Vladimir Horowitz — pianist with roots in the Russian Empire
Vladimir Horowitz was a Ukrainian-American pianist widely regarded as the greatest pianist of the 20th century. His technical brilliance, his electrifying stage presence, and his legendary recordings of Scarlatti, Chopin, Schumann, and Scriabin set a standard that has never been surpassed. He gave his final public recital at age 85.
Tracing the roots — Kyiv / Berdychiv
Born in Berdychiv (Russian Empire, now Ukraine) in 1903 and trained in Kyiv, Horowitz fled Soviet Russia with Nathan Milstein in 1925 on a concert tour from which they simply never returned. He settled in New York and became American music's most celebrated presence — returning to Moscow for a single legendary recital in 1986, 61 years after leaving.
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Kyiv / Berdychiv. At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
A career defined by ambition
"There are three kinds of pianists: Jewish pianists, homosexual pianists, and bad pianists."