Ebba Sundstrom Nylander (February 26, 1896 — January 5, 1963) was an American violinist and conductor, director of the

Women's Symphony Orchestra of Chicago The Woman's Symphony Orchestra of Chicago was an American orchestra based in Chicago. In addition to its regular radio broadcasts which spanned 1925–1948 (or 1952), the Woman's Symphony Orchestra of Chicago also toured. History The orchestra ...

in the 1930s. She may have been the first American-born woman to conduct a full symphony orchestra.Ruth de Young
"Ebba Sundstrom: A Musical Figure of Rare Quality"
''Chicago Sunday Tribune'' (December 8, 1935): 98. via

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Early life

Ebba Sundstrom was born in

Lindsborg, Kansas Lindsborg is a city in McPherson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,776. Lindsborg is known for its large Swedish, other Nordic and Scandinavian Americans ( Nordic- Scandinavian), and German ...

, a settlement of Swedish-immigrant farmers where her father was a carpenter. Both of her parents were musical, as founders of Lindsborg's Bethany Oratorio Society. She learned piano and violin as a child, and began performing for audiences and teaching violin when she was still a young teenager. She studied at the Minneapolis School of Music under Richard Czerwonky.

Career

In the 1920s and 1930s, Sundstrom maintained a busy performing schedule, regularly appearing on stages in Chicago and Minneapolis, and in live radio concerts. She also taught violin at the

Bush Conservatory of Music The Bush Temple Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Art was an American conservatory of music based in Chicago with branches in Dallas and Memphis. History The Conservatory was founded in 1901 by William Lincoln Bush (1861–1941), of the Chicago ...

in Chicago. In 1929, she took over from

Ethel Leginska Ethel Liggins (13 April 188626 February 1970) was a British pianist, conductor and composer. A student of Theodor Leschetizky, she became widely known as the ‘Paderewski of woman pianists’ and (from 1923) established herself as one of the fir ...

the director position with the Woman's Symphony Orchestra of Chicago. After seven seasons conducting the orchestra, she took leave in 1937 for "study and travel". She did not return to the conductor's post, but by 1941 was teaching at

North Park College North Park University is a private Christian university in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1891 by the Evangelical Covenant Church. It is located on Chicago's north side and enrolls more than 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students. His ...

, and conducting the school's orchestra, until she resigned from North Park in 1951. Sundstrom often played with and for Swedish-American cultural groups, including the United Swedish Singers of Chicago, The Swedish Old People's Home Society, and the American Daughters of Sweden. She was one of the first members of Altrusa in Chicago, and appeared on Altrusa programs as a presenter. She was president of the Women's Music Club.

Personal life

Ebba Sundstrom married Victor T. Nylander, a dentist who taught at the

University of Illinois at Chicago The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a Public university, public research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its campus is in the Near West Side, Chicago, Near West Side community area, adjacent to the Chicago Loop. The second campus esta ...

from 1920 to 1937."Dr. Victor T. Nylander"
''Chicago Daily Tribune'' (January 12, 1962): 14. via

They had a son, Reinhold Nylander, born in 1930. She was widowed when Victor died in 1962. Ebba Sundstrom Nylander died in 1963, aged 66 years."Mrs. Nylander Dies; Founder of Orchestra"
''Chicago Sunday Tribune'' (January 6, 1963): 194. via

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nylander, Ebba Sundstrom 1896 births 1963 deaths American women conductors (music) 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American women musicians 20th-century American violinists American women violinists People from Lindsborg, Kansas Classical musicians from Kansas North Park University