Raising a small child as a woman while travelling 10 months out of the year would, I believe, be something I would not be able or even want to do, although with the amazing example of Leila, I am no longer so sure.

Our dad was a great guy and we will never forget him.

A good example of how it must have been is today's world of conducting, which is still utterly dominated by men, and the prejudice the few female conductors have to battle even today is astounding.

I am very lucky and grateful to have this living link to a past era, the violin presumably having much more history to it than the later portion that I know.

For many years, the government of Canada has massively supported orchestras and the arts in general.

There are no benefactors in Canada because there is no incentive.

Music is art, art is life, and we are who we are, and all of these aforementioned women, unless they should choose not to, will be performing well into the next many decades because they are great artists.