“Although she never played an instrument other than a little piano, Ruth Mitchell Montgomery appreciated classical music in the strongest sense,” writes Mario Fazio in Saturday’s (6/16) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “She rarely spoke of the impact she had in … the establishment of what is now known as Chamber Music Pittsburgh…. Ms. Montgomery died June 9…. She would have turned 102 on July 30. Ms. Montgomery was raised in New Haven, Conn., during the Great Depression…. In 1935, Ms. Montgomery moved to Washington, D.C. [where she met] Edison Montgomery, who later became her husband. It was at Library of Congress concerts that she fell in love with chamber music…. The couple came to Pittsburgh in 1956…. In 1961, the Montgomerys headed the grass-roots effort to establish the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society…. Ms. Montgomery recruited big names such as Henry Heinz and Paul Benedum to make it financially possible.… She ran the organization—refusing pay…. Ms. Montgomery also … regularly made it possible for students to attend rehearsals for the organization…. In 2000 the organization’s board established the Ruth Montgomery Fellowship. It provides several high school students with performance opportunities, mentorship and access to performances and classes.”
Posted June 20, 2018
