Jose Iturbi

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Jose Iturbi photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1933

José Iturbi (born 28 November 1895 in Valencia, Spain; died 28 June 1980 in Los Angeles) was a Spanish conductor and pianist. He appeared in several Hollywood films of the 1940s, notably playing himself in the 1943 musical, Thousands Cheer. He was involved in a complex family custody battle in the 1940s that culminated in his former son-in-law kidnapping Iturbi's two granddaughters.

Of Basque descent, Iturbi studied in Malta and at the Valencia and Paris conservatories on scholarship. His worldwide concert tours beginning around 1912 were brilliantly successful. He excelled as an interpreter of French as well as Spanish music. He made his American debut in New York City in 1929. He made his first appearance as a conductor in Mexico City in 1933 and was conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in upstate New York from 1936 to 1944. He also led the Valencia Symphony Orchestra for many years. He often appeared in concert with his sister, Amparo Iturbi, who was also a renowned pianist.

Iturbi appeared as an actor-performer in several filmed musicals of the 1940s. He was featured in the MGM musical Anchors Aweigh, which starred Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, as well as several other MGM movies, including one with Deanna Durbin. Unfortunately, while he was popular during his lifetime, his Hollywood film career caused many connoisseurs to undervalue him as a serious musician at a time when such "cross-over" activities were accepted with difficulty.

José Iturbi continued his public performances into his eighties. His last album entitled Mouth Music was released in 1976 when he was 81.

[edit] Iturbi's granddaughters

Iturbi's daughter María had married Stephan Hero, a violinist. They lived in New York City and had two daughters. María and Stephan Hero separated in 1939 and María took the children with her to California. At age 28, in 1946, Iturbi's daughter, committed suicide.^[1]

María Iturbi had obtained legal custody of the children her 1941 divorce from Hero. Hero only had them 3 months out of the year. The rest of the time they were with their mother. Already in 1943 José Iturbi had taken his daughter to court for custody of the girls.^[2] Hero absconded with them while Iturbi was on an European concert tour in 1947. After an extended court battle, Hero and Iturbi ultimately resolved their differences outside the courtroom and the girls remained with their father.