following an astonishing nine-decade career. Born in California to Polish parents, the musician gave her first recital at the age of four, and debuted with a full orchestra in Paris aged seven. Noted for her impeccable technique and musical insight, she played for five US presidents - even performing a four-hand Mozart duet with Harry Truman at the White House.

Slenczynska performed into her 90s, releasing her final album in 2022. She died peacefully at an assisted living facility in California, said her former pupil Shelly Moorman-Stahlman in a statement to the BBC. "Tonight, heaven gained a very special angel", said the musician and teacher, adding that Slenczynska's health had faltered after a series of falls.

During recent visits, "she was particularly energetic and mentally clear" and even "played the piano one day", Moorman-Stahlman recalled. "Always a teacher, during a conversation about a recent performance with orchestra, she 'assigned' me the Mozart Concerto in A M[inor] to learn and bring to her the next time we visited." After another fall, however, she "passed away peacefully" surrounded by friends, including Moorman-Stahlman's husband, Randy. (BBC)