Dutch Conductor

Antonia Brico, born in the Netherlands and later a naturalized American, was a pioneering pianist and conductor, recognized as the first woman to achieve widespread acclaim as a leader of world-class symphony orchestras.

Brico moved to the United States with her parents in 1908, settling in California. She graduated from high school in Oakland in 1919, by which time she was already an accomplished pianist and had begun her journey toward a conducting career. In 1923, she earned a degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where she had served as an assistant to the director of the San Francisco Opera. Afterward, she pursued piano studies with several teachers, including Sigismund Stojowski. In 1927, she enrolled at the Berlin State Academy of Music and, in 1929, became the first American to graduate from its master class in conducting. During this period, she also studied for three years with Karl Muck, conductor of the Hamburg Philharmonic.

Brico’s professional conducting debut took place in February 1930 with the Berlin Philharmonic. This performance, along with subsequent appearances with the Los Angeles Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Hamburg Philharmonic, earned high praise from critics. In January 1933, she made her New York debut as a guest conductor for the Musicians’ Symphony Orchestra. This was followed by guest appearances in Detroit, Buffalo, Washington, D.C., and other cities. In 1934, she took the helm of the newly formed Women’s Symphony Orchestra, which gave two concerts in New York in 1935 and went on to present full concert seasons annually until 1942. In January 1939, when male musicians were admitted, the orchestra was renamed the Brico Symphony Orchestra.

In July 1938, Brico became the first woman to conduct the New York Philharmonic during a performance at Lewisohn Stadium. The following year, she led the Federal Orchestra in concerts at the New York World’s Fair. In 1946, she embarked on a European tour as both a pianist and a conductor. During this tour, composer Jean Sibelius invited her to conduct the Helsinki Symphony Orchestra in a program of his works.

By the mid-1940s, Brico faced increasing challenges in a profession traditionally dominated by men, despite her obvious talent. In 1942, she settled in Denver, Colorado, where she founded the Bach Society and the Women’s String Ensemble. In 1948, she established the Denver Businessmen’s Orchestra, which was renamed the Brico Symphony Orchestra in 1968 and later became the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra. She conducted the group until her retirement in 1985.

Between 1956 and 1958, Brico served as guest conductor for the Boise Civic Symphony in Idaho and continued to appear with orchestras worldwide, including the Japan Women’s Symphony. In 1974, a documentary about her life, titled Antonia: A Portrait of a Woman, directed by Jill Godmilow and Brico’s former student, folk singer Judy Collins, reignited interest in her work. This led to invitations to conduct at Lincoln Center in New York City, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and other prestigious venues.