Antonia Brico | Articles | Colorado Encyclopedia

Antonia Brico (1902–89) was the first woman to gain wide acceptance and recognition in the field of symphony conducting. YouarehereHome AntoniaBrico Sharearticleto BodyFullArticleAntoniaBrico(1902–89)wasthefirstwomantogainwideacceptanceandrecognitioninthefieldofsymphonyconducting.Despitebeingtoldthatwomencouldnotandshouldnotbesymphonyconductors,shecompletedtherigorousconductingcourseattheUniversityofBerlinandconductedmanymajororchestrasinthe1930sand1940s,includingtheBerlinPhilharmonicandNewYorkPhilharmonic.AfterlivinginCalifornia,NewYork,andEurope,shespentthelastforty-sevenyearsofherlifeinDenver,conductingwhenshecouldandteachingpianoandvocalmusicatherprestigiousBricoStudio.In1974hermostfamousstudent,folksingerJudyCollins,madeadocumentaryfilmabouther,whichwasnominatedforanAcademyAwardandmadeBricointoafeministicon. EarlyYears AntoniaLouisaBricowasborninRotterdam,Netherlands,onJune26,1902,toAgnesBrico.HerfatherwasatravelingItalianmusician.Unmarriedandunabletocareforthebaby,hermotherplacedAntoniainalocalconvent.Atagetwo,shewasplacedwithafosterfamilynamedWolthusinAmsterdam,withAgnespayingaweeklystipendforherexpenses.WhenAntoniawassix,thefamilysecretlyimmigratedtotheUnitedStates.TheysettledinOakland,California,andAntoniawasrenamedWilhelminaWolthus.Shedidnotknowthestoryofherbirthuntilshewasateenager.Shewouldeventuallytakebackherbirthnamewhenshewastwenty-two. Bricolatercharacterizedherchildhoodas“miserable,”fullofverbalandphysicalabuse,butonebrightspotwasmusic.Atageten,shebegantolearnpianofromatwelve-year-oldneighbor.Achildprodigy,shequicklymasteredthebasics.Byhighschool,shewasanaccomplishedpianist.Herchoralteacher,MinnieDavis,becameastronginfluenceandadvocate.DavistookBricotoherfirstconcert,whereshewasimmediatelyenchantedbyconductingandvowedtobecomeaconductorherself.PaulSteindorf,afamouspianistandconductor,wasconductingthatday.HeagreedtotakeBricoonasapianostudent.DavisandSteindorfencouragedhertoapplytocollege,againstthewishesofherfosterparents.WhensheenrolledattheUniversityofCalifornia–Berkeleyin1919tocontinueherpianostudieswithSteindorf,herfosterparentsseveredtheirrelationshipwithher. Education:BerkeleyandNewYorkCity Bricothrivedincollege.Shestudiedpiano,pickedupviolinandcello,andlearnedseveralforeignlanguages.Independentofherabusivefosterfamily,shesupportedherselfwithavarietyofjobs,includingteachingpiano,waitingtables,andworkingatWoolworth’s.ShebecameinvolvedintheTheosophicalSociety,aspiritualprogramthatintegratedEasternandWesternphilosophies.Theosophicalteachingswouldbeimportanttoherthroughoutherlifeandhelpedhertohealfromthetraumaofherchildhood. Bricoremaineddeterminedtobecomeasymphonyconductor.Atthetime,therewerenoprofessionalfemaleconductorsintheUnitedStates,andallprofessionalsymphonymusiciansweremen(exceptfortheoccasionalharpist).Musicallytalentedwomen,includingBrico,wereexpectedtobecomemusicteachersoraccompanists.EvenSteindorfscoffedatherambition,saying,“itwouldneverworkbecausenoonewantsawomanconductor.”Nonetheless,shepersistedandmanagedtogetherselfadmittedastheonlywomaninamasterclassinconductingledbyfamousconductorandpianistSigismundStojowski. AftergraduatingfromBerkeleyin1923,BricowenttoNewYorkCitytostudypianowithStojowski.LikeSteindorf,however,hewouldnotteachhertoconductandcalledherambition“ridiculous.”BricolivedwiththeStojowskifamilyfortwoyears,oftenpracticingpianotwelvehoursaday.Itwasduringthistimethatshelocatedherbirthfamilyandtookbackherbirthname. In1925BricoreturnedtoBerkeleyasagraduatestudent.ModesteAlloohadreplacedSteindorfastheconductingprofessoratBerkeley,buthetootoldherthatwomendidnothavethestaminatobecomeconductors.Tosupportherself,sheperformedregularlyasasoloistandaccompanistforlocalconcertsandonradiobroadcasts. Europe:BirthFamilyandConducting