Ralph Votapek, Pianist March 27, 2008

Ralph Votapek is the Gold Medalist of the first Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and winner of the prestigious Naumburg Award. Born in Milwaukee, he studied at Northwestern University, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Juilliard School. Votapek has made hundreds of appearances with most of the major American orchestras. He has performed in recital and with orchestras in London, Lisbon, Paris, St. Petersburg, Kiev, and in the Far East. He has also made a special commitment to Latin America, where he has toured for four decades, performing repeatedly in Buenos Aires, Rio, Santiago, and other cities. His chamber music experience includes concerts with the Juilliard, Fine Arts, New World, and Chester String Quartets. His most recent CDs on the Ivory Classics label feature the complete Goyescas of Granados and the 24 Preludes of Debussy. Mr. Votapek recently retired from Michigan State University, where he served as artist-in-residence for 36 years.