Help Us Keep Gloria Home
This is our amazing mother, Gloria Hieger.
She just celebrated her 95th birthday on Zoom with about 25 guests at her home in Manchester!
Gloria at her home in Manchester, NJ
ABOUT GLORIA
Gloria was a professional pianist throughout her life, and raised three children—Joanie, Carl and Robert (Bobby). Joanie and Bobby are part-time caregivers.
An active member of her community, she affected many lives deeply. She played with symphony orchestras, opera companies, ballet classes and community theatre productions, as well as playing services in synagogues and churches, teaching private piano students and privately coaching singers. As a Mom, she supported all three of us through thick and thin. Now, due to Alzheimer's, congestive heart failure and mobility issues, she needs round-the-clock care.
We made a solemn promise to our father that we would take care of Gloria when he was gone, and we've dedicated ourselves to that purpose. We are in the process of mortgaging our house in New Jersey to give us the funds that we hope will sustain her for the rest of her life.
As her ailments progress, home care expenses have ballooned to $6,500 a month, a level that is not sustainable for much longer. Neither Medicare nor Medicaid will pay for at-home care. Ironically, the cost of a Memory Care Unit in a Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation (CNR) far exceeds the amount of at-home care but unfortunately, Medicaid only pays to keep seniors in nursing homes.
Above and beyond that, given the COVID-19 pandemic, residents in CNRs are in serious peril. Despite that, we now struggle with the heart-rending reality that without assistance, we might well be faced with the impossible choice of placing Gloria in a nursing facility.
Gloria moved to New Jersey from California in 2015 and has been supported by her Los Angeles County Retired Employees' pension and Social Security, subsidized with funds from the sale of her house in L.A. At present, her pensions don't even cover her home care and household expenses, and her savings are quickly dwindling . At the current rate, she will have no savings within the next month or two.
Meanwhile, we are calling on you, our family, friends, and extended community, to consider giving whatever you can to help us bridge the gap. No contribution is too small. We are deeply thankful for your generosity. Love and good wishes (with or without dollars attached) are also gratefully welcome.
There's more to this story, however. First of all, we’d like you to meet Gloria.
EARLY LIFE
Gloria, age 2, Brooklyn
Gloria S. Greenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 15, 1926 to Isaac (Izzy) and Sophie Greenberg. She spent her early childhood at the height of the Great Depression, but Izzy, an enterprising Russian immigrant, managed to keep his family fed and clothed, even arranging for music lessons for both his children.
Gloria, the big sister (age 5) and her younger brother, Harold (age 2)
She began playing piano at an early age and showed outstanding promise as a classical pianist. 
Gloria plays the Borscht Belt.
Gloria Greenberg began studying piano at age 5 and practiced 6-8 hours a day, despite her parents begging her to go outside and play. 
Gloria at age 11 after winning a gold metal Amateur Musicians Contest from New York City Department of Parks
Gloria spent summers in the Borscht Belt singing and accompanying herself on popular songs. However, her deepest love was classical music.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
Her younger brother Harold began studying violin with Nathan Hieger, a brilliant young student of Reuven Heifetz (father of world-famous violinist Jascha Heifetz).
Gloria’s father Isaac (Itzik) became so enamored of Nathan that he arranged to introduce him to his precocious daughter. He organized a meeting at Nathan’s family home and asked Gloria to play something. She spun off the Mendelssohn Concerto in G Minor without effort.
Nathan Hieger, approximately age 25
Nathan then asked Gloria if she knew the C minor piano and violin sonata by Beethoven. “No,” she replied, “but I’ll sight-read it.” After they played the piece, he was so stunned that she could sight-read so flawlessly that he kissed her on the cheek impulsively.
Gloria at 14, the year she met her future husband Nathan.
In 1994, Nathan celebrated his 90th Birthday, and we made a birthday tribute to him entitled Everybody Loves Nathan. In the following excerpt, Gloria expresses her feelings about the first time she met her future husband.
Gloria, age 78 in this video
Gloria and Nathan continued to meet at their respective family homes to play violin and piano sonatas together. One afternoon, after playing the second movement of the Bach Concerto for Violin in E Major, they exchanged their first grown-up kiss.
During her teens, Gloria worked at Juilliard School as an accompanist, hoping to earn a full scholarship after high school. But her life took a different turn.
Gloria’s graduation from Tilden High School in Brooklyn
After high school graduation, she continued piano studies and taught privately, while preparing a concert-length program of solo piano works.
During the early 40s, the Nazi regime took hold in Europe, making American Jews very anxious. Many had left relatives behind in the “old country.” Nathan enlisted in the Army, carrying his violin from Italy to Algiers during two tours of duty over the course of four years. Gloria sometimes didn’t hear from him for extended periods of time and was constantly worried for his safety.
