On June 8, 1937, Iturbi had just said goodbye to the violinist after accompanying him at a concert in New York City when Quiroga was struck and severely injured by a truck in Times Square, which led to the premature end of his career.

In 1933, Iturbi made his first appearance as a conductor in Mexico City when presented by impresario Ernesto de Quesada from Conciertos Daniel.

In April 1936, Iturbi was injured in the crash and sinking of Pan American Airways' Puerto Rican Clipper in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.

[3] The liner notes to the two-record box set of Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (two-piano arrangements by José and Amparo Iturbi) read: Arranged by José and Amparo Iturbi with the former conducting the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra as well as playing one of the two solo parts ...

The Iturbis perform this spirited work in a brilliant virtuoso fashion ...[4] Iturbi was also a noted harpsichordist and made several short instructional films using the re-emergent early 20th-century French Pleyel et Cie pedaled metal-framed harpsichord made famous by Wanda Landowska.

[5] Iturbi appeared as an actor-performer in several Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film musicals beginning with Thousands Cheer (1943) with Judy Garland and in Three Daring Daughters (1948) starring Jeanette MacDonald.

He was also featured in Anchors Aweigh, starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Kathryn Grayson, as well as in several other MGM pictures.

After a court battle of several months, Iturbi and his former son-in-law ultimately resolved their differences, and the girls remained with their father.

Conversing with his Aunt Martha on the topic of dogs once owned between himself and his ancestors, he proclaimed "We had one named Jose Iturbi.