Figure 1.-- Ruggiero was born and raised in California and became a childhood friend of Grisha Goluboff, another important child prodigy. He was an important American childhood prodigy. Ruggiero was born during World War I and in a fit of patriotic exhuberance, his father named him Woodrow Wilson Rich. His baptismal name was Roger. When he proved to be a very talented violinist, the family realized his commercial potential and they renamed him Ruggiero Ricci. Here Ruggerio is pictured with Gerhart Hauptmann, a noted German author in 1932. PresumablyRuggiero was on tour in Germany. The woman is probably his mother. We are not sure which violin they are holding.
Ruggiero was born and raised in California and became a childhood friend of Grisha Goluboff, another important child prodigy. He was an important American childhood prodigy. Ruggiero was born during World War I and in a fit of patriotic exhuberance, his father named him Woodrow Wilson Rich. His baptismal name was Roger. When he proved to be a very talented violinist, the family realized his commercial potential and they renamed him Ruggiero Ricci. Although born on July 24, 1918, like Grisha, his birth year was moved forward to 1920 to extend his performing prodigy roles. It couldn't be moved much furher as Harding replaced Wilson as President in 1921. He often wore sailor suits. Here he wears a velvet suit (figure 1).
We are not sure about the violin he is holding, but he often played with a Guarneri loaned to him by Fritz Kreisler, himself a violin prodigy. Kreisler was born into an Austrian Jewish family. He lived many years in America, but moved to Germamy, escaping the NAZIS just in time (1938). Kreisler had a collection of wonderful violins which he loaned out to to prodigies , includuing Ricci and Józef Chasyd/Josef Hassid. (Hassid was a Polish Jewish prodigy who escaped the Holcaust because he was performing in Britain.) Ruggiero parents dedided to give him a youthful look, so he performned in short pants pants for his concert appearances. This would not have been all that unusual in Europe, but was in America. This was reported in a 1934 newspaper article announcing his performance. ["Famous ..."] He was quoted as saying that he wanted to wear knickers instead of short pants 'when he turned 14 next year', i.e., 1935. In reality, he would have been 17 years old in 1935. Ricci's extraordinary career as a concert violinist spanned almost 70. He began at age 10 years in San Francisco playing a formidable program of works by Vieuxtemps, Saint-Saens, Mendelssohn and Wieniawski, astounded the audience and started him on the road to early stardom. Since that time he has performed more than 5,000 concerts in 65 countries and made over 500 recordings, he has played more often, before more people, in more places, and has recorded more music for violin than any other soloist. His first tour of Europe was in 1932 at the age of 14, a highly sensationalized series of concerts with the world's greatest orchestras; he continued to play extensively until the Army Air Force put a stop to his world travels 11 years later. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the beginning of the war and became 'Entertainment Specialist Ricci.' During those 3 years in the Army he played and broadcast hundreds of concerts under a variety of unusual conditions, often without an accompanist, exploring and presenting the largely unexploited solo violin repertoire. He has remained an enthusiastic proponent of the solo recital, basing a majority of his yearly programs on the solo works of Bach, Paganini, Wieniawski, Kreisler, Ernst, and Bartok, as well as others. He taught at the Mozarteum Conservatory in Salzburg, Austria, as well as holding annual masterclasses in Berlin. He last served on the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis jury in 1986.
Childhood
Ruggiero was born large Italisn-American family. He was raised in San Bruno, California near San Francisco. His parents were Italian immigrants and passionate about both America and music. Ruggiero was born during World War I and in a fit of patriotic exhuberance, his father named him Woodrow Wilson Rich. Notice that they even Americanized his last name. His baptismal name was Roger. His parents insisted that all of their seven children learn to play instruments from an early age. Thery all did acvhieve considerable success, although none approsching Roggiero's genius. His brother was cellist George Ricci (1923–2010), originally named George Washington Rich. His sister Emma played violin with the New York Metropolitan Opera. He became a childhood friend of Grisha Goluboff, another important child prodigy.
