Ruskin lived life to its fullest, traveling the world as not only an admired piano soloist and chamber musician, but as an accomplished multi-linguist in search of the perfect accent, and he remained fascinated by different cultures and people wherever he traveled. Ruskin gave generously of his time and energies to a host of causes, raising several thousands of dollars for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in honor of his mother. He loved cycling and cooking, and he even dreamt of one day opening a soul food restaurant in Berlin—ah, but how to get collard greens delivered to Berlin from home?

First among all of those loves was always music. Ruskin’s love for music began even before he could speak, and by the age of four he was already singing several songs in perfect pitch. It wasn’t long before that vocal ability found its way into Ruskin’s singing piano style.

The Music Department at Davidson College is planning a Memorial Concert in honor of Ruskin King Cooper to be held in the Sloan Music Center's Tyler-Tallman Hall at 3:00 p.m. on September 30. Ruskin had been a Davidson College artist associate since 1997, where he was beloved by his students and colleagues. As a piano soloist, Ruskin thrilled audiences throughout the Southeast, Europe, and Mexico. In 2006, he played to large, enthusiastic audiences in Italy, prompting the Corriere Adriatico to write that he "literally drove the audience wild" with a program of American piano music.

Ruskin’s critically acclaimed CD American Originals featuring American piano music is available on Centaur Records. It’s been broadcast on many radio stations throughout the NPR and MPR networks, and this Friday afternoon, David will sample from that recording as well as some of Ruskin’s concert and recital performances. Joining David in the studio will be three musicians who knew Ruskin well: soprano Barbara DeMaio Caprilli, and pianists Federico Pivetta, and Mauro Botelho.