This is Ruth Slenczynska, the 100-year-old, last living pupil of Sergei Rachmaninov who still performs wearing the Fabergé egg necklace the legendary Russian musician gifted her.

Despite her age, Ruth continues to play—recently at the Chopin International Festival and Friends at the Polish embassy in New York City in 2021. During COVID-19 lockdowns, she recorded videos to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th Birthday.

Then, amazingly, she recorded and released a new album at 97 years of age.

“Whoever heard of a pianist my age making another album?” she said at the time of its release. “Music is meant to bring joy. If mine still brings joy to people, then it is doing what it is supposed to do.”

My Life in Music is an ebony and ivory journey through a distinguished career that included studying under Rachmaninov, but features primarily music from Chopin, an artist who had an extraordinary impact on her thanks to her father, Josef Slenczynski, a skilled violinist.

He would make her perform all 25 Etudes, the solo studies of Chopin, before breakfast. The album also includes works from Grieg, Debussy, and Bach.

“If you don’t know something thoroughly, you can’t do anything with it. This is something I got from Mr. Rachmaninov,” she said in a video released by Decca Classics, who signed Ruth at 97 for My Life in Music. 

“I remember I played for him something and he said ‘you don’t know that well enough to play it at the tempo you’re taking it,'” she recalled. “And I said, ‘well I’ve been playing it for three weeks already.'”

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“And he said, ‘three weeks, that’s nothing! After three years, working with it slowly, fast, until it is yours, then you can present it; but that takes time.'”

Ruth even once filled in for “Mr. Rachmaniov,” according to her, after he had to withdraw from a performance date due to an injury.

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As if these weren’t enough for one lifetime, Ruth has performed for presidents Kennedy Jr., Reagan, and Carter—and alongside Truman and Empress Michiko of Japan.

Ruth Slenczynska celebrated her centennial on January 15th.

WATCH and LISTEN to Ruth Do her stuff…