Arthur Rubinstein

Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982), Polish-American pianist, best known as an interpreter of the Romantic composers, especially of Frédéric Chopin. He was born in Łódź, Poland, and educated in Warsaw and Berlin. He made his professional debut in 1901, appearing with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by his teacher, the famed Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim.

With the German occupation of France in 1940, Rubinstein settled permanently in the United States. He toured internationally (although he refused to play in Germany after the war, in memory of those who had died in the Holocaust), frequently played on the radio, and appeared on television and in films. His autobiography appeared as My Young Years (1973) and My Many Years (1980).