Olga Bloom (née Bayrack; April 2, 1919 - November 24, 2011) was an American violinist and violist who founded Bargemusic in 1977.
[1][2][3][4][5] After purchasing the former coffee barge, Bloom refurbished over a series of years for use as a concert venue.
She made paneling from a discarded Staten Island Ferry boat and added seating for 130 and four large windows from which the audience could take in the views of Lower Manhattan.
It also hosted winners and medalists of the Rostropovich, Piatigorsky, Queen Elisabeth and Tchaikovsky competitions.
[6] Bloom remained active with Bargemusic until 2005 when she turned over day-to-day operations to Mark Peskanov and performed there as late as 2009 in celebration of her 90th birthday.