Rachmaninov 1 & 3 liner notes

The concept of playing with your heart on your sleeve has been resurrected by the pianistic prowess of Adrian Ruiz. In this modern era of music where all but technical perfection has been abandoned, Ruiz stands out as a precious artifact, the last strand of what was once a great bridge of superb artists of the past. These live recordings are played with the unabashed passion of a young man addressed with the insights of an old sage. The excitements of the Rachmaninoff recordings are evident from the start. The often-present fear of a missed note is nowhere to be found, as it would be deemed inconsequential to the thrill of the moment. At the age of 15 Adrian played the Rachmaninoff 3rd for the great Rudolf Serkin. The master commented with amazement at how this young man was able to conquer the most difficult work in the pianistic repertoire and capture its true Russian flavor. That Ruiz has scaled the artistic mountain is a fortune for the listening audience.

The path to this artistry is fraught with danger. The most gifted prodigies are often saddled with practice schedules that are nothing less than brutal by today's standards. As if this weren't enough, most, if not all of the great artists are victims of a moody and temperamental nature, which they tap into as they interpret music. For the survivors, the arduous path required in attaining the physical skills, and the psychological attributes that enable them to create these fleeting works of art, very often leave them in precarious mental states, just this side of taking a ride with the men in the white coats.

It was quite evident that Adrian Ruiz was an immense talent when at the age of nine he debuted in his first concert. The selections included some of the most difficult Chopin etudes and the Liszt E flat major piano concerto. His eminent teachers included Jakob Gimpel, Ethel Leginska, Jose Iturbi, and Lillian Steuber. He received extensive coaching from the legendary pianists Mistislav Horozowski and Rudolf Serkin at the Curtis Institute. As the mark of a true artist, Adrian was able to absorb their formidable knowledge and meld it into his already dynamic keyboard technique. As could be predicted, Mr. Ruiz became the recipient of top honors in many international competitions. He has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony and major orchestras around he world. Mr. Ruiz graduated cum laude from USC where he eventually became chairman of the keyboard music studies department while teaching alongside Gregor Piatogorsky and Jascha Heifetz. He now devotes full time to his concert and recording career where he is recognized as a foremost interpreter and champion of the works of rare romantic composers.