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Born: January 14, 1928 - Plzeň (Pilsen), Czechoslovakia
Died: September 27, 2017 - Prague, Czech Republic |
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The noted Czech harpsichordist and teacher, Zuzana [Zuzanna] Růžičková [Ruzickova, Ruzicková], was born into an upper class Jewish family. She studied music but her family was soon to be decimated by the Holocaust, and during 1941-1945 she was sent to Nazi concentration camp. Only she and her mother survived. After the war she continued the study at music school in Plzeň and Prague. In 1956 she won the Munich International Competition.
From 1956 Zuzana Růžičková appeared widely in Europe, and became one of Europe's most respected harpsichordists, performing classical and baroque music. From 1962 to 1967 she was a member of the Prague Chamber Soloists, which she co-founded with the conductor Vaclav Newman. She appeared in duo recitals with Josef Suk from 1963. She played in concert halls around the world, including North America, Canada, Australia and Japan. She was one of the best performers of early music by French composers such as Rameau and François Couperin.
Zuzana Růžičková released around a hundred albums. Among her recordings: Complete keyboard works of J.S. Bach; Concertos by Benda; Sonatas of D. Scarlatti (Orfeo); B. Martinv: Concert pour Clavecin (Supraphon); Bach and his Predecessors (Supraphon); J.S. Bach: Concerti (V. Neumann - Supraphon). She received the 'Grand Prix du Disque de l´Académie Charles Cross' three times (1961), and Supraphon Grand Prix 1968, 1972).
Since 1962 Zuzana Růžičková taught at the Prague Academy of Music, and in 1990 she became a professor there. During 1978-1982 she taught at musical academy in Bratislava. She gave master-classes in Prague, Zürich and at the Bach Akademie in Stuttgart. She was also Chairman International Competitions Prague Spring festival, and was Member Director of Neue Bachgesellschaft Leipzig.
Her husband Viktor Kalabis is a composer. Zuzana Růžičková was named an Artist of Merit in 1968 (or 1969), received the State Prize Czechoslovak Republic in 1970, and National Artist in 1989. In December 2003 she received from Joël de Zorzi, French ambassador in the Czech Republic, the honour 'Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'. |
