Laredo, Ruth (20th November 1937-25th May 2005)

She is a classical pianist born Ruth Meckler in Detroit, Michigan.

When she was two years old she was able to play “God Bless America” on the piano and she later graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music where she was taught by Rudolf Serkin.

Known as “America’s First Lady of the Piano” she was acclaimed for her recordings of the complete piano sonatas of Scriabin and all Rachmaninov’s solo piano works.

She was married to the violinist and conductor Jaime Laredo for a period and their daughter, Jennifer, is married to the cellist Paul Watkins.

As a performer she has made countless solo appearances, as a chamber musician has worked with the Tokyo String Quartet and the Guarneri Quartet and she has performed with orchestras including the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, the New York Pops, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Boston Symphony and the New York Philharmonic.

Her many awards include three Grammy Award nominations and a nomination for “Woman of the Year” by the Ladies’ Home Journal. She was also the author of the The Ruth Laredo Becoming a Musician Book and appeared as a performer in the movie Small Time Crooks. She died of ovarian cancer in 2005 aged 67.

Isaac Albeniz recordings
Songs of Spain
MCA 6265 (CD: Ruth Laredo plays Albeniz and De Falla)
Piano – Ruth Laredo

Suite Espanola
MCA 6265 (CD: Ruth Laredo plays Albeniz and De Falla)
Piano – Ruth Laredo

Here she performs “Prelude in G Major” by Rachmaninoff…

Sources:

Laredo, Ruth (20th November 1937-25th May 2005)

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