NPR

At 97, Pianist Ruth Slenczynska has a new album — and plenty of stories

The ebullient nonagenarian's new recording features music she's been playing for nearly a century.
Pianist Ruth Slenczynska, photographed in 2021. At 97, she just released her first record for the Decca label in nearly 60 years.

It's not every day that a 97-year-old releases a new album – but for pianist Ruth Slenczynska, a little thing like age is not about to get in the way. On her new album, My Life in Music, she revisits pieces she's been playing for more than nine decades.

With the advantage of the long view of life, Slenczynska enjoys dispensing sage advice. "You don't become a pianist until you're past the age of 60," she states with

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