2. Condoleezza Rice made history by breaking down barriers in American politics, but she could have also made a name for herself as a renowned concert pianist.
As Secretary of State under President George W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice made history by becoming the first African-American female to hold the prestigious office. But her life might have turned out much differently had she decided to focus on a talent other than politics. From an early age, Rice was a skilled classical musician. According to her biographers, her cultural education began at the age of just three. While she started out learning ballet, at the age of 15, she began to concentrate on the piano. Her ultimate aim was to become a professional concert pianist. And she would almost certainly have achieved this lofty goal, if she hadn’t chosen to focus on politics instead.
At the age of just 15, Rice performed a concert of Mozart with the Denver Symphony Orchestra. Even when she was working in academia and then serving as Secretary of State, she continued to play, albeit not professionally. Notably, she performed for Queen Elizabeth II and also duetted with the world-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma for a concert at the iconic Constitution Hall in Washington. More recently, Rice has given occasional public performances and has also spoken openly about her life-log passion for classical music, above all for the works of Johannes Brahms.