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Jose Iturbi

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Musician

The Resume

    (November 28, 1895-June 28, 1980)
    Born in Valencia, Spain
    Classical pianist and conductor
    Frequently performed over 200 concerts a year
    Conducted the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
    Appeared in the films 'Thousands Cheer' (1943), 'Music for Millions' (1944), 'Anchors Aweigh' (1945), and 'Three Dancing Daughters' (1948)

Why he might be annoying:

    He was nicknamed 'turbulent Iturbi' for his outbursts of temper, such as throwing his chair across the stage when the later arrival of the mayor and his entourage created a disturbance during a Philadelphia concert.
    He had a reputation for driving sports cars and motorcycles with reckless abandon, once having to hitch a ride to a concert after totaling his car.
    He refused to appear on a radio show with Benny Goodman because he objected to mixing jazz and classical music.
    When a producer offered him $35,000 to make a cameo appearance in a film, he tore up the check, declaring that kissing girls on screen was 'foolishness' (1933); judging from his credits above, he changed his mind after a decade.

Why he might not be annoying:

    Appropriately, his mother went into labor with him while attending an opera.
    He graduated from the Valencia Music Conservatory with first place honors at age fourteen.
    He was injured in the crash of a Pan Am clipper in the Caribbean off Trinidad (1936).
    For the biopic 'A Song to Remember' (1945), he supplied the music for scenes where Cornel Wilde (as Frederic Chopin) plays the piano.
    He was the first classical musician to sell a million copies of a record, with Chopin's 'Polonaise in A Flat' (1950).

Credit: C. Fishel


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Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying