Claudio Arrau León

1903 - Born in Chillán, Chile on the 6th of February.

1918 - He made a major European tour, giving concertos accompanied by illustrious conductors such as Nikisch, Furtwängler, and Mengelberg.

1921 - He returned to South America, and made a triumphal tour beginning in Santiago de Chile.

1924 - He made his first North American tour, appearing with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

         - He joined the faculty of the Stern Conservatory.

1927 - He won the Grand Prix Internationale des Pianistes in Geneva.

1929 - Toured in the Soviet Union.

1930 - He continued a notable concertizing career.

         - He played the complete keyboard works of J.S. Bach followed by the complete keyboard works of Mozart.

1938 - He played all of the Beethoven piano sonatas and five piano concertos in a series of recitals in Mexico City, and repeated the feat during the next two years in Buenos Aires and Santiago.

1952 - He performed such a series, in which each recital was broadcast live by the BBC.

1960 - He made definitive recordings of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas.

1970 - Chile, which had enjoyed a record as one of South America's most democratic nations, fell to the military government of Pinochet.

1978 - In protest, Arrau gave up his Chilean citizenship, and became a naturalized citizen of the U.S.

1983 - He was awarded the Chilean National Arts Prize.

1984 - He returned at the age of 81 to tour Chile, his first performances there in 17 years.

1991 - He died in Mürzzuschlag, Austria, on the 9th of June.