Ethel Stark, born in 1910 in Montreal, was the first conductor of an all female symphony, and was a Jewish woman herself. She famously founded the Montreal Women’s Symphony Orchestra (MWSO), a living testament to the Jewish social justice values instilled by her immigrant parents. Throughout her career, Stark remained dedicated to creating a space for diverse women musicians in the classical music world. As a “virtuoso violinist,” she was also the first recipient of a scholarship to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, admitted, remarkably, into a “class … only for boys.”
In September 2025, artist Melsa Montagne completed a mural honouring Stark’s legacy and her enduring impact on Montreal’s cultural landscape. The mural is the centerpiece of the newly named “Ethel Stark Park”, depicting Stark and the players of her orchestra in a vibrant, contemporary composition. Stark’s commanding figure dominates the largest quadrant of the composition, surrounded by depictions of women from the MSWO as children. This work celebrates her visionary leadership and her ability to nurture ambitious women and provide them with opportunities to excel in a male dominated field.
Nestled in a corner of the Plateau, the park invites curiosity about this bold, almost steampunk-looking woman who helped “compose history.” Local resident Gabrielle Tiven, who lives near the mural, organized the project, secured donors, and worked with Mu Montreal to find an artist capable of capturing Stark in all her glory. In an interview, Tiven explained that the mural is a “picture of Ethel that is based on a photograph,” featuring “a group of women who are ready to get something done,” positioned to Stark’s left in the composition.
Before the mural, park visitors rarely noticed the significance of the park’s name – just “one little sign with a sentence or two.” Now, Tiven says, “you can’t miss the mural. And now you can learn about who she was.” This project establishes new and exciting links to Montreal’s cultural history and the often overlooked stories of figures who “changed a whole cultural scene.” As Tiven notes, “Jewish women have been doing things for a long time and often aren’t recognized.”
In an interview with Nu Magazine, Maria Rachwal Noriega, the author of From Kitchen to Carnegie Hall: Ethel Stark and the Montreal Women's Symphony Orchestra, shared insight into Stark’s roots. The Stark family lived in Tarnopol, Austria, “work[ing] on the land of a nobleman” before fleeing pogroms and persecution. After a brief stay in New York City, they settled in Montreal. Unlike many Eastern European Jews who ran garment stores, shops, and businesses, the Starks entered into a more established” community of British Jews regarded as “well-bred and intellectual.”
Ethel’s parents soon found work at the Montreal Jewish Aid Society, fusing their “two strands of Austrian identity and Jewish identity” through service and community engagement. These values profoundly shaped Ethel’s own sense of purpose. In her orchestral work, she championed women and marginalized musicians, ensuring her orchestra reflected the diversity she believed strengthened both art and society.
As Noriega Rachwal observed, “Ethel Stark’s Jewishness really informed her allegiance with those who were marginalized. She had to negotiate her role between advocate and standing at a distance so she was able to help.” This balance is powerfully reflected in Montagne’s mural: Stark stands alongside her players, not above them, symbolizing the inclusive space she carved for women to thrive in the Montreal music scene and professional sphere.
With the mural’s completion, “Ethel Stark Park” now serves as a community refuge and a tribute to a trailblazing Canadian Jewish cultural icon. The vivid artwork speaks for itself and invites visitors to dive deeper, and learn how Stark and her orchestra created a “league of their own” right here in Montreal’s Plateau.
Just 15 minutes away from McGill University, the park – located at 68 Rue Prince-Arthur – is open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight. Visit the park to explore, reflect, and celebrate the brilliance of Ethel Stark and her players.
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