Pianist Ruth Slenczynska at 100 – A Unique Musical Messenger!

Ruth Slenczynska, one of the most mesmerizing pianists alive today, celebrates her 100th birthday on January 15, 2025. A former child prodigy, her nine-decade career represents a living link to the Golden Age of the Piano, embodying its spirit through her artistry, her lineage, and her role as a keeper of its traditions.

Born in 1925 to Polish immigrants in California, Slenczynska made her concert debut at the age of four, displaying exceptional talent and skill at a young age. Throughout her career, she has mesmerized audiences worldwide with her piano performances, drawing on her extensive experience and connection to renowned pianists like Artur Schnabel, Alfred Cortot and composers like Sergei Rachmaninoff and Samuel Barber.

Recent Spotlight and New Releases

After re-signing with Decca Classics three years ago, Slenczynska released her first album with the label in decades. Titled “My Life in Music”, the solo piano album is showcasing the talent and experience of the celebrated pianist.

Released in March 2022, the album formed a coda to her musical career and after almost 95 years in front of the keys, she decided it was time to retire.
“I’m a very old lady,” Slenczynska said to Washington Post in an intreview last year. “I decided that you don’t need to do as much when you’re going to be 99.”

A Direct Lieneage to The Golden Age of Piano Playing

Slenczynska’s career spanned a significant portion of the 20th century, beginning in the early decades and continuing well into the latter half. This places her directly within the historical context of the Golden Age, allowing her to embody and transmit the spirit of that era to later generations.
She studied with some of the most legendary pianists of that time, including Josef Hofmann, Egon Petri, and most significantly, Sergei Rachmaninoff. This direct lineage connects her to a thread of pianistic tradition, passing down the stylistic and interpretive approaches of earlier masters.
Slenczynska’s playing, characterized by its lyrical beauty, singing tone, powerful technique, and deep emotional expression, reflects the qualities often associated with the Golden Age of Piano Playing. Her playing reflected the romantic spirit, emphasizing passion, drama, expressive freedom and technical mastery, allowing her to navigate the most demanding passages with effortless virtuosity.
By continuing to perform and teach throughout her long life has carried forward the traditions and interpretations of her esteemed teachers, ensuring that the legacy of this important era in piano playing would not be lost.
Her dedication to music and her passion for sharing joy through her artistry have defined her exceptional and documented career spanning over nine decades.

Studying with Rachmaninoff

Ruth Slenczynska’s first encounter with Sergei Rachmaninoff began after she substituted for him in a concert at age 9. Invited to his Paris apartment, she initially feared playing for the legendary pianist. To calm her nerves, Rachmaninoff drew a picture of his boat, which made her laugh.
Rachmaninoff, known for his own child prodigy status, tested Slenczynska by asking her to transpose a piece and then assigned her his Prelude in D Major, Op. 23, No. 4. Their lessons, held over two summers, included tea and Russian cakes. Rachmaninoff emphasized understanding the composer’s intent and adding historical and emotional depth to the music.
Slenczynska cherished her time with Rachmaninoff, describing him as more than a teacher, but also a kind and grandfatherly figure. She is now the last surviving student of this renowned composer.

Becoming an adult

As a child, the strain of practice and the touring schedule imposed upon her by her father caused great emotional stress upon her, and by the age of fifteen she withdrew from performing and enrolled at the University of California to study music. In 1944, the year she turned nineteen, she met and married a fellow student named George Born. They stayed together until 1953, when they were divorced. In 1954, Slenczynska resumed her concert career and accepted an artist-in-residence position at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where she taught piano until 1987.

Ruth Slenczynska in the Media

In this newsreel from 1930 the five year old prodigy Slenczynska performs Minuet in G major by Beethoven:

Slenczynska in a 1963 TV appearance, reminisces about her mentor and performs Rachmaninoff Preludes (Op. 23/9 & 23/2):

In this CBS interview on her album release in 2022 Slenczynska talks about the notes of her life, both high and low – from a difficult childhood, to her relationship with Rachmaninoff, playing a duet with an American president, and the experience age has gifted her.

Slenczynska shares insights into her lessons with Hofmann and Rachmaninoff, and her classmates: Barber, Bolet, and Cherkassky:

Aged 98 at the time of this conversation with Mark Ainley at The Piano Files, Ms. Slenczynska discusses the five famous pianistic legends with whom she had training in her formative years: Josef Hofmann, Alfred Cortot, Egon Petri, Artur Schnabel, and Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Books by Ruth Slenczynska:

Music At Your Fingertips: Advice For The Artist And Amateur On Playing The Piano (1976)

Forbidden Childhood (1957)