Hedy Salquin (1928-2012)
Swiss Conductor Hedy Salquin was a Swiss conductor, pianist, painter, and poet whose exceptional musical talent was evident from a young age. She began piano lessons at the age of six, encouraged by her father, who recognized her abilities early on. In 1939, Salquin was admitted to the advanced piano class of Alexandre Mottu at […]
Emma Steiner (1856-1929)
American Conductor Emma R. Steiner was one of the first women in the United States to earn a living as a conductor, leading more than 6,000 performances over her lifetime. She was also the first woman to conduct a theater orchestra in New York. Her career, which began in the 1870s with touring comic opera […]
Ivana Fišer (1905-1967)
Croatian Conductor Ivana Fišer was born on June 13, 1905, in Zagreb to a Jewish family. Her father, Ignjat Fischer, was a renowned Croatian architect, and her mother was Helena Fischer. Fišer completed her elementary and music education in Zagreb, graduating from the Academy of Music at the University of Zagreb, where she studied under […]
Joanídia Sodré (1903-1975)
Brazilian Conductor Joanídia Sodré was a Brazilian music educator, pianist, conductor, and composer. Born in Porto Alegre, her family relocated to Rio de Janeiro when she was four years old. There, she studied piano under the guidance of Alberto Nepomuceno. Later, she graduated from the National Institute of Music, where she studied music with Henrique […]
Kathleen Riddick (1907-1973)
English Conductor Kathleen Riddick, born in Epsom, Surrey, into a musical family, was a trailblazing conductor in a male-dominated profession. Both her parents were professional musicians, and her father conducted an amateur orchestra in Epsom. Riddick began studying cello at the age of 10 at the Guildhall School of Music, where she was taught by […]
Ina Ray Hutton (1916-1984)
American Conductor She was an American singer and the leader of the first all-female swing band to be both recorded and filmed during the 1930s. A native of Chicago, Ina Ray Hutton began performing on stage at the age of eight, singing and dancing. Her mother, a pianist, likely inspired her early interest in music. […]
Grace Burrows (1893-1981)
English Conductor Grace Burrows was a distinguished violinist who played a pivotal role in Leicester’s musical landscape for three decades. She was instrumental in establishing and leading the Leicester Symphony Orchestra (LSO), serving as its concertmaster for 20 years. A champion for women in music, Grace actively supported their advancement through her leadership in the […]
Elke Mascha Blankenburg (1943-2013)
German Conductor The German conductor Elke Mascha Blankenburg began her musical journey at the age of six, receiving piano lessons from her mother, Anneliese Feldmeyer. She later took up the violin and developed a passion for ballet. Her early experiences in music performance included singing in various choirs and playing violin with the Heidelberger Universitätsorchester. […]
Lina Coen (1878-1952)
French-American Conductor Lina Coen was a French-American musician of Dutch descent, celebrated as a pianist, vocal coach, and trailblazing conductor. She holds the distinction of being the first woman in the United States to conduct an opera. Coen graduated from the Conservatoire de Paris, where she studied piano under Élie-Miriam Delaborde. Her first known concert […]
Ausma Derkēvica (1929-2011)
Latvian Conductor Ausma Derkēvica was a prominent Latvian choral conductor and music educator. She graduated from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music in 1959, studying under T. Kalniņš. From 1958 to 1970, Derkēvica served as the choral conductor for the Latvian SSR Revolution Veterans’ Choir. Simultaneously, from 1958 to 1989, she co-led the folk […]