Vladimir Horowitz

Russian and American pianist (1903–1989)

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Lived 1903–1989, aged 86United States

United States MusiciansSinger / Musician

Wikipedia
53 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1903–1989
Aged 86
Known for
Horowitz in Moscow
1986

Summary

Updated 2026-06-09

A pianist whose fingers could make a Steinway whisper or roar, command a hall's silence or send it to its feet — the kind of technician who turned recitals into events people waited years to see.

Biography

About

Born October 1, 1903, in Russia, Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz carried his virtuoso technique across borders and decades, eventually settling in America. His playing wasn't just precise; it had a distinct timbre, a voice in the instrument that other pianists couldn't match. Audiences didn't simply attend his concerts — they came for the public thrill, the sense that something rare was happening in real time. He died November 5, 1989, leaving behind a standard few have touched.

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Vladimir Horowitz

Vladimir Horowitz

said1987

I was impressed mostly by Gieseking [Horowitz said in 1987]. He had a finished style, played with elegance, and had a fine musical mind.

— quoted in Harold C. Schonberg, Horowitz: his life and music

Vladimir Horowitz

saidundated

Interesting pianist, but I think he is just a little bit meshuga.

— On Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, quoted in Harold C. Schonberg, Horowitz: his life and music

Vladimir Horowitz

saidundated

Perfection itself is imperfection.

— Mentioned in Brainy Quotes

Vladimir Horowitz

saidundated

Of the Russian pianists I like only one, Richter. Gilels did some things well, but I did not like his mannerisms, the way he moved around while he was playing.

— quoted in Harold C. Schonberg, Horowitz: his life and music

Vladimir Horowitz

saidundated

I heard Edwin Fischer, who did not mean much to me. I heard another pianist in Berlin who had a big success and I thought he was awful — Mischa Levitzki.

— quoted in Harold C. Schonberg, Horowitz: his life and music

via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA

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