Ruth Slenczynska, believed to be the last living pupil of Sergei Rachmaninoff, was born 100 years ago today. Slenczynska, who was born in Sacramento, CA, now makes her home in Hershey, PA.

Slenczynska made her debut in Berlin at the age of 6. She performed with orchestra for the first time in Paris at the age of 7. At 15, she walked away from it all, attending Berkeley (she was a psychology major) and hoping to live a normal life. She married at 19, but divorced nine years later.

She began to teach piano for a living, which drew her back into the concert world. She was artist in residence at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, a full-time position, from 1964 to 1987. In 1957, she published her memoirs, “Forbidden Childhood,” recounting her experiences as a prodigy. She also wrote “Music at Your Fingertips: Aspects of Pianoforte Technique.”

Her complete recordings for American Decca, set down between and 1956 and 1963, have been reissued on compact disc by Deutsche Grammophon. Several albums were released on Ivory Classics. She recorded the music for her most recent release, “Ruth Slenczynska: My Life in Music,” at the age of 97.

The Washington Post published an article on her in February of last year. In it, she recollects 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.

Even without the Rachmaninoff connection, her pedigree is breathtaking. Among her other teachers were Artur Schnabel, Egon Petri, Alfred Cortot, and Josef Hoffman.

Happy birthday, Ruth Slenczynska!

Slenczynska talks and plays Rachmaninoff in 1963

Slenczynska in a Pathé newsreel, at the age of 5

Slenczynska at 99

Nice write-up by Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/legends/ruth-slenczynska/101790326