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Born: July 3, 1893 - Warsaw, Miasto Warszawa, Mazowieckie, Poland
Died: June 12, 1951 - Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, USA |
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Th Polish-born violinist and arranger, Joseph Julius Slenczynski (also spelled Josef or Józef Ślenczyński), and his wife Dorothy (neé Figen; 1902-1994) immigrated from Poland in the early 1920's and settled in the USA seeking new opportunities. He was a well-known violinist in his homeland, but his unfulfilled ambitions in music profoundly shaped the family dynamic; he adopted a strict, authoritarian approach to child-rearing, exerting complete control over daily life and prioritizing discipline above all else. His wife, Dorothy, from a similarly immigrant background, played a more passive role in the household, often appearing meek and resigned in the face of her husband's dominance, though she expressed occasional concern over the intensity of his methods. Their daughter, Ruth Slenczynska, was born in Sacramento, California in 1925. Pushed by her father and starting at age three, she was forced to practice the piano relentlessly. When she was four, she began her piano studies in Europe, later studying with Artur Schnabel, Egon Petri, Alfred Cortot, Josef Hofmann, and Sergei Rachmaninov. She is S. Rachmaninov’s last living pupil. She played her debut in Berlin at age six and made her debut in Paris with a full orchestra at age seven. Since the mid 1950's she resumed her concert career and established herself as a pianist of impeccable technique and considerable musical insight. Joseph Slenczynski prepared for his daughter piano transcription of the Prelude from J.S. Bach's Violin Partita. |
