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Slenczynska was born in Sacramento, California. 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.[1] 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 is Rachmanioff’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.[2][3][4][5][6]
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.[7] In 1944, when she was 19, she married a student named George Born, but the marriage ended in a divorce in 1953.[1] 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.[8][9]
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.[12][1] That same year she clarified the pronunciation of her surname for the Los Angeles Times: "Slen-chin-ska."[13]
In 2022, at age 97, she recorded her first album in nearly 60 years for Decca Classics.[14] She turned 100 on January 15, 2025.[15]
Selected recordings
"Complete American Decca recordings", Chopin: Les 24 préludes, Les 24 Études, Les 16 valses, Les quatre impromptus, Les quatre scherzo, Les quatre ballades, les 16 valses, Polonaise op.53. Liszt/Chopin: Six chants polonais. Liszt: Rhapsodie espagnole, Rhapsodie hongroise n°15, Étude n°5, six grandes études by Paganini, Concerto pour piano n°1. Saint-Saëns: concerto pour piano n°2. Decca (1956/1962). 10 CD DG Eloquence 2020. Diapason d'or 2021.
"My Life in Music", including works by Rachmaninov, Chopin, Barber, and others. Decca (2022).
↑ "Slen-chin-ska to Give Recital." Los Angeles Times, 14 November 1957 ("Her name is difficult to pronounce until you know the trick, admits Ruth Slenczynska.").
Beversluis, John. "Ruth Slenczynska in Concert." American Record Guide, Jul/Aug 1999, Vol. 62, Issue n. 4, p 255.
Hyde, Carol Shannon. "A Case Study of an Artist-in-Residence: Ruth Slenczynska, Concert Pianist." Dissertation Abstracts International Section A, Aug 1989, Vol. 50, page 293.
Mach, Elyse. "Practice Notes." Clavier, Oct 2002, Vol. 41, Issue n. 8, pp 46–49.
Muschalek, Clare. "Great Pianists Can Teach." Music Journal, Feb 1973, Vol. 311, pp 16–19.
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