Tessa Daphne Birnie OAM (19 July 1924 – 10 March 2008) was an internationally acclaimed New Zealand and Australian concert pianist.
From the beginning, her mother supported and encouraged her, performing the roles of "travelling companion, business manager, concert organiser and lady-in-waiting".
She was reunited with her father in the 1960s, on her return from Europe, around which time the family moved to Sydney, Australia, where they lived in Middle Cove.
[2] Birnie made many recordings, including a 1977 recording of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, played at its original lower pitch with the composer's original pedals, and rediscovered numerous forgotten pieces for piano from the 17th and 18th centuries.
[5] She wrote numerous texts on keyboard music, as well as a 1997 autobiography entitled I'm Going to Be a Pianist!