Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (Russian: Владимир Самойлович Горовиц, Vladimir Samoylovich Gorovits; Ukrainian: Володимир Самійлович Горовиць, Volodymyr Samyilovich Horovyts) (1 October 1903 – 5 November 1989) was a Ukrainian-American classical pianist. In his prime, he was considered one of the most distinguished pianists of any age. His technique, use of tone color and the excitement of his playing were legendary. Though sometimes criticized for being overly mannered and showy, he has a huge and passionate following and is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century.