Laredo, Ruth (1937—)

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Laredo, Ruth (1937—)

American pianist, known for her performance of Russian music. Born Ruth Meckler in Detroit, Michigan, on November 20, 1937; daughter of Ben Meckler and Miriam (Horowitz) Meckler; granted diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music, 1960; married Jaime Laredo (the Bolivian violin virtuoso), in 1960 (divorced 1974); children: daughter Jennifer Laredo .

Ruth Laredo was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1937 and studied with Rudolf Serkin at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Her debut took place in New York in 1962 with Leopold Stokowski and his American Symphony Orchestra. In 1965, she toured Europe with Serkin and his son Peter, receiving fine reviews. In 1960, she married the Bolivian violin virtuoso Jaime Laredo, and they played numerous recitals together; they divorced in 1974. Laredo was known and respected as a specialist in Russian music. Her performances and recordings of the solo piano compositions of Rachmaninoff and Scriabin were widely praised, and her recitals were invariably sold out.

John Haag , Athens, Georgia