Martha Baird

Martha Baird Rockefeller (March 15, 1895 – January 24, 1971) was an American pianist, philanthropist and longtime advocate for the arts. Formative years Born in Madera County, California, in the community of Madera on March 15, 1895, Martha Baird was the second-oldest child of merchant William F. Baird (1861–1916) and his wife Almina Abby Smith (1862–1903), a piano and organ instructor at the University of Southern California's College of Music. Her mother, who was known to family and friends as "Mina," was her first piano instructor. Her initial classroom experiences were undertaken at the Westside School on what is now the site of Madera High School. At the age of eight, her world was transformed dramatically by two major events – her first public performance as a pianist in June 1903 and the untimely death of her mother later that year. During the recital, which was held at the university where her mother taught, she performed "In the Gypsies' Camp."