American Conductor 

Judith Somogi was an American conductor celebrated as the first woman to conduct at the New York City Opera.

Born in Brooklyn in 1937 to Louis and Antonina Somogi, she studied piano, violin, and organ at the Juilliard School of Music, graduating in 1961. She further honed her skills at the Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood, Massachusetts. Initially, Somogi worked as a piano teacher before joining the New York City Opera.

Beginning in 1966, she served as a rehearsal pianist, chorus master, and vocal coach at the opera company before being given opportunities to conduct. Between opera seasons, she worked as an assistant conductor to Thomas Schippers at Italy’s Spoleto Festival and to Leopold Stokowski with the American Symphony Orchestra in New York.

From 1977 to 1980, Somogi served as the music director of the Utica Symphony Orchestra, becoming the first woman to hold a permanent orchestral post in the United States. Over the course of her career, she conducted orchestras in San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, Saarbrücken, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa. A PBS documentary, On Stage with Judith Somogi, highlighted her contributions to music.

In 1974, Somogi broke new ground as the first woman to conduct at the New York City Opera. From 1982 to 1987, she was the principal conductor at Oper Frankfurt. In 1984, she made history again by becoming the first woman to conduct at one of Italy’s major opera houses.

Due to poor health, Somogi retired in 1987. She passed away on Long Island in 1988 after a four-year battle with cancer.