Antonia David (14 April 1886 – 6 December 1955) was a Canadian

arts administrator The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both ...

and

arts patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

Early life and education

David was born Antonia Nantel in Saint-Jérôme, Quebec, the daughter of Guillaume-Alphonse Nantel, who was a journalist and a Conservative Member of Parliament. she studied the

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

in Montreal before entering the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

where she studied

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

and was a piano student of Antoine-Émile Marmontel.

Career

Nantel had intended to pursue a singing career, but abandoned these plans after her marriage to Louis-Athanase David, the Provincial Secretary of Quebec, in 1908. Her husband later became a member of the

Senate of Canada The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The Senate is modelled after the B ...

and their son,

Paul David Paul David (December 25, 1919 – April 5, 1999) was a Canadian cardiologist, founder of the Montreal Heart Institute, and Senator. Born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Louis-Athanase David and Antonia Nantel, he received his Bachelor's d ...

, was a cardiologist and also a member of the Canadian Senate. David became heavily involved in supporting the arts within the city of

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

. She played an instrumental role in establishing the

Montreal Orchestra The Montreal Orchestra (MO) was a professional Canadian symphony orchestra based in Montreal, Quebec that was active from 1930–1941. While not Montreal's first orchestra, the MO is considered by music historians to be the first professional sympho ...

in 1930 and served on that ensemble's executive committee. She left that committee in 1934, finding the orchestra's hiring practices to be discriminatory against French-speakers.
The Gramophone
'. Vol. 82, Issue 1. C. Mackenzie; 2004. p. 34. She went on to play an important part in establishing the

Montreal Symphony Orchestra The Montreal Symphony Orchestra (french: Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, or OSM) is a Canadian symphony orchestra based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The orchestra’s home is the Montreal Symphony House at Place des Arts. It is the only orche ...

in 1934 with the help of her husband.Dix.
Les Cahiers des Dix
'. Vol. Issue 57. Les Dix; 2003. p. 69. In 1936 she and

Wilfrid Pelletier Joseph Louis Wilfrid Pelletier (sometimes spelled Wilfred), (20 June 1896 – 9 April 1982) was a Canadian conductor, pianist, composer, and arts administrator. He was instrumental in establishing the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, serving a ...

established the

Montreal Festivals The Montreal Festivals (french: Festivals de Montréal) was an arts festival held annually in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 1936-1965. The festival was originally dedicated to the performance of classical music, presenting concerts of symphonic w ...

, of which she later served as President from 1939-1952."Wilfrid Pelletier, le maître de musique"
. ''Radio-Canada'', 11 April 1982Herbert Whittaker.
Canada's National Ballet
'. McClelland and Stewart; 1967. p. 26.

References

"Antonia David (née Nantel)"
at ''

The Canadian Encyclopedia ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage. Available fo ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:David, Antonia 1886 births 1955 deaths Conservatoire de Paris alumni Canadian arts administrators Women arts administrators Canadian patrons of music

Antonia Antonia may refer to: People * Antonia (name), including a list of people with the name * Antonia gens, a Roman family, any woman of the gens was named ''Antonia'' * Antônia (footballer) * Antônia Melo Entertainment * ''Antonia's Line'', or ...

20th-century Canadian philanthropists