Australian born Theresa Behenna is an award winning speaker, internationally acclaimed pianist, recording artist, author and totally unrelated to Olivia Newton John. Describing herself as “young, fearless and a diva wannabe” Theresa left her native homeland to pursue a musical career that began on a cruise ship in the South Pacific and resulted in several years of touring the world on a piano bench. With her outgoing personality and musical mastery, Theresa’s success opened global doors from Tahiti to Tokyo, Singapore to Switzerland appearing in some of the world’s most prestigious venues. With over 25 years experience Theresa has entertained thousands of people from all cultures and rubbing shoulders with celebrities Andrew Lloyd Webber, Princess Grace, Donald Sutherland, Matt Lauer, Andrea Bocelli and ‘James Bond’. A business opportunity lured Theresa to Texas in 1982 where she quickly became one of Houston’s most renowned entertainers. Since then she has been in demand at special events throughout the United States and in 2006 she was hired by Coca Cola to perform at the Winter Olympics in Torino.
A former bank clerk, waitress, secretary and TV talk show host, Theresa delivers uniquely entertaining keynotes combining Aussie humor and outstanding musical talent with a relevant customized message of universal appeal. Her extraordinary life has resulted in fascinating (and funny!) stories that enthrall audiences of all cultures and generations with clients like ExxonMobil saying: “Music and humor significantly increased the impact of Theresa’s message and really delivered the results we were looking for at our meeting. Our employees said this was the best program they’ve heard in 20 years! She made my task as meeting planner an easy one with her professional attention to detail, customized content, unique speaking style and positive attitude.”
Theresa is a professional member of the National Speakers Association where she won the John Wolfe Award for speaking excellence by her peers. She is a founding member of the Australian-American Chamber of Commerce and former President of the Piano Entertainers Guild. Her best selling piano CD “Songs for Friends” was released in 2001 with her second album soon to be released. She is a contributing author to the anthology "Rekindling the Human Spirit" (Liberty Publishing 2003) and writes a monthly newsletter for local music fans. Theresa resides in Houston where she has yet to sound like a native Texan.
