Joseph Kalichstein 1946-2022 | In Memoriam

Longtime faculty member Joseph Kalichstein (BS ’67, MS ’69, piano) died March 31 at age 76 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Yossi, as friends knew him, won equal praise as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician who excelled in a wide-ranging repertoire, and he will be remembered for his generosity and wisdom as a teacher, collaborative spirit, quick wit, and unfailing positivity.

Born January 15, 1946, in Tel Aviv, Kalichstein came to the U.S. to study at Juilliard with Edward Steuermann (faculty 1948-64) and Ilona Kabos (faculty 1965-73). In 1967, he won the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, which led to his New York recital debut. Leonard Bernstein then invited Kalichstein, 21-years-old at the time, to play Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with the New York Philharmonic as part of the nationally televised Young People’s Concerts series, introducing him as “a young artist who has the depth and power to match [Beethoven’s] music.” In 1969, he won first prize in the Leventritt Competition.

Kalichstein joined the Juilliard piano faculty in 1983 and became the Edwin S. and Nancy A. Marks Chair in Chamber Music Studies in 2003. He was a founding member (1977) of the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, which was named the 2002 Musical America ensemble of the year and began its long-running residency at the Kennedy Center in 2003. Acclaimed for the heartfelt intensity of his playing, Kalichstein appeared with many of the world’s major orchestras, including the Berlin, London, Boston, and Chicago symphony orchestras and the Cleveland Orchestra. He made regular appearances at the La Jolla, Aspen, Ravinia, Santa Fe, Tanglewood, and Verbier summer festivals. And he and recorded for Audiofon, Erato, Koch International, Nimbus, RCA, and Vanguard. Additionally, he was a chamber music consultant to the Kennedy Center and served as artistic director of the Fortas Chamber Music Concerts at the Kennedy Center.

He is survived by his wife, Rowain; sons Avshalom (Avi) and Rafael (Rafi); and grandchildren Solomon, Eliana, and Skyler.

>>In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to support a scholarship for Juilliard students. For information or to contribute, go to giving.juilliard.edu/josephkalichstein or contact Irene Elias, stewardship manager, at [email protected] or (212) 799-5000, ext. 309.