WhileinNewYork,BricohadreestablishedcontactwithherbirthfamilyintheNetherlands.Hermotherhaddiedin1909,butherextendedfamilywasexcitedtoreconnectwithher.In1926shesailedforHolland,wheresheenjoyedhernewfoundfamily.Herfamilyencouragedherartisticendeavorsandherdreamofconducting.ShebegantoconsiderapplyingtotheMasterSchoolofConductingattheUniversityofBerlin.AfterabriefreturntotheUnitedStates,shewenttoBerlinin1927toauditionfortheconductingschoolwithKarlMuck,thefamousheadoftheprogram.ArmedwithlettersofrecommendationfromSteindorf,Stojowski,andAlloo,whoseemtohavebeenworndownbyherpersistenceandtalent,BricobecamethefirstwomanandthefirstAmericanadmittedtothemostdemandingandprestigiousconductingprograminEurope.Shestudiedallaspectsofconductingintheintensive,two-yearprogram,graduatingattheendof1929. OnJanuary10,1930,BricomadeherEuropeanconductingdebutasthefirstwomantoconducttheBerlinPhilharmonic.TheNewYorkTimesreported:“MissAntoniaBricoofSanFrancisco,madeasuccessfuldebuttonightinBerlinwiththePhilharmonicOrchestra,whichfollowedherbatonmostenthusiastically,elicitingthunderousapplause.” InJuly1930,BricohadherAmericanconductingdebutwiththeLosAngelesPhilharmonicbeforeasold-outaudienceattheHollywoodBowl.TheSanFranciscoExaminerdescribedherasa“phenomenonbecauseofhermasteryoftheorchestraandasasymbolbecausesheillustratedtheemancipationofwomenfromtheman-imposedfettersoftheages.”Nevertheless,fewopportunitiesforconductingmaterializedintheUnitedStates.ShereturnedtoEurope,wheresheguest-conductedorchestrasinHamburg,Brussels,Vienna,Riva,andDusseldorfbeforerisingpoliticaltensionsinEuropeledhertoreturntotheUnitedStatesin1932. NewYork:TriumphsandChallenges ArrivingbackinNewYorkCityinthemidstoftheGreatDepression,Bricofoundnoconductingjobsopentoher.SheformedtheMusiciansSymphonyOrchestra,madeupofout-of-workmusicians,andconductedseveralperformancesattheMetropolitanOperaHouse.ShewasalsohiredbytheWorksProgressAdministration(WPA)toconductpublicconcertsperformedbyout-of-workmusiciansindifferentcommunities. In1934BricoformedtheWomen’sOrchestraofNewYork,afull-sizedprofessionalorchestracomposedentirelyofwomen,withherselfasconductor.SponsorsincludedEleanorRoosevelt,MayorFiorelloLaGuardia,andmembersoftheVanderbiltandRockefellerfamilies.ThesymphonyperformedatCarnegieHallandbecameacriticalandfinancialsuccess,soongrowingtobecomeoneofthelargestorchestrasinthecity.Nowbecomingbetterknown,BricowasinvitedinJuly1938tobecomethefirstwomantoconducttheNewYorkPhilharmonic.SheledaprogramthatincludedasymphonybyFinnishcomposerJeanSibelius,whohadbecomeoneofhermentors.HerconductingskillswereagainpraisedintheNewYorkTimes. Bricowascommittedtofightingforequityinthehiringoffemalemusicians.ShewasinstrumentalintheformationoftheMusician’sUnion’sCommitteefortheRecognitionofWomenintheMusicalProfessionin1938.Atthetime,professionalsymphonieswouldnothirewomenorevenallowthemtoaudition.Ayearlater,shedisbandedtheWomen’sOrchestratoforma“mixed”symphonyorchestra,madeupofmenandwomen,calledtheBricoSymphonyOrchestra.Thegroupexperiencedsomesuccessandperformedatthe1939NewYorkWorld’sFair,butitdisbandedin1940owingtoalackoffunding. Denver:StudioandSymphony