Discover Toronto's history as told through its plaques

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Hambourg Conservatory of Music 1913-1951

Photos by Alan L Brown - Posted November, 2015

On a wall inside the St. James Town branch of the Toronto Public Library on the northeast corner of Sherbourne Street and Wellesley Street East can be found this plaque. Here's what it tells us:

Coordinates: 43.667466 -79.374381

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This site was previously graced by a spacious Victorian mansion with gabled roofs and porticos. Originally built for the prominent Toronto surgeon Dr. J.F.W. Ross, it was acquired in 1913 by Professor Michael Hambourg, an internationally known piano pedagogue. With his wife Catherine and sons Jan and Boris, he established the Hambourg Conservatory of Music. Its spacious rooms and high ornate ceilings provided an ideal venue for such an institution. On the grand main stairway was a bronze statue of Mercury holding a torch which lit the way to the upper regions. Busts and reproductions of the great composers adorned the studios, and the hallways were festooned with inscribed photos of famous musicians and composers, together with posters, caricatures, concert programs and other memorabilia.

Professor Hambourg, who had taught at the Moscow Conservatory, arrived in Canada with his family in 1910. The timing could not have been more propitious, and the idea of a musical institution, based on European concepts, appealed to many of the city's musical elite. Violinist Jan and cellist Boris were already known as brilliant performers, and Michael's oldest brother Mark, one of the world's leading concert pianists and resident in London, England, also lent the aura of his reputation. Michael and his sons were active members of the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto and frequent contributors to the various events.

Under the aegis of the Hambourgs, eminent European teachers and performers were attracted to Toronto, and the Conservatory soon became a thriving hub of musical activity. Recognized not only for the excellence of its teachers, it was the alma mater of some of Canada's most noted musicians. On occasion, glittering parties honouring visiting celebrities were held on the premises. After Michael's untimely death in 1915, Boris was appointed Director of the Conservatory and with his wife, Maria, continued the tradition for another 38 years.

The Conservatory was also the headquarters of the world famous Hart House String Quartet established in 1924 by the Rt. Hon. Vincent Massey, then Governor-General of Canada. Although the building no longer stands, the Hambourg Conservatory of Music will remain an important landmark in Toronto's musical history.

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