Meet the Consul
Gregory Montanaro, Philadelphia
Interview by Hannes Richter
The City of Philadelphia, with the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the foreground. Austria is represented in the City of Brotherly Love by Honorary Consul Gregory Montanaro, who also serves as Vice President in Community and Government relations at Drexel University.
PHOTO: ELEVATED ANGLES FOR VISIT PHILADELPHIA
Dear Mr. Montanaro, let’s start with the basics – since when have you been serving as the Austrian Honorary Consul in Philadelphia, and how did that come about?
I was appointed in 2012 and I’m in my second five-year term now. I followed a gentleman who served before me for 27 years, Harry Schaub. Harry was already in his 80s and retiring from his law firm and prepared to retire as Consul as well. I had known Harry and he was looking for a successor, and he introduced me to the staff at the Austrian Consulate General in New York; Ernst-Peter Brezovszky was the Consul General at the time. He sent me through quite a lengthy, extensive vetting process. There were a lot of requests before my appointment, including meeting the Mayor and the Governor. I was happy to oblige everything that was asked. Brezovszky and I eventually became good friends and we had a wonderful appointment ceremony at Philadelphia City Hall with the Mayor and Congressman Robert A. Brady from Philadelphia, among other dignitaries.
You are affiliated with Drexel University, which also has Austrian roots. A coincidence?
It is a coincidence, but a happy one. Drexel has celebrated its connection with the town of Dornbirn in Vorarlberg. Dr. Eric Zillmer, Drexel’s Director of Athletics, also has Austrian roots—his mother Madeleine Müller was an Austrian figure skater and speed skater who placed third in the Austrian championships—so, he has also been promoting the relationship. We had people from Dornbirn come to visit Drexel, and there is a plaque in Dornbirn recognizing the relationship. We have one here, too. The Drexel family was truly extraordinary. A. J. Drexel not only founded Drexel University, but was one of the great financiers and banking partners with J.P. Morgan. Drexel’s niece, Katharine, went on to become a saint. Saint Katharine inherited a significant fortune, all of which she donated to educational opportunities for African Americans and Native Americans. Today that might sound like a celebrity cause, but at that time it was extraordinary for a girl of wealth and privilege from Philadelphia society to enter the convent and contribute all her wealth.
Absolutely. For example, Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans was also founded by Saint Katharine; I believe it holds the distinction of being America’s only Catholic and Historically Black University.
Yes. Just about a year ago, her body was moved to Philadelphia’s Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul into a shrine built specifically for her. The whole story of Katharine does not get the recognition it deserves, not just here in the United States, but also in Austria. It is an extraordinary legacy and remarkable from the perspective of an Austrian immigrant family and their varied contributions.
Visiting the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, PA. From left: Late Austrian Consul General Georg Heindl, Honorary Consul Gregory Montanaro, former Federal President Heinz Fischer with his wife Margit, and a friendly U.S. Park Ranger.
PHOTO: COURTESY GREGORY MONTANARO
A.J.’s father, Francis Martin Drexel, moved his family to Philadelphia from Austria and did a lot of portraiture, which we still have in our Drexel Gallery. I believe that influenced A.J. Drexel when he set up the school. From the outset, A.J. invested in the arts, wanting the presence of beauty to inspire the students. He thought imagination needed to be stimulated in order to foster entrepreneurial creativity. We also think Katharine influenced him as well, because from the onset of the school’s opening in 1891, all races and genders were admitted without any form of discrimination whatsoever.
And what is your role at the university today?
I am a Vice President in Community and Government relations, and I focus on our federal affairs. I am also a senior advisor with our Office of Institutional Advancement. But my primary role at the University is that of Vice President.
Philadelphia’s Drexel University was founded in 1891 as the the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry by philantropist Anthony J. Drexel, son of Austrian immigrant Francis Martin Drexel.
PHOTO: COURTESY DREXEL UNIVERSITY
Let’s shift the topic a little bit towards you and your family; I believe you mentioned that they also have quite a unique history in the United States. Would you care to talk about that for a moment?
Sure! Both of my grandparents on my mother’s side are from Vienna. They met though the Salzburg Opera Guild, which was the creation of my grandfather, who was devoted to music for his entire life. Although he grew up in a very successful business-oriented family, his devotion was to opera. The Salzburg Opera Guild premiered at the Salzburg Festival in the summer of 1936. After a very successful reception and subsequent American tour, my grandparents decided to settle in Havana, Cuba, during a visit to the island. It was while in Havana, that my mother and uncle were born. After continued musical success in Cuba, my grandmother returned to Austria to sing with the Staatsoper (the Vienna State Opera). My mother accompanied her and attended school in Vienna for around five years, spending summers with family on vacation at favorite lakes or mountain areas around Tirol and Salzburg.
At 16 years of age, my mother moved to Philadelphia to attend the Curtis Institute of Music, a tuition-free conservatory in Philadelphia closely associated with The Philadelphia Orchestra. After Curtis, she joined The Philadelphia Orchestra as a harpist, where she met my father, who played the clarinet and also studied at Curtis, receiving their first honorary Ph.D. My mother went on to play with the orchestra for 51 years and my father for 48 years, during which time he also served on the faculty of The Curtis Institute for many years. My grandmother also built a new life in Philadelphia, joining Temple University’s Esther Boyer College of Music faculty as a vocal coach. My grandfather became a permanent resident of Florida where he created and built up what is today the Palm Beach Opera. In 1973, he was awarded the very prestigious Österreichische Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft u. Kunst, or Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art. He also received an Honorary Ph.D. from New York University for his significant musical contributions, and when he passed in 1995, he was buried in a family plot in Vienna. My aunt still lives in Vienna today, across the street from Café Demel by the Hofburg.
Turning to your duties as Consul – do you recall any special occasions that stood out for you?
Yes, what comes to mind is the visit of the former President of Austria, Heinz Fischer, in 2017. He came for two days and we wanted to put together a special program for him. A central part of his visit was to learn about different museums in the United States. Austria was celebrating 100 years as a republic, and Fischer was tasked with the establishment of a national Austrian history museum within the Hofburg. I put together a tour of different Philadelphia museums for him that might provide some inspiration. Former President Fischer and his wife stayed at the Union League of Philadelphia, where we hosted a very special dinner. At that time, I was the youngest President ever in the history of the Union League since its founding in 1862, and it had been rated the number one private club in the United States. We assembled many area leaders and dignitaries to welcome our distinguished guests. We showed the President all the historical sites in Philadelphia, and his visit was something special for me.
One of the biggest assets of a Consul always includes their local expertise. While it might be a tad difficult right now, there will be a time when Austrians travel to Philadelphia again. Do you have a special recommendation for our readers regarding what they should see or do when in the city?
I do! I believe most people think of Philadelphia within the framework of America’s revolutionary history, and a lot of visitors want to go to Independence Hall, see the Liberty Bell, or the Museum of the American Revolution. Those are of course fine choices. But there are some other things that really should not be missed, and one of them is the Barnes Foundation, where we have one of the largest collections of impressionists painting anywhere. We also have extraordinary performing arts.
Dear Consul, thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us.
My pleasure.