Learning the Violin
His father first taught him to play the violin. When he was 6 years old, his father took him for an audition with Louis Persinger, a prominent violin teacher. Persinger at the time was teaching another prodigy, Yehudi Menuhin. Persinger took Ricci on as a pupil after a year and he was soon making an international splash as a prodigy. [Jackson] Ruggiero also studied with Elizabeth Lackey. Persinger would become his piano accompanist for many recitals and recordings.
When Ruggiero proved to be a very talented violinist, the family realized his commercial potential as a child prodigy and they renamed him Ruggiero Ricci. Apparently a more European sounding name enhanced his appeal as a violinist. Ruggiero made his recital debut in San Francisco at age 10 years (1928). His professional orchestral debut was in London (1932). He performed Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Although born on July 24, 1918, like Grisha, his birth year was moved forward to 1920 to extend his performing prodigy roles. It couldn't be moved much furher as Harding replaced Wilson as President in 1921. Ruggiero often wore sailor suits. Here he wears a cut-away jacket velvet suit with short pants (figure 1). Ruggiero's parents dedided to give him a youthful look, so he performned in short pants pants for his concert appearances. This would not have been all that unusual in Europe, but was a little unusual in America given his real age. This was reported in a 1934 newspaper article announcing his performance. ["Famous ..."] He was quoted as saying that he wanted to wear knickers instead of short pants 'when he turned 14 next year', i.e., 1935. In reality, he would have been 17 years old in 1935.
His Violin
We are not sure about the violin being held here, we think in Germany (figure 1), but he often played with a Guarneri loaned to him by Fritz Kreisler, himself a violin prodigy. Kreisler was born into an Austrian Jewish family. He lived many years in America, but moved to Germamy. He escaped the NAZIs just in time (1938). Kreisler had a collection of wonderful classic violins which he loaned out to to prodigies, includuing Ricci and Józef Chasyd/Josef Hassid. Hassid was a Polish Jewish prodigy who escaped the Holcaust because he was performing in Britain when the Germnans invaded Poland (1939).
Few of his family survived. He gave concerts for Polidh Relief.
Guardianship
Ruggiero's parents assigned guardianship for him and his younger brother Giorgio (George Washington Rich) to Persinger's assistant. Appaently this was because of the needs of training and managing the boys' professiinal caerrers. The parents changed their minds. We are not dure why, but guess it was because of the money earned from comncert apperabnces. They sued to regain guardianhip (1930). A scandal ebnsued which was followed closely by the press. Persinger and his assistant with the boys had relocated to New York City so Persinger could teach at Juilliard. As the case was being ajudicated, New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker refusing to sign a necessary permit an hour before a concert. Ruggiero was scheduled to perform at Carnegie Hall. The Mayor arrparently thought a cocert inappropriate while court case gstill in progress. Some 1,500 people 500 hopefuls were turned away at the doors. Ricci's parents were successful in regaining custody. Persinger and Ruggiero remained close for the rest of his life. As an adult, Ricci described his parents as 'pushy' something he said were always found behind prodigies. [Jackson]
Performing Career
Ricci's extraordinary career as a concert violinist spanned almost 70. He began at age 10 years in San Francisco playing a formidable program of works by Vieuxtemps, Saint-Saens, Mendelssohn and Wieniawski, astounded the audience and started him on the road to early stardom. Since that time he has performed more than 5,000 concerts in 65 countries and made over 500 recordings, he has played more often, before more people, in more places, and has recorded more music for violin than any other soloist. His first tour of Europe was in 1932 at the age of 14, a highly sensationalized series of concerts with the world's greatest orchestras; he continued to play extensively until the Army Air Force put a stop to his world travels 11 years later. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the beginning of the war and became 'Entertainment Specialist Ricci.' During those 3 years in the Army he played and broadcast hundreds of concerts under a variety of unusual conditions, often without an accompanist, exploring and presenting the largely unexploited solo violin repertoire. He has remained an enthusiastic proponent of the solo recital, basing a majority of his yearly programs on the solo works of Bach, Paganini, Wieniawski, Kreisler, Ernst, and Bartok, as well as others. He taught at the Mozarteum Conservatory in Salzburg, Austria, as well as holding annual masterclasses in Berlin. He last served on the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis jury in 1986.
