Ralph Votapek

Ralph Votapek is an American pianist born in Milwaukee in 1939. He began his musical studies at the Wisconsin Conservatory, subsequently studying at Northwestern University and finally at the Juilliard School. At Juilliard, his primary mentor was Rosina Lhévinne, although he also took lessons from Nadia Reisenberg and Rudolf Serkin.

In 1959, Votapek won the Naumburg Competition for young musicians. He achieved further prominence in 1962 by becoming the first winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Following this victory, the famous impresario Sol Hurok signed a contract with him.

Since that time, Votapek has toured extensively throughout the world. He has been particularly active in South America, where he has performed on concert tours at least 20 times. This regional focus is partly connected to Votapek's special interest in Spanish music, particularly the works of Enrique Granados, Manuel de Falla, and others.

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