SIUE Hosts Memorial Service to Honor Ruth Slenczynska Kerr

SIUE Hosts Memorial Service to Honor Ruth Slenczynska Kerr

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville celebrates the life, career, and memory of Ruth Slenczynska, world-renowned concert pianist, SIUE Artist-in-Residence and music professor emerita. Slenczynska performed more than 3,000 recitals and concerts worldwide, appeared with the world's greatest orchestras, recorded music for multimedia and was the last known surviving student of Sergei Rachmaninoff. The SIUE community was sad to learn the news of Ruth's passing in April this year.

In remembrance of Ruth, SIUE, the Ruth Slenczynska Scholarship and the College of Arts of Sciences, invites the community to join us for The Ruth Slenczynska Kerr Memorial Service, August 30, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. The memorial service will be held in SIUE's Katherine Dunham Hall Theater. The service will feature recorded performances, interview excerpts, and photos of the pianist; comments by distinguished speakers, including former St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin and Chancellor Randy Pembrook, PhD; performances by former Slenczynska students; and reflections, stories and readings by colleagues, family members, pupils, and friends. The service is free and open to the public.

"The College of Arts and Sciences is justifiably proud of the fact that internationally acclaimed pianist Ruth Slenczynska chose to come to SIUE in the University's early years and decided to remain a member of the SIUE faculty for more than two decades. She drew attention to our music program and was instrumental in establishing the Department of Music's culture of artistic excellence. This memorial service gives us the opportunity to recognize her accomplishments, reflect on the lives of the many musicians she influenced, and honor her contributions to SIUE and to the art of piano performance," Kevin Leonard, PhD, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Immediately following the service, there will be a reception in the Dunham Hall Lobby. At that time, the public will be able to view the new Ruth Slenczynska Display Case, which holds one of Ruth's concert dresses, her Fabergé egg necklace from Rachmaninoff and other items documenting her career.

Memorial donations can be made to the Ruth Slenczynska Scholarship (Fund 7303) and thereby support SIUE student pianists pursuing degrees in music performance or music education. $25,000 is needed to endow this new scholarship.

When attained, those funds will be converted to the principal portion of an endowment account and used "in perpetuity" to grow the Ruth Slenczynska Scholarship Fund. To donate, visit theScholarship Fund page. Your generous contributions will benefit music students and further Ruth Slenczynska's impactful legacy at SIUE for generations to come!

Ruth Slenczynska Kerr Memorial Service Tickets, Sunday, August 30 • 3 PM | Eventbrite

For further information contact Jayme Alexander, Development Associate, by email at [email protected].

PHOTO: Ruth Slenczynska from Lovejoy Library collection; Slenczynska photographed by Steve Crouch circa 1953