and 24 nominations
