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Ruth Laredo reigned as "America's First Lady of Piano" for many decades. Born in Detroit, she began taking piano lessons from her mother at an early age. |
By age 11 she made her orchestral debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. She later attended the Curtis Institute where she studied under Rudolf Serkin.
Through the years, Laredo performed in a variety of solo and ensemble situations. Her New York Philharmonic debut was with Pierre Boulez, and her Carnegie Hall orchestral debut was with Leopold Stokowski and the American Symphony. For 16 seasons, her series "Concerts and Commentary" sold-out at the Metropolitain Museum of Art in New York City. These concerts featured her exquisite playing as well as discussion of the pieces and composers on the program. Laredo also had a strong commitment to chamber music and often performed with major string quartets including the Tokyo, Guarneti, Vermeer and Emerson quartets.
In addition to her collaborations with distinguished classical artists, Laredo began playing with jazz pianists Marian McPartland and Dick Hyman in 1996 for the "Three Piano Classical/Jazz Crossover" concert series. The concerts blurred the line between classical music and jazz and were enjoyed all over the country.
Laredo also had an extensive recording career that yielded three Grammy nominations. She was the first pianist to ever record Rachmaninoff's complete solo works and the complete solo sonatas of Scriabin.
As a woman in the arts, Laredo was a strong role model for other women. She appeared as guest speaker at the Harvard/Radcliffe Women's Leadership Conference at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and was nominated for "Woman of the Year" by Ladies Home Journal.
Laredo passed away on May 25, 2005, following a four-year battle with ovarian cancer.
Set List for Ruth Laredo on Piano Jazz:"Prelude in G Major" (Rachmaninoff)
"Prelude in E Minor #4" (Chopin)
"How Insensitive" (Jobim)
"All the Things You Are" (Hammerstein, Kern)
"Piano Blues #3" (Copeland)
"Dizzy Fingers" (Zez Confrey)
"Album Leaf/Stella By Starlight" (Scriabin/Washington, Young)
"Kitten on the Keys" (Zez Confrey)
"Ruth and Marian's Boogie Woogie" (Laredo, McPartland)
Through the years, Laredo performed in a variety of solo and ensemble situations. Her New York Philharmonic debut was with Pierre Boulez, and her Carnegie Hall orchestral debut was with Leopold Stokowski and the American Symphony. For 16 seasons, her series "Concerts and Commentary" sold-out at the Metropolitain Museum of Art in New York City. These concerts featured her exquisite playing as well as discussion of the pieces and composers on the program. Laredo also had a strong commitment to chamber music and often performed with major string quartets including the Tokyo, Guarneti, Vermeer and Emerson quartets.
In addition to her collaborations with distinguished classical artists, Laredo began playing with jazz pianists Marian McPartland and Dick Hyman in 1996 for the "Three Piano Classical/Jazz Crossover" concert series. The concerts blurred the line between classical music and jazz and were enjoyed all over the country.
Laredo also had an extensive recording career that yielded three Grammy nominations. She was the first pianist to ever record Rachmaninoff's complete solo works and the complete solo sonatas of Scriabin.
As a woman in the arts, Laredo was a strong role model for other women. She appeared as guest speaker at the Harvard/Radcliffe Women's Leadership Conference at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and was nominated for "Woman of the Year" by Ladies Home Journal.
Laredo passed away on May 25, 2005, following a four-year battle with ovarian cancer.
Set List for Ruth Laredo on Piano Jazz: