We’ve been sifting through a treasure trove of old recordings discovered in the basement of the CBC in Vancouver that capture performances by some great Canadians who went on to establish international careers in the classical music world. This week, we’re listening to pianist Ronald Turini.
Born in Montreal in 1934, Turini was a child prodigy who received his first lessons from his mother. He studied at the conservatory there, did well in local competitions, played his first professional engagement for the CBC at the age of 16 and went on to the Mannes School of Music for advanced training. It was a pretty conventional musical education for an aspiring artist until the day he met, and played for, the renowned virtuoso Vladimir Horowitz. Turini made a big impression on the man who was then regarded as a living musical legend, and Horowitz offered to take the young Canadian on as a student. Turini studied with Horowitz for five years, and went on to win a string of prizes at international competitions (Busoni, Geneva, Queen Elisabeth of Belgium) in the late '50s and early '60s. Debuts at Carnegie Hall, tours of Europe and guest spots with leading North American and European orchestras followed.
Critics responded to Turini's refined lyricism and subtle touch. Turini, in turn, had a retiring manner and aversion to self-promotion. In 1975 he joined a who's who of Canadian instrumentalists – violinist Steven Staryk, violist Gerald Stanick and cellist Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi – to form Quartet Canada, the leading chamber ensemble of its day. A few years later he began teaching at the University of Western Ontario and became a beloved mentor to a generation of Canadians. According to AvoidedCadence, one of his former students commenting on the website pianostreet.com, "Ron is one of the most humble, generous, understanding, and patient people I have ever met." Says another commenter, Alde, "He is a phenomenal pianist."
Over time Turini scaled back his solo engagements. In recent years he's been frequently invited to sit on the juries of international piano competitions. He retired from Western in 2008. He continues to live in London, Ontario.
Listen to Turini play Rachmaninoff from a CBC LP recorded in August, 1969:
Étude-tableau in E-flat minor, Op. 33, No. 6.
Related:
From the vaults: Corey and Katja Cerovsek
Watch CBC's studio session with pianist James Parker
The ABCs of pianist András Schiff