Byron Janis, renowned American classical pianist, dies at 95

Byron Janis, the renowned concert pianist and composer, who has died at the age of 95 (Christian Steiner/Maria Cooper Janis via AP)

Byron Janis, a renowned American concert pianist and composer who broke barriers as a Cold War-era culture ambassador and later overcame severe arthritis that nearly robbed him of his playing abilities, has died aged 95.

Janis died on Thursday evening at a hospital in New York City, according to his wife, Maria Cooper Janis. In a statement, she described her husband as “an exceptional human being who took his talents to their highest pinnacle”.