Old Missoula

Community Concert Unit Brings Many Famous Artists to City

The Missoula Community Concert Association has brought many of the world’s artists to the Garden City since 1934 when it was established in Missoula.

Music lovers, however, were not without good music in years prior to 1934. Ten years earlier the Missoula Music Teachers’ Association was circulating subscriptions for a course of four artist concerts. For the 1924-25 season 500 subscribed. Tickets were $5. Tickets for the 1959-60 Community Concert season were $8 for adults. Artists for the 1924-25 season were Cecilia Hansen, Russian violinist; Maria Ivogen, soprano; Carl Flesch, violinist; and Ernest von Dohnanyi, pianist.

The first artist to appear in Missoula under the Community Concert Association was Jose Iturbi, pianist. The concert was in the Missoula High School Auditorium. Other concerts in the premier season of 1934-35 were Kathryn Meisle, contralto, and the Budapest String Quartet.

Subsequently attractions have been as follows:

1935-36 – Ruggiero Ricci, violinist; Barlett and Robertson, piano duo, Carola Goya, dancer; Hackett and Davis, tenor and soprano.

1936-37 – Jooss Ballet, Russian Imperial Singers, Hart House String Quartet.

1937-38 – Dallas Frantz, pianist; English Singers; Wilbur Evans, baritone; Dilling-Hubert, harpist and cellist; Fowler and Tamara, dance team.

1938-39 – Nino Martini, tenor; Albert Spalding, violinist; Carola Goya, dancer; Mozart Boys Choir.

1939-40 – Agna Enters, mime; Helen Jepson, soprano; Arthur Rubenstein, pianist; Barrere Symphony.

1940-41 – Dorothy Maynor, soprano; Platoff Don Cossacks, Kostrukoff conducting, Gregor Platigorsky, cellist; Josef Hofmann, pianist.

1941-42 – Charles Kullman, tenor; Vronsky and Babin, piano duo; Zino Francescatti violinist; opera, “Marriage of Figaro.”

1942-43 – Ballet Russe; Robert Casadesus, pianist; Lansing Hatfield, baritone.

1943-44 – Ruth Draper and Larry Adler, dancer and harmonicist; Robert Weede, baritone; Sanroma, pianist; Yehudi Menuhin, violinist.

1944-45 – Arthur Rubinstein, pianist; Busch Symphony; William Primrose, viola; Alexander Kipnis, baritone-bass.

1945-46 – Rosario and Antonia, Spanish dancers; Paul Robeson, bass; and Laurence Brown Schatz-hammer, pianist; Carroll Glen, violinist; Columbia Opera Quartet.

1946-47 – Minneapolis Symphony Dimitri Mitropoulos conducting; Rose Bampton, soprano; Syellova Dance Group; Whittemore and Lowe, piano duo.

1947-48 – Joraff Cossacks, Russian Male Chorus; Jussi Bjoerling, tenor; Maryla Jonas, pianist; Albert Spalding, violinist.

1948-49 – Frances Yeend, soprano; Rudolph Firkusny, pianist; Minneapolis Symphony, Dimitri Mitropoulos conducting; dePaur’s Male Chorus, Leonard dePaur conducting.

1949-50 – Wagner Opera Company production of “I Pagliacci” and “Cavalleria Rusticana”; Christopher Lynch, tenor; Edmund Kurtz, cellist, and Leo Nadelmann, pianist; Mata and Hari, dance satirists.

1950-51- Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo; Ricardo Odniposoff, violinist; Whittemore and Lowe, piano duo; Nan Merriman, mezzo soprano.

1951-52 – Shaw Chorale; Edwin Steffe, baritone; Yirah Neaman, violinist; Alec Templeton, pianist.

1952-53 – Longines Symphonette, Mishel Piastro conducting; Vivian Della Chiesa, soprano; Igor Gorin, baritone; Gershwin Festival, with Sanroma, pianist.

1953-54 – Garde Republican Band of Pari, with Francois-Julin Brun, conductor; Helen Traubel, dramatic soprano; Rudolph Firkusny, pianist; James Melton, tenor.

1954-55 – Nadine Conner, soprano; Mischa Elman, violinist; Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo; Hazel Scott, pianist.

1955-56 – Leonard Pinnario, pianist; Leonard Rose, cellist; Boston Pops Tour Orchestra; Dorothy Warenskjold, soprano.

1956-57 – Gerard Souzay, baritone; Gold and Fizdale, duo pianists; Chicago Opera Ballet; Obernikirchen Children’s Choir.

1957-58 – Les Ballets Janine Charrat de France; Zvi Zeitlin, violinist; Alfred and Herbert Teltschik, duo pianists; Vienna on Parade.

1958-59 – Mantovani; Mata and Hari, satiric dancers; Eugene List, pianist; Frances Bible, mezzo soprano.

1959-60 – Rise Stevens, prima donna; American Ballet Company; Ralph Hunter Dramatic Chorus with Jorge Bolet, pianist.

Officers of the Missoula association for 1959-60 are Theodore Jacobs, president; Oakley E. Coffee and Ben F. Stowe, vice presidents; Mrs. A. R. McKinnon, secretary, and Randolph Jacobs, treasurer.

Chairmen are Luther Richman, Artists Selection Committee, and Mrs. Vedder Gilbert and Mrs. John Fulton, Membership Committee.