Montreal Festivals

The Montreal Festivals (French: Festivals de Montréal) was an arts festival held annually in Montreal, Canada from 1936-1965. The festival was originally dedicated to the performance of classical music, presenting concerts of symphonic works, operas, oratorios, chamber music, and recitals. It was initially operated by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (MSO), but became its own independent institution with its own orchestra in 1939. In 1952 the festival began expanding its offerings, and by 1965 the festival encompassed presentations of popular music, jazz, folk music, dance, arts and craft exhibitions, and a film festival. Notable artists who performed at the festival included conductors Emil Cooper, Laszlo Halasz, Erich Leinsdorf, Charles Munch, Charles O'Connell, and Eugene Ormandy; pianists Gyorgy Cziffra, José Iturbi, and Wilhelm Kempff; and singers Rose Bampton, Marjorie Lawrence, Grace Moore, Martial Singher, and Eleanor Steber.

The Montreal Festivals was founded in 1936 by Madame Athanase David, her husband, the Honourable Louis-Athanase David, and conductor Wilfrid Pelletier as the Festival de musique de Montreal. The festival was formed with the purpose of establishing in Canada a festival similar to the great annual music festivals of Europe such as the Aix-en-Provence Festival. Pelletier also wanted a summer concert venue for the MSO, which had been established just two years earlier, and the festival seemed like an ideal opportunity.

...
Wikipedia