RESOUNDING ECHOES: From August 2022, Robert McCarney's regular series features little-known twentieth century classical composers.
VIDEO PODCAST: Find out about composers from unusual places, including Gerard Schurmann, Giya Kancheli, Nazib Zhiganov and Nodar Gabunia, about singing in cars, and meet Jim Hutton from the RLPO and some of our regular contributors.
American violinist Ruggiero Ricci was born in California to Italian immigrants on 24 July 1918. His first violin lessons were with his father, and from the age of seven he studied with Elizabeth Lackey and Louis Persinger. He first played in public at ten, and at eleven played the Mendelssohn concerto. He studied in Berlin in the 1930s, learning in the tradition of Adolf Busch with Georg Kulenkampff.
Ricci became the first violinist to record Paganini's 24 Caprices Op 1 in their original form, and gave many premieres, including of violin concertos by Gerard Schurmann, Alberto Ginastera and Gottfried von Einem.
His solo career lasted seventy years, he made more than five hundred recordings and taught at Indiana University, Juilliard, the University of Michigan and at Universität Mozarteum Salzburg.
Ruggiero Ricci died on 6 August 2012, aged ninety-four.
CD Spotlight. A Magnificent and Powerful Recording - Geoff Pearce listens to Augustin Hadelich. '... an impressive technique and tone ...'
DVD Spotlight. Ho hum! - Vidor Nagy plays Bach and Paganini, reviewed by Howard Smith. '... moments of splendour.'
CD Spotlight. Beautifully Considered - Music for violin and viola, heard by Howard Smith. 'Braun has a firm, bright, highly focused tone ...'
CD Spotlight. Thrilling Mastery - Tanja Becker-Bender plays Paganini, reviewed by Howard Smith. '... sparkling clarity and power ...'