Elizabeth Thode Hoard "The Gift of Music"

It's not often that New Yorkers can take advantage of a free classical music concert, but that's exactly what The Bronx Conservatory of Music (BCM) provided on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in April. To honor the birthday of Founder and Director Emeritus, Elizabeth Thode Hoard, BCM hosted "The Gift of Music," which featured music from the conservatory's faculty and the legendary pianist Ana Maria Trenchi Bottazzi.

Miss Thode, as she's affectionately called, recently celebrated her 102nd birthday and the BCM faculty celebrated her commitment to the school. Miss Thode discovered music at at young age in her hometown of Walhalla, South Carolina. Her superb music skills led her to the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. She's received the honor of playing at the White House for First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and has traveled all over the world teaching and performing classical music. At 83, when most have long retired, Miss Thode established The Bronx Conservatory of Music. Today BCM is housed in its original location on the campus of the Bronx Community College. While Miss Thode no longer works with BCM, she provided the school with a foundation, which allows it to continue providing affordable music training to the Bronx community.

Those who attended "The Gift of Music" were treated to a performance by Maria Trenchi Bottazzi as she showed her appreciation to Miss Thode. Ana Maria, who completed her first world tour at 23 years old, dealt with the horrific tragedy of a severe car accident. Although Ana Maria was told she would never play again, she overcame those obstacles and is a world-renown concert pianist. I was in a state of peace listening to Ana Maria Trenchi Bottazzi perform. I encourage you to research Ana Maria's background, but below is a video of her perform during "The Gift of Music" concert.

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