In1940,whileconductingWPAconcertsacrosstheUnitedStates,BricomadeastopinDenver.InDecember,withsupportfromfriendsintheDenvermusiccommunity,sheappearedastheguestconductoroftheDenverSymphonyOrchestra.In1942shemovedtoDenver,whereshemayhavethoughtshewouldbeofferedtheDenverSymphonyconductingjobafterHoraceTureman’sretirement.Sheboughtahouseat959PennsylvaniaStreet,wheresheofferedprivateconducting,piano,andvoicelessonstolocalstudents.ShealsoconductedtheTrinityMethodistChurchchoirandtaughtcoursesatColoradoCollege.ShelonghopedtobehiredtoconductaprofessionalsymphonyinDenver,butthatopportunitynevermaterialized.Shewasconsistentlypassedoverinfavorofmaleconductors.TheDenverBusinessmen’sOrchestra,anamateursymphony,namedheritsconductorin1947.Sheledtheorchestraforthirty-nineyears;in1967itwasrenamedtheBricoSymphony. StillnotofferedprofessionalconductingjobsintheUnitedStates,BricocontinuedtotraveltoEuropetoconductthroughoutthe1940sand1950s.Shewasinvitedtoconductincitiesalloverthecontinent,includingParis,Munich,Salzburg,Vienna,London,andOberammergau.SheconductedtheHelsinkiSymphonyatSibelius’sinvitationandwaslaterhonoredwiththePro-FinlandiaMedalforhersupportandcontributionstothepeopleandcultureofFinland. LaterYearsandLegacy Inherlateryears,Bricobecamesomethingofalivinglegend.In1968theUniversityofCalifornia–Berkeleynamedheroneoftheschool’s100mostdistinguishedgraduatesinits100-yearhistory.In1974hermostfamousstudent,folksingerJudyCollins,madeherthesubjectofadocumentarycalledAntonia:PortraitofaWoman.NominatedforanAcademyAwardforBestDocumentary,thefilmcapturedBrico’sstrugglewithdiscriminationandprejudice.Italsorevitalizedhercareer.ShewasinvitedtoconductmajorsymphoniesallovertheUnitedStatesandabroad,andshebecameafeministphenomenon,tellingherstoryon60MinutesandTheTonightShowwithJohnnyCarson.In1986shewasinductedintotheColoradoWomen’sHallofFame. Bricocontinuedtoconductandteachuntilaround1985.ShediedonAugust3,1989,attheageofeighty-seven.Rememberedforherpioneeringspirit,talent,determination,andearlyfeminism,sheblazedapathforwomeninthefieldofsymphonyconducting. Author: Duncan,ElizabethReferences: “AntoniaBrico,”ColoradoWomen’sHallofFame,n.d.. “AntoniaBrico,”EncyclopediaBritannica,lastupdatedJuly30,2020. LanceEugeneChristensen,“IWillNotBeDeflectedFromMyCourse:TheLifeofDr.AntoniaBrico”(MAthesis,UniversityofColorado–Denver,2000). JudyCollinsandJillGodmilow,dirs.,Antonia:APortraitoftheWoman(MomentumPictures,1974). KayD.Lawson,“WomenOrchestralConductors:FactorsAffectingCareerDevelopment”(MAthesis,MichiganStateUniversity,1983). JeanneVarnell, WomenofConsequence:TheColoradoWomen’sHallofFame (Boulder:JohnsonBooks,1999). AdditionalInformation: PhilipHart,OrpheusintheNewWorld:TheSymphonyOrchestraasanAmericanCulturalInstitution(NewYork:W.W.Norton,1973). Theme: CommunityCategory: PeoplePerson: Arts&ArtistsEuropeanAmericansCultureNotableWomenKeywords: AntoniaBricoclassicalmusicDenverSymphonyJudyCollinsBricoSymphonyMap:  RelatedArticles CharlesBurrell ColoradoSymphony JackBradley