Obituary: Denise Bacon, Founder of Dana School of Music

Obituary from Eaton Funeral Home:

Denise Bacon, of Wellesley, died Nov. 11, 2013 at the Briarwood Health Care facility in Needham.

Born in Boston March 20, 1920, she was the daughter of James and Maude (Milling) Bacon.

She attended the Dana Hall Schools, graduated from Pine Manor Junior College and received a soloist diploma from the Longy School of Music. An outstanding pianist, she studied under Mieczyslaw Horszowski in New York City and was a frequent soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra under Arthur Fiedler. She attended the New England Conservatory of Music where she received her Bachelor's degree in music followed by a Master's degree in music, specialized in chamber music. In her long association with Dana Hall (1940-1969) she progressed from piano teacher to Head of the Music Department. She founded the Dana School of Music, which offered a variety of music lessons to the metro-west community. 

Denise Bacon first met Zoltan Kodaly, the Hungarian composer, teacher and philosopher, in July, 1965, and this meeting became a pivotal point in her life. She realized that her mission in life was to improve the musical education of all children. She began by going to Hungary, and there she studied the Kodaly concept of music teaching. She earned her Kodaly Diploma from the Liszt Academy in 1968. Soon after her return-in September, 1969—she founded the Kodaly Musical Training Institute and was its director until 1977. In 1977 she founded a second institution, the Kodaly Center of America and continued her work to bring quality music education to American children until her late 80s.

Her creative spirit resulted in several experimental programs and publications that included articles, song books, compositions and her book "Hold Fast to Dreams," inspired by Zoltan Kodaly's philosophy.
 
Awards and Honors that she received included the following: "For the Kodaly Institute" Award 1992, and "Pro Cultura Hungarica" Award by the Hungarian Government 1983; Outstanding Alumni Award, New England Conservatory of Music 1984; Outstanding Achievement Award, Organization of American Kodaly Educators, 1989; Distinguished Alumnae Award, Dana Hall School, 1990; Distinguished Alumnae Award, Longy School of Music, 1992; Honorary Member of International Kodaly Society, 1993; Lifetime Achievement Award, New England Conservatory of Music, 2010. 

She leaves her two cousins, Joan Goddard Hung of Wellesley, Virginia Barnes of Dennis; The Erdei Family, Kecskemet, Hungary; her goddaughter Dr. Marta Erdei of Dublin, Ireland; and friends, colleagues and admirers. 

Interment will be private with a celebration of life memorial service to be held at a future date.

Contributions in her name may be made to New England Conservatory of Music, 290 Huntington Ave. Boston MA 02115-5018 or the University of Maryland, Att. Heather Foss, Director of Development, McKeldin Library, College Park, MD, 20742.