The two corresponded during his service, and even though he was concerned about their age difference, things were getting more serious between them.
Gloria sent this photo to Nathan while he was overseas, inscribed, “You are always in my heart.”
EARLY CAREER AND MARRIAGE
At 18, Gloria gave her debut recital at New York Times Hall to very favorable reviews. Not only did she perform, but she did her own production and publicity, a bold move for a young woman of the 1940s.
A Review from the Jewish Journal
The following review is from the Jewish Journal, translated by Nathan. The date on the article—unknown—was in Yiddish.
Gloria Greenberg’s Debut in An Interesting Piano Recital
Gloria Greenberg, a Jewish girl from Brooklyn who eight years ago was hardly eleven years of age, won the Gold Medal in a contest of “Amateur Musicians” held in Central Park. Last Saturday afternoon as a grown-up almost mature pianist, she had her debut in Times Hall in a recital that may be reckoned among the very important ones of the news media season in New York.
Miss Greenberg appeared in an ambitious program for which one should be equipped with mature mastership in order to do full justice to the works, and to a great degree she succeeded. She possesses a fine technique, understanding the need for preparation, and much feeling. However, she shows too much sureness, which is quite natural to “wonder children.”
She started with Bach’s Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor, but her overconfidence hindered her way. In Beethoven’s Sonata No. 3 (Op. 2, No. 3 C Major) and in the Brahms, two intermezzi her approach is too superficial in places. On the other hand, when she came to Chopin, she was altogether in her right element. She played a Nocturne, two Preludes, two Etudes, and the Scherzo in B flat minor, which requires sound playing. She played these works, above all, the last one, with the poetry inherent in them and with the eloquence that they possess.
She then played a Sonatina by Kabelevsky, with smaller works of Debussy and ended with a Toccatta by Khachaturian. Naturally, she had to add several encores. In general, Miss Greenberg’s playing created a good impression, and was promising of a great pianistic career.
WEDDING
When Nathan returned from active duty in 1945, he procured a seat in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Following a short engagement, Gloria and Nathan were married on March 31, 1945 in New York City.
“I couldn’t wait to be alone with him.”
The Wedding Party. L-R: Harold Greenberg, paternal grandfather and grandmother Julius and Ruchel Greenberg, Gloria and Nathan, and Gloria's parents, Isaac and Sophie Greenberg, 1945
PITTSBURGH YEARS
Shortly after the birth of their first child Joanie in 1949, Nathan was hired by Maestro Fritz Reiner and the Pittsburgh symphony. The Hiegers relocated to Pittsburgh. Reiner was succeeded by Maestro William Steinberg in 1952.
Here's Gloria with her symphony friend Shirley, whose daughter Barbara was born three months after Joanie. The two families have remained lifelong friends.
Gloria, age 23, with Joanie (6 months) and Shirley Elkind, with daughter Barbara (3 months).
Gloria served as staff pianist for the Pittsburgh Symphony and played first piano in Camille Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals and Karl Orff's Carmina Burana with the Butler University Symphony Orchestra in upstate Butler, PA.
Gloria with second pianist and conductor.
She served as accompanist for the then-fledgling Pittsburgh Opera company, playing for such productions as Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Kurt Weill's Down in the Valley.
Sun-Telegraph Photo by Ed Romano. Gloria (Left) with members of PCW Opera Workshop Auditions of the Air.
Aside from being a young mother, Gloria co-hosted string quartet evenings in her home, while continuing to distinguish herself as a gifted and professional musician in the burgeoning musical environment of Pittsburgh. She was featured in Ralph Lewando’s regular column, “Who’s Who in Pittsburgh Musical Circles” in Pittsburgh Press, January 9, 1949.
For complete text, you can download the full article by clicking the link below.
Who's Who in Pittsburgh Musical Circles
THE MOVE WEST
In 1957, after the birth of Gloria and Nathan's second child Carl, the entire family including Gloria's parents, moved out West at the urging of Gloria’s brother Harold. Harold had recently married and was extremely optimistic about music opportunities in a burgeoning Southern California.
Because the Los Angeles Philharmonic was in transition after the takeover of the board of directors by Dorothy Chandler, there were no unfilled positions in the orchestra. Nathan and Gloria developed relationships on a part-time basis with the Pasadena Symphony Association under Dr. Richard Lert and the San Gabriel Symphony Orchestra under Eugene Ober.
Early days in El Monte, California. L-R: Joanie (age 8), Harold's wife Adele and their first son Lenny (3 months), Adele's parents Elizabeth and Yoshke Burns, and Gloria (31) with Carl (6 months).
