From the bench

Alice Herz-Sommer is the oldest known living Holocaust survivor.  She was a concert pianist before being sent to Theresienstadt concentration camp, where she played over 100 concerts including Chopin’s complete etudes (from memory).  She was married to Leopold Sommer (who died at Dachau) and her son (who was interned with her) Raphael was a distinguished cellist and composer. Famous music documentarian Christopher Nupen filmed her for “Everything is a Present” when she was 98.

Now there is a new documentary about her, “The Lady in Number 6“.  She’s still playing the piano, at 109 years old!