Brico, Antonia (1902–1989) | Encyclopedia.com

Brico, Antonia (1902–1989) ... Dutch-born American conductor, pianist, and musical pioneer who was the first woman to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic and the New ... SkiptomaincontentWomenEncyclopediasalmanacstranscriptsandmapsBrico,Antonia(1902–1989)Brico,Antonia(1902–1989)galeviewsupdatedBrico,Antonia(1902–1989)Dutch-bornAmericanconductor,pianist,andmusicalpioneerwhowasthefirstwomantoconducttheBerlinPhilharmonicandtheNewYorkPhilharmonic,aswellasmanymajorEuropeanandAmericanorchestras,andfoundedtheNewYorkWomen'sSymphony.BorninRotterdam,theNetherlands,onJune26,1902;diedinDenver,Colorado,onAugust3,1989;attendedUniversityofCalifornia,atBerkeley;studiedwithKarlMuckandSigismundStojowski.Forcenturies,prejudiceagainstwomenmusicians,particularlyinEuropeansociety,reflectedthenotionthatmusicwasamaledomain.Womenwereallowedtoperformorwrite"feminine"piecesintheprivacyoftheirhomes,butpubliccareersweredeniedthem.Onlyinthe20thcenturywerewomenadmittedtosymphonyorchestras,andthisoccurredaftertheydemandedtobeauditionedbehindcurtainssothatjudgescouldnottellthesexoftheperformer.Giventhesebarriers,itisnotsurprisingthatrelativelyfewwomenhavesucceededinthisdisciplineuntilthelate20thcentury.Itisratheramazingthatwomenmadesubstantialcontributionstomusicdespitethegrossprejudiceagainstthem.AntoniaBricowasapioneerinmusic,venturingwherefewwomenhadgonebefore.Hercareerillustratesthefrustrationsandtriumphswomenenduredforcenturies.Shedecidedtobecomeaconductoratatimewhenthisideawasunthinkableforawoman."Backthentherewerenowomeninsymphonyorchestras,"saidBrico."IfoundedtheNewYorkWomen'sSymphonyin1934,atatimewhentheNewYorkPhilharmonicwouldn'temployawomanharpist,muchlessawomanconductor.Istartedthetrend.IsimplywantedtoconductandIwantedtoprovethatwomencouldplayeverysingleinstrument."Strugglingtosurviveinanentirelymale-dominatedarena,Bricoremainedoptimistic:"I'dneverforgivemyselfifIdidn'ttry.I'dratherdietrying."AntoniaBricowasbornintheNetherlandsandcametotheUnitedStatesattheageofsix.Shebegantakingpianoatagetenbecauseadoctorfeltitwouldhelphertostopbitinghernails.BricooftenattendedconcertsinSanFranciscoparksdirectedbyPaulSteindorff,andherencounterswithorchestrasmadeherdecidetobecomeaconductor.Theobstaclesshewouldfacebeganearly,whenasastudentatahighschoolinOaklandshehadhadtopetitionauthoritiestobeallowedtotakeamusicappreciationcourse;music,itwasassumed,couldalsoonlybeappreciatedbymen.Herinnateabilitieswerequicklyapparenttotheteacher,andBricobeganalifelongstruggletoprovethatwomenwereasmusicallygiftedasmen.BricostartedstudyingatBerkeleyandhadtheopportunitytobecometheassistanttoPaulSteindorff,whoconductedtheSanFranciscoOperaaswellasachoralgroup.Tosupportherselfasastudentshegaverecitals.In1923,Bricograduatedwithhonors,thenstudiedwithSigismundStojowskifortwoyears.In1927,sheenteredthemasterclassofconductingatGermany'sBerlinStateAcademyofMusic,whichwastaughtbyJuliusPrüwer,conductoroftheBerlinPhilharmonic.DuringthefiveyearsshespentinEurope,BricoalsostudiedwithSiegfriedOchs,thechoralconductor,andKarlMuck,conductoroftheHamburgPhilharmonic.Muckdidnotacceptpupils,andBricowasthesoleexceptiontothisgeneralrule.In1928,shecoachedattheBayreuthWagnerFestival.Twoyearslater,inFebruary1930,shewasthefirstwomantoconducttheBerlinPhilharmonic,aguestappearancethatreceivedravereviews.Duringthe1930s,previouslycloseddoorsbegantoopenforwomenastheybegantoflyplanes,conductorchestras,andwinNobelprizes.Thepublicwasinfatuatedwiththesepioneerswhooftenappearedinnewspapers,magazines,onradio,andinmovienewsclips.In1931,BricoconductedtheHamburgPhilharmonic.OnJanuary10,1933,shewasthefirstwomantoconducttheMetropolitanOperaorchestra."WithonlythreerehearsalsMissBricomadethatorchestraplayasithadneverplayedbefore,"wrotecriticLloydMorris.InvitationstoconductinDetroit,Buffalo,WashingtonD.C.,andCaliforniafollowed.In1938,sheconductedtheNewYorkPhilharmonic.Brico'scareerwasclearlyontheupswing,asAmericalovedits"symphonicsuffragette."Theroadahead,however,wouldbefarfromclear.In1934,BricofoundedtheNewYorkWomen'sSymphonyOrchestra,whichmadeitsfirstappearanceinTownHallonFebruary18,1935.WroteaNewsweekstafferin1938,"Asconductorandaswomen'sorchestrafounderMissBricohasaunityofpurpose—toovercometheprejudiceagainstwomenasorchestralplayersandconductors.Toconductmaleorchestras,shefeels,istochallengemaleconductorsontheirowngrounds.Toconductafemaleorchestra,asshehasbeendoing,isnotonlytochallengemaleorchestralplayersbuttodramatizethecompetenceofwomenplayers."AlthoughsomegraspedBrico'spurpose,manydidnot,andinvitationsdidnotcontinue."Iwasanoveltyatfirst,"Bricoexplained."Awomanwhowantedtoconductasymphonyorchestra.Imagine.ButthebigNewYorkmanagersshiedawayfrommelikeaplague.Nobodywantedtomanageawoman."ArthurJudson,whomanagedmostoftheleadingAmericanconductors,toldherthatwomensubscriberswouldnotstandforawomanconductor,andtherewassometruthtothisallegation.MinnieGuggenheimer,aleadingmusicalfigureinNewYork,wasoutragedthatBricowasconductingandtoldher,"It'sadisgracefortheNewYorkPhilharmonicandtheonlyreasonyou'regoingtoconductthisconcertisthatwegotthispetition."Fourthousandmusicdevoteeshadpetitioned,askingthatBricobeengagedtoconductthePhilharmonicin1938.Thisappearance,however,provedtobeherswansongintheconductingworld.Theendofthe1930sandtheoutbreakofWorldWarIIstalledthemomentumofthefeministmovementasAmericansfocusedtheirattentionelsewhere.In1942,BricowenttoDenvertoconductasemi-professionalorchestraandtoteach.Enamoredwiththecityanditsclimate,forthenext27yearssheledtheDenverBusinessman'sOrchestra,whichwasrenamedtheBricoSymphonyinherhonorinthelate1960s.Herinternationalconductingcareer,however,wasatanend."Iwasburiedinanashheap,"shesaid;thoughshehadnevergivenupherdesiretoconduct,themalemusicalworldhadeffectivelyshutherout.Talent,Bricodiscovered,wasnotpartoftherecipeforsuccess.ThesingerJudyCollinstookpianowithBricofromthetimeshewastenuntilshereached16.ThetwokeptincontactevenafterCollinsbecameapopularsinger.In1974,CollinsproducedafilmaboutherformerteacherthatwascalledAntonia:PortraitoftheWoman.Acomplexwork,thisdocumentarywasabalancedportrayalofBrico'slife—ofheroptimismanddespair.ThefilmrevivedBrico'scareer.Nowinher70s,Bricowasrediscoveredandsomanyoffersfloodedinthatitrequiredtwomanagerstoscheduleconcerts.BricoalsorecordedforColumbiaRecordsduringthisperiod.WhenAntoniaBricodiedin1989,hercareerhadcomefullcircle.Thepublicwasmoreacceptingofawomanontheconductor'spodium.Themusicalworld,however,wasstilldominatedbymen,andatthetimeofBrico'sdeathnowomanhadbeenmadethepermanentconductorofamajorsymphonyorchestra.Asthe20thcenturydrewtoaclose,womenstillhadtofightforequalityinmusic.sources:"AntoniaBrico'sTriumph:FirstofSextoWieldBatonOverN.Y.Philharmonic,"inNewsweek.Vol.12,no.5.August1,1938,p.21.Henahan,Donal."AntoniaBrico,at72,FindsHerBatoninHighDemand,"inTheNewYorkTimesBiographicalService.May1975,pp.568–569.Kozinn,Allan."AntoniaBrico,87,aConductor;FoughtBarrierstoWomeninthe30's,"inTheNewYorkTimesBiographicalService.August1989,p.742.Rosen,Majorie."AntoniaBrico:TheOrchestraisHerInstrument,"inMs.Vol.3,no.6.December1974,pp.81–84.JohnHaag,Athens,GeorgiaWomeninWorldHistory:ABiographicalEncyclopedia×CitethisarticlePickastylebelow,andcopythetextforyourbibliography.MLAChicagoAPA"Brico,Antonia(1902–1989) ."WomeninWorldHistory:ABiographicalEncyclopedia..Encyclopedia.com.24Nov.2021."Brico,Antonia(1902–1989) ."WomeninWorldHistory:ABiographicalEncyclopedia..Encyclopedia.com.