Ruth Slenczynska

Ruth Slenczynska (January 15, 1925 – April 22, 2026) was an American classical pianist and the last living piano student of Sergei Rachmaninoff. She was a child prodigy, pushed by her father, debuting with a full orchestra at age seven. She abandoned a career as a concert pianist at age 15, married at age 19 and began studies. She returned to performing in 1951 after a break of more than 10 years, and began to teach piano, from 1964 to 1987 as artist-in-residence at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Her final album was released in 2022.