There’s an article about Ruth Slenczynska, believed to be the last living pupil of Sergei Rachmaninoff, in today’s Washington Post. Slenczynska, who turned 99 on January 15th, now makes her home in Hershey, PA.

I love her recollection of Rachmaninoff’s first impression of her, when she met him in Paris at the age of 9. “This very tall man opened the door and looked down at me. He pointed at me with his long finger and said, ‘THAT plays the piano?’”

If that’s not Rachmaninoff, I don’t know what is.