Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

November 20, 1937 in Detroit, MI

Death

:

May 26, 2005

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Keyboard

 

Ruth Laredo was an American classical pianist who was born on November 20, 1937, in Detroit, Michigan. She was the daughter of Russian-Jewish immigrants and grew up in a musical family. Her mother was a pianist, and her father was a violinist. Laredo began playing the piano at the age of three and gave her first public performance at the age of four. Laredo's talent was recognized early on, and she was accepted into the Juilliard School of Music in New York City at the age of 16. She studied with Rosina Lhévinne, a renowned piano teacher, and graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1960. She continued her studies with Lhévinne and earned a Master of Music degree in 1961. Laredo made her debut with the New York Philharmonic in 1963, playing the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1. This performance launched her career as a soloist, and she went on to perform with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra. Laredo was known for her interpretations of the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff, and she recorded all of his solo piano works for the label Arabesque Records. She also recorded the complete piano works of Johannes Brahms and Franz Liszt. In addition to her solo career, Laredo was a chamber musician and collaborated with many of the world's leading musicians, including violinist Itzhak Perlman and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. She was a founding member of the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, which was formed in 1977 and became one of the most celebrated piano trios of its time. Laredo was also a dedicated teacher and taught at the Mannes College of Music in New York City for many years. She was known for her generosity and kindness to her students, and many of them went on to have successful careers as musicians. Throughout her career, Laredo received many awards and honors. She was a recipient of the Avery Fisher Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in classical music, in 1978. She was also awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Bill Clinton in 1996. Laredo continued to perform and record until her death in 2005 at the age of 67. She was remembered as a brilliant pianist and a beloved teacher and mentor to many young musicians. Her recordings continue to be admired and studied by musicians and music lovers around the world.

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