Estelle Klein (February 3, 1930 – June 17, 2004) was an advocate and supporter of folk music in Canada and held numerous influential positions with cultural and heritage organizations during her lengthy career.
[1] This early involvement with the labour movement provided an important influence for her later work in advocating for the folk music community in Canada.
She instituted a number of changes and she did not share the "purist" vision of folk music, as espoused by the previous artistic director of the Festival.
[4] Her wider view of what constituted folk music influenced the artistic programming and saw the festival include American blues artists such as the Reverend Gary Davis, Inuit throat singing as well as Métis dancers.
[5] Klein formally incorporated indigenous content into the Festival in 1966 with an appearance by the Canadian Indian Dancers.