Who Is Ruth Slenczynska? American Pianist Releasing New Album At 97

Ruth Slenczynska, the former child prodigy is all set to release a new album at the age of ninety-seven. She has signed a deal with the Decca record label.

The pianist had given her first recital when she was just four years old. Since then she has been unstoppable till her My Life In Music was recorded last year which featured music by Sergei Rachmaninoff and Frederic Chopin.

As she turns 97 today, she said "Whoever heard of a pianist my age making another album?" about her album which is due to release on March 18, 2022. She called the project "unbelievable".

Who Is Ruth Slenczynska?

Slenczynska has been performing since the 1920s when she was announced one of the greatest child prodigies since Mozart.

She is considered to be the last living pupil of composer-pianist Sergei Rachmaninov. Slenczynska wears a Fabergé e egg necklace which is said to have been gifted by Rachmaninov.

Suggested Reading: Did You Know Veteran Actor Tun Tun Was Bollywood’s First Female Comedian?

The former child prodigy had connections with another prominent composer, American Samuel Barber, and heard his famed Adagio for Strings before the work even had a title.

She was born in California in 1925 to Polish immigrants. She made her concert debut when she was just four years old. After one year of her debut, she performed the work of Beethoven on ">television.

“Music is meant to bring joy. If mine still brings joy to people, then it is doing what it is supposed to do,”said Slenczynska. The pianist has performed for four United States Presidents which includes playing a Mozart duet with President Harry S. Truman.

Dominic Fyfe, Label director of Decca Classics gave his statement to the media and said, "We are privileged to have Ruth record for Decca again, some 66 years since she first recorded for the label in New York."

Slenczynska in her autobiography titled Forbidden Childhood revealed about her father's strict regime. She wrote, "The reason that people were startled at what I could do at the piano was quite simple." She also shared that her father used to make her practice nine hours a day every day.

"The fact that she is still at the top of her game over nine decades later is extraordinary. It's very hard to think of anyone, in any profession, who has achieved such a sustained period of excellence," said Decca Label Group.