United States
In 1929, Piatigorsky first visited the United States, playing with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski and the New York Philharmonic under Willem Mengelberg.
From 1941 to 1949, Piatigorsky was head of the cello department at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and he also taught at Tanglewood, Boston University. In 1949 he moved to California because a doctor had advised him to move to a better climate to stop Joram's constant colds and ear infections. Piatigorsky favored Los Angeles, because many of his friends, such as Rubinstein, Heifetz, and Stravinsky, lived there. He was a faculty member at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music, teaching there from 1962 until his death. USC established the Piatigorsky Chair of Violoncello in 1974 to honor him.
Piatigorsky participated in a chamber group with Arthur Rubinstein (piano), William Primrose (viola) and Jascha Heifetz (violin). Referred to in some circles as the "Million Dollar Trio", Rubinstein, Heifetz, and Piatigorsky made several recordings for RCA Victor.
Piatigorsky played chamber music privately with Heifetz, Vladimir Horowitz, Leonard Pennario, and Nathan Milstein. He also performed at Carnegie Hall with Horowitz and Milstein in the 1930s.
In 1965, his popular autobiography, Cellist, was published.
Piatigorsky died of lung cancer at his home in Los Angeles on August 6, 1976. He was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.
