Ida Héraly

Who was Ida Héraly?

Ida Héraly was a Canadian pianist and music educator. Born Ida Campbell in Sherbrooke, Quebec, she was the wife of clarinetist and bandmaster François Héraly. She earned a diploma from the Canadian College of Music where she studied piano with a Mrs Holland who had studied at the Conservatoire de Paris. Although active as a recitalist, she became chiefly known for her work as an educator, giving instruction in piano, solfège, and harmony in Montreal for a total of 54 years. Her most famous pupil was conductor Wilfrid Pelletier, founder of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and long time Metropolitan Opera conductor, whom she taught from 1904-1914. She was his first music teacher and had a profound impact on his early life and career.