Summary
Rui Urayama, born in 1988, gained attention in 2015 after bleeding onstage during Bartók’s Sonata at the World Piano Competition in Cincinnati; she did not die and remains active in Illinois. The oft-repeated tale of a pianist dying at the keyboard from “burst veins” has no documented evidence. A separate 1977 homicide of pianist Sigrid Stevenson at Kendall Hall is sometimes conflated with that legend and resurfaced in media coverage in 2024. Don’t Cry for Me Argentina was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice; male renditions exist, and there is no documented evidence of a widely recognized Argentine male version. Sarah Brightman, Lloyd Webber’s ex-wife (1984–1990), has performed his music and recorded the song in Spanish.
Context and Scope
This account assembles every fact raised here: the death-at-the-piano legend (no documented evidence), Rui Urayama’s 2015 bleeding-onstage incident, her biography and present life, the distinct 1977 Sigrid Stevenson homicide and its 2024 media revisit, authorship and notable performances of Don’t Cry for Me Argentina, the absence of a widely recognized Argentine male rendition, the unrelated 1982 rock song No llores por mí, Argentina by Serú Girán, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s marriage to Sarah Brightman and her Spanish-language recording. Direct quotes are ≤25 words.
Exhaustive Narrative of Facts
The circulating death story
A story claims a female pianist died while playing, “bleeding out” with veins “bursting onto the keys.” There is no documented evidence for such a death.
Rui Urayama in 2015
Rui Urayama represented Japan at the World Piano Competition in Cincinnati in 2015. While performing Bartók’s Sonata Sz. 80, her left little finger began to bleed. She continued to the end of the piece. The Steinway keyboard was stained and reportedly required 15–20 minutes to clean. A widely shared photograph of the bloodied keys made the incident viral. Urayama is quoted as saying, “it doesn’t hurt, actually.” She advanced to the semifinals and did not win the competition.
Current life and age
There is no documented evidence of her death. She lives in the United States, in the Evanston/Chicago area, runs Blooming Piano Studio, is associated with Key Notes School of Music, and is a mother of two children. With a 1988 birth year, her age in 2025 is about 37 years.
Sigrid Stevenson homicide
Sigrid Stevenson, a pianist and student, was found dead in 1977 on the stage of Kendall Hall in New Jersey while practicing. The case is a homicide and is separate from the Urayama incident. Media revisited the unsolved case in 2024.
The song’s authorship
Don’t Cry for Me Argentina was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice for the musical Evita. Notable female performances include Julie Covington, Patti LuPone, Elena Roger, and Madonna.
Male renditions
Male renditions exist, including performances by Il Divo, Tom Jones, Rufus Wainwright, and Andrea Bocelli. There is no documented evidence of a widely recognized Argentine male version.
The Serú Girán song
Serú Girán released a different song in 1982 titled No llores por mí, Argentina. It is unrelated to Lloyd Webber’s work.
Lloyd Webber and Brightman
Andrew Lloyd Webber was married to Sarah Brightman from 1984 to 1990. She has performed his works extensively and recorded Don’t Cry for Me Argentina in Spanish.
Practical Takeaways
- The death-at-the-piano tale has no documented evidence.
- Rui Urayama bled during a 2015 performance, finished the piece, and is alive and active in Illinois.
- Sigrid Stevenson’s 1977 stage homicide is a separate, unsolved case revisited in 2024 media.
- Don’t Cry for Me Argentina is by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice; male covers exist, and there is no documented evidence of a widely recognized Argentine male rendition.
- Serú Girán’s 1982 song with the same title in Spanish is unrelated to Evita.
- Sarah Brightman, Lloyd Webber’s ex-wife, has performed his music and recorded the song in Spanish.
Sources
- https://wqxr.org/story/pianist-played-until-her-fingers-bled/
- https://symphony.org/photo-goes-viral-piano-competition-bloodied-keyboard/
- https://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/arts/2015/06/12/world-piano-competition-fingers-bleed/71132872/
- https://www.ludwig-van.com/toronto/2015/06/17/the-scoop-photo-of-bloody-keyboard-goes-viral/
- https://worldpianocompetition.wordpress.com/2015/05/27/meet-rui-urayama/
- https://www.ruiurayamapianist.com/
- https://www.ruiurayamapianist.com/englishbiography
- https://www.instagram.com/rui_urayama/
- https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Cry_for_Me_Argentina
- https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Lloyd_Webber
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRp1NAOafcs
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 