One evening at the Marlboro Music Festival, a young pianist was struggling with a difficult passage from a Beethoven sonata. Rudolf Serkin, already a legendary musician, quietly walked over and sat beside him. Instead of offering a lecture, he simply said, “Let’s work on this together.” He played the passage with such warmth and clarity that the student was mesmerized. Then, with a gentle smile, Serkin added, “Music is like life—you never stop learning.”
Despite his fame, Serkin never saw himself as above anyone else. At Marlboro, he stood in the cafeteria line like everyone, carried his own suitcase, and stayed up late discussing music with students. After a stunning concert at Carnegie Hall, a fan once told him, “Maestro, your performance was divine!” Serkin humbly shook his head and replied, “Ah, but the music—it is always greater than we are.”
His dedication, humility, and love for music remain his true legacy.