Here is Carl again at age 2.
Carl Maurice Hieger, age 2.
Gloria and Nathan loved the West coast climate and continued to live in Los Angeles county for over sixty years. Their third child, Robert (Bobby) was born in 1962. Two weeks after his birth, Gloria played in Karl Orff's Carmina Burana with the San Gabriel Symphony.
Robert Lee Hieger (Bobby), age 6 months.
MIDDLE YEARS
In order to support their family, Gloria and Nathan both took full-time positions with Los Angeles County working within its social services system. Gloria continued to play professionally, as well as teach and vocal coach. She was staff accompanist for ANTA Academy West under the direction of Frances Lederer and Dorothy Barrett. She also drove her children to music lessons and their own rehearsals in local theatre.
After Carl’s Bar Mitzvah at Temple Shalom in West Covina, where the family had relocated, he was hired by Rabbi Elisha Nattiv to become the cantor of his congregation. Gloria became Carl’s accompanist at the synagogue.
L-R: Gloria, Rabbi Elisha Nattiv, Bobby, Nathan and Carl at his Bar Mitzvah, Temple Shalom, West Covina, CA, after which Carl was hired as cantor (1970).
Gloria purchased an organ and attempted to master it, but her first love remained the pianoforte.
Gloria playing for Temple Shalom services in West Covina, CA.
As staff pianist for years at Los Feliz Community Center in Los Angeles, she received a Certificate of Appreciation from Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Mitch O'Connell, 13th District which stated: “You truly are an Angel in the City of Angels!”
In 1996, Gloria appeared briefly, but significantly, in the film Multiplicity with Michael Keaton. She was the rehearsal pianist for a ballet class, and the playing on the film’s soundtrack is not dubbed, but her playing live.
While on the set, she learned that she was eligible, through her affiliation with the American Federation of Musicians, Local 47, to receive separate pay for this, but when she brought it up to the producer, they refused—and then blackballed her.
One thing about Gloria is she never takes grief from anyone. And she’s still just as scrappy and honest. Nothing gets past her. Not even the little piece of lint on your shirt or your smudged lipstick.
TRAVEL AND RETURN TO CONCERTIZING
Once their children left the nest, Gloria and Nathan retired and began to enjoy their lives as a couple again.
While working for Los Angeles County, Gloria met her best friend of many years, painter and writer Dorothy Friedman. Dorothy was the person who convinced Gloria to take an early retirement from the county because of the stress factor of the job. She was a wonderful friend to the entire family. Gloria still has four of oil paintings in her New Jersey house. Unfortunately, Dorothy passed away about ten years ago.
Gloria’s Bestie, Dorothy Friedman
After Gloria retired, she and Nathan flew to Hawaii for a second honeymoon...not once, but twice!
Aloha from Gloria and Nathan
They visited their son Carl in Zürich, Switzerland, where he sings at the Opernhaus Zürich and made side trips to Germany, Luxembourg and France.
Ice cream break in Zürich. L-R: Carl, Nathan, Gloria
And then on the trip of a lifetime, they chaperoned the daughter of a friend to China. Alice Phu was participating in an international piano contest, and as her chaperones, Gloria and Nathan attended the young people’s competition to hear phenomenal young pianists play. The two weeks they spent in China were the most memorable of Gloria's life. Chillingly, they left just a couple days prior to the Tiananmen Square Massacre.
Gloria on Concert Hall Steps
Hieger family reunion in New York: Top Row L-R: Nathan’s brothers Paul and Eugene, brother-in-law Harold Weinstein, brother Ira, and Nathan. Bottom row L-R: Paul’s wife Ida, Gene’s wife Rita nephew Oren on her lap, Nathan’s sister Rose with granddaughter Nurit on her lap, Ira’s wife Eve, and Gloria
Gloria relaxes with Maxi on the couch.
Gloria’s cat Mimi sitting on one of her favorite perches.
When in her 60s, Gloria enrolled in the Music Department at Los Angeles City College and studied piano under Dr. Howard Barr. She concertized extensively at LACC and in private concerts at Brand Library, Barnsdall Park and Steinway Hall.
Flyer for Gloria's Recital, Steinway Hall at Sherman Clay
For several years, Gloria served as staff pianist for the Los Feliz Cultural Arts Center in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the facility was demolished by a fire. Gloria, who had given so much of her energy and love to the work at the Center, was moved to perform a concert to benefit its rebuilding. Her ambitious recital took place on July 26, 1986 at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre.
Barnsdall Gallery Theatre Program (front)
Barndsdall Gallery Theatre Program (interior spread)
Barnsdall Gallery Theatre Program (back)