Epstein was a pupil at Agram of the choir-director Vatroslav Lichtenegger, and in Vienna of Johann Rufinatscha (composition) and Anton Halm (pianoforte). He made his début in 1852, and soon became one of the most popular pianists and teachers in Vienna.
Epstein edited Beethoven's piano sonatas, Mendelssohn's "Sämmtliche Klavierwerke" and Schubert's "Kritisch Durchgesehene Gesammtausgabe", among others. He died, aged 93, in Vienna.
His two daughters Rudolfine Epstein (cellist) and Eugénie Epstein (violinist) went on a very successful concert tour through Germany and Austria during the 1876–1877 season. His son Richard Epstein was also a professor of piano at the Vienna Conservatorium. Epstein was a good friend of Johannes Brahms, Ferdo Livadić and mentor of Gustav Mahler.[2][4]
In 1846 Epstein founded, together with his brothers Jakov (Jacques) and Vatroslav (Ignaz), the benefactor society "Društvo čovječnosti" Zagreb (Humanity society) which aided the poor and needy across the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia and the Kingdom of Dalmatia.[1][2]
In 1902, Epstein received the Knight's Cross of the Order of Franz Joseph to commemorate his seventieth birthday.[5]
^ ab(in Croatian) Kroatologija; Tamara Jurkić Sviben; Motivi i poticaji hrvatskih glazbenika židovskoga podrijetla u hrvatskoj kulturi i hrvatskoj glazbenoj baštini; stranica 119, svibanj, 2010.
Kolar Dimitrijević, Mira (1998). Društvo čovječnosti 1846–1946. Zagreb: Židovska općina Zagreb, Kulturno društvo "Miroslav Šalom Freiberger". ISBN953-97067-3-4.
Kraus, Ognjen (1998). Dva stoljeća povijesti i kulture Židova u Zagrebu i Hrvatskoj. Zagreb: Židovska općina Zagreb. ISBN953-96836-2-9.