The daughter of a prominent New York surgeon, Dr. Abraham (Albert) Lightstone (1874–1955), she was one of the first women radio show hosts, notably at WQXR-AM 1550 KC (Interstate Broadcasting Company).

[4][5] In 1931 Gertrude Lightstone married Jesse Mittelmann, a businessman and first cousin of the journalist, theatre columnist and film producer Mark Hellinger.

[8] Gertrude Lightstone performed in the Vernon Room of Haddon Hall on Saturday 21 April 1928,[1] marking the debut of her career on the concert platform.

[15] On 14 February 1935 (8 - 9 PM) Gertrude Mittelmann was featured again on WOR performing with the Philip James Symphony Orchestra, interpreting the Overture 'Abu Hassan' by Weber; Piano Concerto in D minor by Mozart; Tone Poem 'Don Juan', Opus 20 by R. Strauss; Minuet by Boccherini; and Suite 'The Crown of India' by Elgar.

The performance, broadcast on WOR (8 PM), included Overture, 'The Nuremberg Doll' by Adolphe Adam; Siegfried Idyll by Wagner; Slavonic Dance No.

Performing solo on WQXR, Gertrude Mittelmann played Hopak by Moussorgsky; Étincelles by Moszkowski; Polichinelle by Rachmaninoff; and Suite for strings by Purcell.

[19] In 1939, Gertrude Mittelmann created a program entitled Dancing Through the Ages performed live at the MacDowell Club, 166 East Seventy-third Street in New York City, on Sundays at 4 PM: 3 December 1939, 14 January, 4 February, 10 March and 7 April 1940.

[20] The event, a series of five concerts for young people sponsored by Junior Programs, Inc., was devoted to dance music by great composers of various periods.

In 1940, Gertrude Mittelmann was hired by WQXR radio station in New York City where she created an adaptation of her live performances entitled Come Dance Through the Ages.

Friday 12 July 1940, at WQXR's classical salon on Fifth Avenue, girls from the Ethical Culture Summer Play School (Central Park West) "twirled and curtsied through a repertory of country dances, hornpipes and drop-the-handkerchiefs.

[25][26][27][28] On Sunday evenings from 7 to 8 PM, 20 March and 29 May 1940, WQXR presented Gertrude Mittelmann performing as piano soloist with Eddy Brown and the String Orchestra.

One night, while listening to some ballet music at the Metropolitan Opera House, she was so carried away by the melody that she sprang to her feet and executed some dance steps which, she said, "must have looked awfully queer.

Miss Mittelmann, a concert pianist, was discussing the "join-in" group-dancing radio series, "Come Dance Through the Ages," she is presenting over station WQXR.

[30]The program, Mittelmann's "brain-child", was arranged with numerous co-operating agencies: the Board of Education Summer Play Schools, the Summer Demonstration School of Teachers College, Columbia University, settlement houses and Girl Scout troops, who performed dances as outlined by an instructor, where representative groups went through the dances in the WQXR studios.