Biography:

Ruth Slenczynska (January 15, 1925 – April 22, 2026) was an American classical pianist and the last piano student of Sergei Rachmaninoff.[1]

Early life

Slenczynska was born in Sacramento, California, on January 15, 1925. Her Polish father, Joseph Slenczynski (Józef Ślenczyński), was a violinist. Pushed by her father and starting at age three, Slenczynska was forced to practice the piano relentlessly.[2] When she was four, she began her piano studies in Europe, later studying with Artur Schnabel, Egon Petri, Alfred Cortot, Josef Hofmann, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Slenczynska was Rachmaninoff’s last living pupil. She played her debut in Berlin at age six and made her debut in Paris with a full orchestra at age seven.[3][4][5][6][7]

At 15, Slenczynska was overwhelmed by the pressure of a career as a concert pianist. To escape the pressure, she left home, abandoned her career as a musician, and attended studies at the University of California, Berkeley.[8] In 1944, when she was 19, she married a student George Born, but the marriage ended in a divorce in 1953.[2] After the divorce, Slenczynska started teaching piano for a living. She returned to performing in concerts in 1951 after a break of more than 10 years. That same year, she took part in the Carmel Bach Festival.[9][10]

Career

Slenczynska was accepted as a music student by the University of California, Berkeley. In 1964, she accepted a full-time position at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as Artist in Residence, a title she retained until 1987.[11] A large assortment of her memorabilia and recordings constitutes a Special Collection in the Lovejoy Library at SIUE.[12]

In 1957, she published a book of memoirs, Forbidden Childhood, which deals with life as a child prodigy, and a book on piano technique, Music at Your Fingertips: Aspects of Pianoforte Technique.[13][2] That same year she clarified the pronunciation of her surname for the Los Angeles Times: “Slen-chin-ska.”[14]

Later life and death

In 2022, at age 97, she recorded her first album in nearly 60 years for Decca Classics.[15] She turned 100 on January 15, 2025.[16]

Slenczynska died at an assisted living facility in Cupertino, California on April 22, 2026, at the age of 101.[17][18][19]

Credits: