He was an acclaimed American classical pianist who overcame debilitating arthritis.

Byron Janis has died in New York.

He studied as a childhood prodigy under Vladimir Horowitz and emerged in the late 1940s as one of the most celebrated virtuosos of a new generation of American concert pianists.

He went on to serve as a Cold War cultural ambassador, performing in the then-Soviet Union and later served as spokesperson for the Arthritis Foundation.

Janis also composed scores for TV shows and musicals and his wife says he was still creating music until his final days.

Byron Janis was 95