Maria Montana (born Ruth Kellogg Waite; January 23, 1893 – March 16, 1971) was an American opera singer often called either a coloratura or lyric soprano who had training in the Toronto Conservatory of Music and the American Conservancy of Music in Fontainebleau, France. She performed a few years in France and Italy in the earlier 1920s where she picked up the stage name, and then began a prolonged career touring in America soon with the National Music League, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, broadcasts on the NBC Radio Network, and other orchestras across the United States, often returning to Montana, before semi-retiring in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1940. By then she regularly used her stage name as her everyday name and became visible associating with the Baháʼí Faith by 1942. While occasionally performing, she also took part in various projects including meetings for the religion's teachings on the oneness of humanity, was elected as a Minnesota state delegate to the national Baháʼí convention for 1945, voted by mail, at which Helen Elsie Austin was elected as one of the nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼí Faith in the United States. Shoghi Effendi, then the international head of the religion, rolled out plans including goals for the religion in Latin America and Europe. In a few years, after losing her uncle for whom she was a care-giver, and with a renewal of the plans of the international development of Baháʼí communities, she embarked on pioneering for the religion in Europe, mostly Italy, from the late 1950s. While there she sang for the opening of the German Baháʼí House of Worship. She returned to America in the mid-1960s and lived outside of San Diego, California. All along she had maintained private lessons, occasionally sang, and took part in operatic societies and events. She died in a car accident on March 16, 1971.
In the 2010s a New Mexico musical festival began offering an award in her name to some of the contestant singers.
Biography Early life Ruth Kellogg Waite, later known as either Maria or Marie Montana at times, was born January 23, 1893, in Wallace, Idaho, to John Kellogg Waite, age 34 born in New York, and Alice May Bunyard age 18 and born in California.
More than a decade before Ruth was born, her father John/Jack was an athlete giving jumping and wrestling exhibitions, held records, and was a pugilist of some success,*
who praised black boxer Peter Jackson and not John L. Sullivan, whom he had once boxed and lost to, it was later said. He had also suffered badly from a fight in Salt Lake City, so the story goes, against six policemen who clubbed him to insensibility and suffered a cracked skull. He had been arrested November 1880 though there is no mention of injuries* and still went on to his career boxing and athletics. Married by 1890, the couple survived an avalanche that inundated the town of Burke, Idaho. Jack joined a sheriff department in Montana and later was appointed as a deputy to US Marshall William McDermott during his term 1894 - 1898. Jack then went prospecting and partnered with later Lt. Governor Archibald E. Spriggs for a copper mine, of which they were directors.* Along the way Jack joined WoodmenLife Insurance company. The 1900 US Census has Ruth second oldest child after a son Eddie born 1891, and followed by son William born 1897, and daughter Grace born 1899; the family was living in Helena, capital of Montana. Another son, also named John Kellogg Waite, was born in 1901.
At the time of Jack's death in 1902 the oldest child in the home was nine years old Ruth.* Jack had been found shot in the right side of his head with a 44 Colt Revolver in his right hand still smoking. It was judged a self-inflicted wound from which he died 12 hours later. He was considered generous to a fault though he had a gambling problem both winning and losing large amounts of money through reputation vs facts of the details varied. He was also known to complain about pain in his head and had bouts of depression. That particular night he spent out all night with friends drinking; the death was also felt a temporary insanity by some of his friends. The community Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks held a funeral,* and the insurance settlement was done. The family moved to Lewistown in central Montana.
Ruth Waite was related to the New England Foote family via Betsey Newton, daughter of Amasa Foote of Smyrna, New York. Betsy was Ruth's paternal grandmother who also died in 1902 as did her son, Ruth's father.
Early performances Waite developed a reputation as a singer. Her debut as a soloist was four years after the death of her father in a production of The Mikado in January 1906* when she was just turned 13 years old. In May she participated in a fundraiser for St. Mary's School of Lewistown giving the recitation, performed in a pantomime skit, and singing, at the graduation ceremony* and was at that year's town July 4 celebrations. In late 1907 she sang at the Bijou Theater in Lewistown, and the following spring was in a concert supporting role followed by returning to the Bijou in May. She sang again in the fall including Kate Vannah's Goodbye sweet day.* another's performance of the song is at Goodbye, sweet day.
In 1909 she won a piano in a newspaper subscription contest that ran several months for the district constituting Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad areas.*
Later in 1909 she sang in concerts in September and November,*
The 1910 US Census has her in the household of Alice Waite with older brother Edward living in Lewistown. Alice was unemployed but Ruth's older brother was a bookkeeper and Waite herself was listed as a telephone operator. That year she was being called the "Lewistown songbird" in various performances in Lewistown, and performed on into the beginning of 1911.*
She then attended a wedding followed by further community performances in the summer.* After those six performances across 1910-11, in 1912 she attended a baby shower while still employed as a telephone operator. Visiting performers came that year and Waite was among those aiding one of their performances.* Many of the Waite family including Ruth turned out for the town 1913 new year ball. Further local performances followed and now expanding into Great Falls with nine performances and plays.*
Her older brother Edward returned home from his work in China that summer.
