Ruth Laredo Pianist Ruth Laredo, known for landmark recordings of Scriabin and Rachmaninoff, died on May 25. She was 67. Born in Detroit, she attended the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and made her orchestral debut in 1962 in a program led by Leopold Stokowski conducting the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. In the 1970's she recorded two pioneering and acclaimed sets: the entire Scriabin piano sonatas, for the Connoisseur label, and the complete solo repertory of Rachmaninoff, on seven LPs for CBS Masterworks. Bernard Holland, a New York Times music critic, wrote of her playing of Scriabin's music: "Ms. Laredo's sensuous, beautifully controlled playing caught its mad and slightly evil quality." She made her debut with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Pierre Boulez in 1974. A solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall took place in 1981. Before her recital at the opening concert of the 2001 Lincoln Center season, Ms. Laredo's 25th anniversary of her Alice Tully Hall debut, she addressed the audience beforehand, saying: "It was important for me to play. Great music gives us spiritual sustenance and gives us hope. It is in that spirit that I play tonight." "The last time I saw Ruth perform was with the Jupiter Symphony in New York last December," recalled Yamaha Artist Services, Inc. Director Stan Zielinski. "She played beautifully on a Yamaha CFIIIS and was very happy after the concert. Ruth mentioned how much she enjoyed playing our piano at the Maverick Festival and how eager she was to visit our new artist services facility. She will be greatly missed in the New York classical music scene." Ms. Laredo held a faculty position at the Manhattan School of Music and was a judge at the 2004 Piano-e-Competition and played her last concert on May 6 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.		Linda Martinez It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Yamaha Artist and former child prodigy, Linda Martinez. She died on May 19, 2005 at the age of 29. Ms. Martinez made a tremendous musical impact, employing her versatility and skill as a performer and composer on numerous, wide-ranging projects. A graduate of Yamaha Music School, she was a frequent participant in the Yamaha Junior Original Concerts in the U.S. as well as the International Junior Concert in Japan. She attended The University of Southern California, where she was named outstanding graduate of the School of Music. As a student, she landed work with the FOX network's late night Keenen Ivory Wayans Show for a season. This early success led to engagements with artists such as Jagged Edge, Genuine, Sugar Ray and Paulina Rubio. In 2000, she began touring with Destiny's Child, composing and arranging music. She performed with such Jazz and Latin greats as Wynton Marsalis, Phil Woods, Ernie Watts, Bobby Shew, Sheila E. and Alex Acuna. In 2003, Ms. Martinez edged out more than 600 competitors to win the National Turner Classic Movies Young Film Composers' Competition, composing and orchestrating the score for the silent film The Ragman. Other film scores include Catching Kringle, Boy Next Door and Exit Smiling. She composed music for numerous programs for The History Channel and contributed source music and orchestrations for Columbia-Tristar's The Princess and the Marine, director Charles Burnett's The Annihilation of Fish, the TV movie Carrie, Showtime's Odyssey 5, and the miniseries Taken, produced by Steven Spielberg. Known and loved by so many in the Yamaha community, Linda Martinez inspired all with her talent and spirit. To honor her memory, the "Yamaha Cares" program has established a scholarship fund in her name. Further details will be made available at www.yamaha.com.

 

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