Jose Iturbi

Jose Iturbi (28 November 1895 - 28 June 1980) was a Spanish pianist who appeared in several Hollywood films.

He was born in Valencia, of Basque ancestry. He often performed as an accompanist to silent movies.

He first performed in the USA in 1928 and later settled there, becoming conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic. He made some recordings of piano concertos (notably Liszt's) where he both conducted and played the solo.

His hands were used to represent Chopin's in A Song to Remember (1945). As a spin-off, he recorded Chopin's Polonaise in A flat; it sold a million copies. Also in 1945, he appeared as himself in Anchors Aweigh, with Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and Kathryn Grayson. He appeared in six other films during 1943-9.