On September 17, 2010, Ottawa lost a pillar of the music scene when former Ottawa Citizen arts critic Jacob Siskind passed away at the age of 82. Described as a "consummate newspaper pro", Siskind wrote about music and dance for the Citizen for 13 years until his retirement in 1993, winding up a 50-year journalism career. But it was classical music that was his true passion, as was made abundantly clear when upon his death, it was discovered that he had left the bulk of his estate to the Ottawa Chamber Music Society (OCMS).

"We were absolutely bowled over when we found out," says Glenn Hodgins, Executive Director of OCMS. "While we always knew that Jacob was a huge supporter of our organization, and particularly the Chamber Music Festival, we were overwhelmed by the gesture of confidence and esteem that this bequest represented." With the generous gift came considerable responsibility, however, and a commitment was immediately made by the OCMS board to find the best way to honour Jacob Siskind's memory and intentions for the bequest.

"We had a strong desire to ensure that Jacob's wishes for this money would be met," says Glenn, "and establishing a fund with the Community Foundation of Ottawa seemed like the most plausible option, especially because of his deep connection with the local music scene." By creating an organizational endowment with the Community Foundation, the Society was also able to apply for matching funds through the Department of Canadian Heritage's Endowment Incentives Program. "The team at the Community Foundation gave us great, sound advice and support through that entire process," says Glenn, "and we successfully applied for a substantial grant."

A passionate Chamber Music Fest aficionado who attended the summer festival faithfully for many years, Jacob Siskind would likely be very pleased with the care that's been taken to ensure that fellow Ottawa music lovers will be the long-term beneficiaries of his gift. Frequently citing it as the best thing that ever happened to the city, Jacob's generous and thoughtful gesture will provide some much-needed stability to the organization. "Ultimately, his gift will make it possible for us to not only continue bringing the world's finest chamber musicians to perform for Ottawa audiences," says Glenn, "but it will allow us to move the Society forward on sustainable financial footing from here on. This is critically important to achieving excellence and growth."

The Ottawa Chamber Music Society will express its gratitude by dedicating the 2011 summer festival to Jacob's memory. The festival will also feature his refurbished Steinway piano that was received as part of the estate in a number of concerts. "(Jacob) was a tireless and passionate advocate of classical music culture in Canada," said James Wright, an OCMS Board member and Carleton University professor of music, "and it warms the heart to know that his voice will continue to be heard through this generous gift to the Ottawa Chamber Music Society."

For more information about the Ottawa Chamber Music Society, visit www.ottawachamberfest.com.