Musical career The Toronto Conservatory Now 20 years old, late in 1913 came the news that Waite was going to the Toronto Conservatory of Music, (later called the Royal Conservatory) and left in 1914. She was back to visit Lewistown in the summer,* and joined in a community performance. Then she was back to the Conservatory. She gave a recital in Toronto the spring of 1915 accompanied by German pianist Viggo Kihl,* She was back in the area in February 1916. It was said she finished her third year at the Conservatory though in fact it was just two years, and was talking about visiting her brother in China come June. She had graduated with the degree of "Licentiate of the Conservatory of Toronto of Music" (LCTM) in what was more often a four year program - and was their highest degree - and did some instructing at the Conservatory her last year there. She had to pass subjects in piano, harmony, counterpoint, history and rudiments of music, senior sight singing, learn and perform a variety of songs in six languages and styles. At her last recital in Toronto she presented Tschaikovsky's Jeanne d'Arc and Air Des Adieux, Berlioz's L'Absence, Wagner's Traume, Henry Purcell's Nymphs and Shepherds, Mozart's "L’Amero” from Il re pastore and Voi Che Sapete to positive reviews. She also sang with a Catholic boy's choir in Toronto with her voice described as “spiritual, combined dramatic feeling”. And back in Lewiston before her trip to the Orient she gave a recital including traditional songs "Love will find the way", "Meeting of the Waters", Purcell's "Nymphs and Shepherds", Dashing White Sergeant set to music by Henry Rowley Bishop, O That 'Twere Possible by Arthur Somervell, and Herbert Brewer's Fairy Pipers that were well received at the Judith Theater with publicity in various towns.*
In August she attended a function for Montana Governor Sam V. Stewart for which she gave an impromptu performance of Robin Adair and was called again "the Lewistown song bird".
Far East In September 1916 Waite applied for a passport with destinations listed in the Orient of Hong Kong, Japan, Java, and Siam, leaving first on the SS Shinyō Maru from San Francisco. The passport application said her overall trip was recreational and to visit her brother. She extended the passport in October 1916 and a second extension in October 1917 while in Shanghai, China, during the Republic of China period. Soon two brothers of hers were in China - her second brother had left in March in 1917. She returned in December 1917.*
America had officially entered World War I in April. It was later said she performed amidst this more than a year in the Orient. A "Miss Waite" is noted singing in a March fundraiser for the American Red Cross.
Before Europe A little more than a year after returning from the Orient, she is singing an Ave Maria at the Young Women's Catholic Patriotic Club in New York. The January 1920 US Census has Waite living in Manhattan listed as a music teacher and with her sister Grace who was studying music. Waite performed for the Temple Israel Community Center in Manhattan during the year as well. She performed at the Rialto Theatre in August. In November–December she performed in New Orleans, Louisiana.* In mid-December she was back in the New York area performing at the Branford Theatre of Newark, New Jersey. In February 1921 she performed at the Broadway-Strand theater of Detroit, Michigan,* followed by the same chain in St. Paul, Minnesota,* and back to Detroit with the same chain of theaters about mid-March where she did several shows*
with appearances there extended into April.
Later she said she had gained a scholarship for attending the American Conservancy of Music in Fontainebleau, France, from the Conservatory in Toronto. In May 1921 Waite applied for a passport naming her residence as New York, and expected to travel for study in France, Italy, and the British Isles, leaving on the SS Paris June 23, 1921. She had an affidavit from her uncle Edward F. Waite, 4th district court judge of Minnesota and supplemental communications from Ruth to Edward for her birth certificate. She then performed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in early to mid-June.*
France and Italy She was at the first year of operation of the American Conservancy of Music in Fontainebleau, France, and back and forth to Italy; in 1940 the Conservatoire advertised she was a graduate. News began of her travels in September 1921* though she had arrived in June. In October she was profiled in the Paris edition of The Chicago Tribune and the Daily News, already noting she had studied there, described as "possesses a soprano voice of exceedingly fine quality", and was going off to Italy but had to delay in order to sing at the wedding of Princess Xenia Georgievna of Russia October 9. There were 85 students who attended June 25 to September 25 and the school planned to grow to 100 the next year. Students were recommended by governors of 36 states in addition to recommendations of local communities; New York was the source of 21 of the 85 students. The school was run under the French Ministry of Beaux-Arts and the Municipality of Fontainebleau. First place awards for the first school season was awarded to 7 students including Waite, who was noted as recommended from Chicago.
It is not clear what Waite did the winter of 1921-2.