Massachusetts woman with dementia, 92, performs Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’ on piano

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. – A 92-year-old pianist wows her audience. Elaine Lebar suffers from dementia but remembers her love for music.

She recently went viral on TikTok with a performance of Beethoven’s “ Moonlight Sonata ” in 2019.

Elaine says, “I don’t know” before turning to play the third movement of Beethoven’s famous work.

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Lebar was performing in an elderly community in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts while his daughter Randi Lebar was recording.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Randi said she was unable to visit her mother for several months this year. When she was finally able to visit again, she posted a video on TikTok of Elaine’s game, “in an effort to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s dementia and the effect of pandemic restrictions on this population and their families.” .

Soon, Lebar said requests were coming in. One concerned the “ Moonlight Sonata, ” which she recalled recording in 2019.

“I wasn’t expecting it to go viral but here we are,” Randi said. “My mother, a professional musician, suffers from significant dementia, but life is meaningful to her on the piano.”