Noeline Watson said her mother had turned 100 on Sunday and was joined by family members from around New Zealand and also from Alice Springs, Australia - including some great-grandsons.
Her mother was brought up in Tarras before moving to Cromwell when she first married. She later moved to Dunedin.
Yesterday, staff at Lake Wakatipu Home and Hospital decorated the lounge with balloons and wheeled out two pavlova cakes to commemorate the event.
"When she was in Dunedin, she played a lot of music ... she played in several groups and bands.
"It was all voluntary, for the love of it, [and] she played at a lot of elderly persons' homes, for children, choirs and jazz bands."
She said her mother had received her congratulatory card from the Queen and also got cards from Prime Minister John Key, Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae and the Department of Internal Affairs.
