The graceful, lyrical chamber music of composer and conductor
Rodrigo Ruiz first appeared in recorded form on his 2017 album An Everlasting Dawn. It paired vocal pieces with solo piano music. He made his Billboard debut in 2021 with
Behold the Stars, which premiered his piano trio and violin sonata. Also an avid reader and creative writer,
Ruiz did his own Italian translation of Shakespeare's King Lear to serve as the basis for an opera libretto.
Raised in Tijuana, Mexico,
Ruiz was studying piano under Zarema Tchibirova when he wrote his first piano sonata at the age of 15. Following many subsequent compositions for solo piano, he eventually ventured into forms including art song and chamber music. His first album, 2017's An Everlasting Dawn, featured performances by soprano
Grace Davidson, pianist
Christopher Glynn, and cellist Alison Farr. Inspired by the collaboration, he later penned the song cycle Venus & Adonis for
Davidson.
Ruiz made his Signum Classics debut in 2021 with
Behold the Stars, which included a piano trio and violin sonata performed by violinist
Kerenza Peacock, cellist
Laura van der Heijden, and pianist
Huw Watkins. The album debuted at number 13 on the Billboard Traditional Classical Albums chart. ~ Marcy Donelson