Ralph Votapek (born 1939 in
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...
,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
) is an American
pianist
A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...
notable for winning the First
Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (The Cliburn) is an American piano competition by The Cliburn, first held in 1962 in Fort Worth, Texas and hosted by the Van Cliburn Foundation. Initially held at Texas Christian University, the c ...
in 1962; th
inaugural competition's First Place prizewas $10,000. He is the Jury Chairman of th
2022 (EIGHTH) Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition
From the age of nine, he studied music at the
Wisconsin Conservatory in Milwaukee, as well as
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
,
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, and
Juilliard
The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...
. Votapek was awarded the
Naumburg Award
The Walter W. Naumburg Foundation sponsors competitions and provides awards for young classical musicians in North America. Founded in 1925, it operates the prestigious Naumburg Competition.
Foundation and concerts
It was founded in 1925 by Wal ...
in 1959, and performed his debut recital at
New York's Town Hall. After winning the First Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1962, Votapek signed contracts with
RCA
The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
and
Sol Hurok
Sol Hurok (Solomon Israilevich Hurok; born Solomon Izrailevich Gurkov, Russian Соломон Израилевич Гурков; April 9, 1888March 5, 1974) was a 20th-century American impresario.
Early life
Hurok was born in Pogar, Chernigo ...
, and made his debut at
Carnegie Hall.
Votapek was a professor of piano and Artist in Residence at the Michigan State University College of Music, and served there for 36 years before retiring in 2004.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Votapek, Ralph
1939 births
Living people
American classical pianists
Male classical pianists
American male pianists
Michigan State University faculty
Musicians from Milwaukee
Prize-winners of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
20th-century American pianists
Classical musicians from Wisconsin
21st-century classical pianists
20th-century American male musicians
21st-century American male musicians
21st-century American pianists