Scenes from the Centennial Celebration of SIUE Music Legend Ruth Slenczynska
The three-day symposium of the Ruth Slenczynska Centennial Celebration came to a close on Sunday, on Sunday, May 4, with a signature concert at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Dunham Hall Theater. Preceding the closing event were retrospective lectures, a piano masterclass and an exhibit, “Ruth Slenczynska: Her 100 Musical Years,” which continues through May 12. All events were free to the public. The final piano concert presented exceptional musicians, which also saw the return of Chancellor Emeritus Randy Pembrook, PhD, and his wife and partner in a Rachmaninoff duet, Mary Jo Pembrook, PhD.
Pembrook shared, “As some of you know, I had the privilege of serving for a period as chancellor at SIUE, and in that capacity, I was often asked what is the most important thing SIUE is known for? That answer is easier than you might think. The answer: the accomplishments of its faculty, its staff, its students and its alumni. And in 1964, less than a decade into its existence, for SIUE to hire an artist-in-residence who studied with Rachmaninoff, performed regularly with major European and American symphonies, appeared at the White House for multiple presidents, and interacted with colleagues such as Vladimir Horowitz, that was the key to establishing this University's foundation, particularly in the arts.”
Slenczynska, whose 100th birthday was January 15 of this year, is a music professor emerita who began her SIUE career 61 years ago in 1964 when she accepted a full-time position as artist-in-residence. She is the last surviving pupil of composer-pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Ruth Slenczynska’s former students in attendance, posed for a photo
One of Slenczynska’s earliest students from 1966, Kirt Pavitt, performed his audition piece he played for Slenczynska, “Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118, No. 2 (1893)” by Johannes Brahms. Pravitt recently reached out to Slenczynska with an article on Brahms. In response, she sent to him a letter from which he read to the audience: “As an active worker in the world of performing arts, over the years, I've found that a great interpretation of any work often comes to the seeker by accident. Sometimes after years of working on a composition, after you've knocked on every door and know the answer before it's given, you hear a voice beckoning from somewhere that leads you into another world of understanding, distant from anything you've heard before, yet clear, sweet, inevitable, and yours a magical acquisition that comes because the search has been so unrewarded for so long. So keep knocking on that door. Someday, without reason, a genius will answer.”
“Today, as we honor Ruth and reflect on her contributions, we are reminded that music is, and always has been, at the heart of this community. It carries us forward—and holds us together,” said Marc Schapman, DMA, professor of voice and chair of the Department of Music, who performed a vocal solo, “Bist du bei mir” for Tenor and Piano (1977) by James Woodard, with Vera Parkin accompanying on piano.
“This event—and this entire week—has been a testament to the enduring power of music in the SIUE community. In moments of celebration, in times of reflection, and especially in periods of hardship, music has the ability to unite us, to uplift us, and to speak the words that we often cannot. Music is more than performance—it is presence. It reminds us of who we are and what we value. In difficult and trying times, it becomes our shared language, one that transcends backgrounds and beliefs.”
He added, “At SIUE, music is not just part of our curriculum; it is part of our soul. It connects faculty to students, alumni to mentors, and generations of performers to a legacy much larger than any one individual. Today, as we honor Ruth and reflect on her contributions, we are reminded that music is, and always has been, at the heart of this community. It carries us forward—and holds us together.”
For first-hand insight into Slenczynska’s past four years, the May 3 symposium presentation, “Ruth Slenczynska Thriving as a Performer, Recording Artist, and Teacher During the Pandemic,” by Shelly Moorman-Stahlman, DMA, is available on YouTube.
Photos by Howard Ash; Photo of Ruth Slenczynska from her visit to the SIUE campus in 2018
