A tribute to ...
Isobel Firestone: Pianist, Patron of the Arts, Friend of the School of Music
On January 13, 2002, the School of Music lost its loyal friend Isobel Firestone. For more than three decades, Firestone regularly attended concerts and was a generous supporter of the School of Music.
Born on Sept. 26, 1913 in Ottawa, Isobel Firestone was a musician from an early age and she became a very accomplished pianist and piano teacher.
She and her husband, economist Jack Firestone, raised four children, traveled the world, and built up a large collection of 20th-century Canadian art. A keen athlete and a hockey lover, she was instrumental in bringing the Ottawa Senators to the national capital.
Firestone's generous donation to the new music building was pivotal in the completion of the project. The Isobel Firestone Music Library, on the third floor of Pérez Hall, is a beautiful, spacious and airy facility, which houses an extensive collection of scores, recordings and reference works.
Through the two scholarship funds donated by Isobel Firestone, over 40 students received substantial support in the pursuit of their musical goals, and went on to successful careers as soloists, chamber musicians, orchestral players and teachers.