(November24,2021).https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/brico-antonia-1902-1989"Brico,Antonia(1902–1989) ."WomeninWorldHistory:ABiographicalEncyclopedia..RetrievedNovember24,2021fromEncyclopedia.com:https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/brico-antonia-1902-1989LearnmoreaboutcitationstylesCitationstylesEncyclopedia.comgivesyoutheabilitytocitereferenceentriesandarticlesaccordingtocommonstylesfromtheModernLanguageAssociation(MLA),TheChicagoManualofStyle,andtheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation(APA).Withinthe“Citethisarticle”tool,pickastyletoseehowallavailableinformationlookswhenformattedaccordingtothatstyle.Then,copyandpastethetextintoyourbibliographyorworkscitedlist.Becauseeachstylehasitsownformattingnuancesthatevolveovertimeandnotallinformationisavailableforeveryreferenceentryorarticle,Encyclopedia.comcannotguaranteeeachcitationitgenerates.Therefore,it’sbesttouseEncyclopedia.comcitationsasastartingpointbeforecheckingthestyleagainstyourschoolorpublication’srequirementsandthemost-recentinformationavailableatthesesites:ModernLanguageAssociationhttp://www.mla.org/styleTheChicagoManualofStylehttp://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.htmlAmericanPsychologicalAssociationhttp://apastyle.apa.org/Notes:Mostonlinereferenceentriesandarticlesdonothavepagenumbers.Therefore,thatinformationisunavailableformostEncyclopedia.comcontent.However,thedateofretrievalisoftenimportant.Refertoeachstyle’sconventionregardingthebestwaytoformatpagenumbersandretrievaldates.InadditiontotheMLA,Chicago,andAPAstyles,yourschool,university,publication,orinstitutionmayhaveitsownrequirementsforcitations.Therefore,besuretorefertothoseguidelineswheneditingyourbibliographyorworkscitedlist.MoreFromencyclopedia.comDeanDixon,Dixon,Dean 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TosaythatLorinMaazel'scareerisbrilliantisanunderstatement:enteringtheconductingarenaattheageofei…AboutthisarticleBrico,Antonia(1902–1989)UpdatedAboutencyclopedia.comcontentPrintArticleYouMightAlsoLikeBrico,Antonia(1902–1989)Caduff,Sylvia(1937—)Leginska,Ethel(1886–1970)Leginska,Ethel(1886–1970)DirigentAlsop,MarinAlsop,MarinSomogi,Judith(1937–1988)NEARBYTERMSBrico,Antoniabrickyardbrickworkbricks-and-clicksbricksandmortarbricksBrickner,RichardP.1933-2006Brickner,BarnettRobertBrickner,Balfour1926–2005Brickner,Balfour1926-Brickner,BalfourBrickman,RobinD.1954-bricklayingbricklayerbrickieBrickhouse,JohnBeasley("Jack")brickfielderbrickfieldBrickerAmendment(1952)Bricken,CarlErnestBrickell,RobertComanBrickell,Edie(1966–)brickearthbrickbatBrick,Marilyn(St.Norbert)Brico,Antonia(1902–1989)BricolageBriçonnetBricoramaS.A.BrictiniansBricusse,Leslie1931–(LeslieBrecusse)bridalbridaldoorbridalwreathBride&PrejudicebrideburningBrideofChuckyBrideofKillerNerdBrideofRe-AnimatorBrideoftheGorillaBrideoftheMonsterBrideoftheWindbridepriceBride,SaintbridegroomBridegroomoftheLawBridegroomsoftheLawBridesofChristBridesoftheBeastBridesheadRevisitedbridesmaid