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The Vancouver Women's Musical Society (formerly the Vancouver Woman's Musical Club). Founded in 1905 by Mrs B.T. Rogers, Mrs J.J. Banfield, Mrs C.M. Beecher, (first president 1905 to 07), and others and incorporated in 1916 under the guidance of Esther Beecher Weld and Mrs Walter Coulthard. Membership has ranged from 100 to 600. The Society's stated objective has been the advancement of music in the cultural, social, and educational life of Vancouver and British Columbia. The Society was involved in the campaign in 1919 to introduce music study into Vancouver schools and assisted in the formation in 1919 and revival in 1930 of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
In the absence of professional impresarios in Vancouver, the club presented many famous performers in its early years, beginning in 1908 with Paderewski and continuing with such artists as Clara Butt, Mischa Elman, Josef Hofmann, Liza Lehmann, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Eugene Ysaye, to name but a few. In 1910 it sponsored three concerts by the New York Symphony Orchestra under Walter Damrosch. From the earliest years, however, the Society presented Canadian artists (e.g. Barbara Custance, Judith Forst, Kathleen Parlow, Ross Pratt, the Hart House String Quartet, and Robert Silverman). As local impresarios emerged, the Society concentrated increasingly on one of its most important roles, the encouragement of young performers.
Over the years concerts have been held at the CPR's Vancouver Opera House, the Oak Room of the Hotel Vancouver, the Vancouver Art Gallery, and elsewhere. In 1976 the Society began holding its major concerts at the Koerner Recital Hall of the Vancouver Academy of Music; in the 1979‑80 season they were moved to Christ Church Cathedral, and in the autumn of 1980 they moved again to the Unitarian Church on West 49th Avenue. Free concerts have also been provided to hospitals, nursing homes, and other such institutions. An annual scholarship, established in 1923, has helped the careers of Mary Anne Barcellona, Aline Kutan, Donald Bell, Jean Coulthard, Barbara Custance, Lea Foli, Ben Heppner, Desmond Hoebig, Gwen Hoebig, Pearl Kerr, Don McManus, Arthur Polson, Robert Rogers, and Bernard Turgeon. Besides receiving monetary awards, winners are traditionally presented in recital by the Society. In 1976 a memorial trust fund was established to provide bursaries for Canadian music students. The total amount of bursary and scholarship awards for the years 1975 - 2007 exceeds $202,000.
Born in the early years of Vancouver, the Vancouver Women's Musical Society may claim a special and continuing place in the city's musical development. The Society's historical documents were presented in 1975 to the Vancouver City Archives, which will continue to receive the Society's collected papers on an ongoing basis. In 1986 the Society celebrated its 80th Anniversary with a gala concert featuring Mary Anne Barcellona (soprano), Cary Chow (piano), John Friesen (cello), Joanne Opgenorth (violin), Robert Rogers (piano), with Harold Brown (piano), and Elaine Dobek (piano).
During the 1990s the Society held special benefit recitals by internationally renowned composer and artist Elliot Weisgarber, clarinet, with Winfried Rompf, piano, and Erica Northcott, soprano in 1993, and internationally acclaimed cellist Desmond Hoebig in 1995.
In recognition of the valuable contribution it has made to the cultural landscape of the city, the VWMS was presented with the 1996 Historical Award by the Vancouver Historical Society. Also in 1996 the Society celebrated its 90th anniversary with another gala concert featuring Aline Kutan (soprano), Donna Kwong (piano) and Michiko Singh(french horn) with Ellis Wean (tuba) and David Boothroyd (piano) with Clyde Mitchell as Master of Ceremonies.
In 2006 the VWMS celebrated 100 years of presenting young artists in concert. To celebrate this very special occasion a gala concert was held on Sunday, April 23, 2006 at the Vancouver Playhouse. Former scholarship and bursary recipients Mariateresa Magisano (soprano), James Parker (piano), Joanna G'froerer (flute), Ryan Karchut (violin) and Ryo Yanagitani (piano) were presented in performance. Jamie Parker premiered a new work, by Alexina Louie, which was commissioned to celebrate the Centennial of the Society.
In May, 2006 the Vancouver Symphony performed a new work by composer Jason Nett in honour of the 100th Anniversary of the Society. This piece was commissioned by the VWMS especially for this occasion. Two of the Society's earlier scholarship winners who have achieved national and international acclaim, Gwen Hoebig and Desmond Hoebig, performed the Brahms Concerto for Violin and Cello as part of these celebrations.
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