Gunna Breuning-Storm (1891–1966) was a Danish violinist and music teacher. From 1910 she performed as a soloist throughout Germany until the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

broke out in 1914. Her Breuning-Bache Quartet was active in Denmark from 1919 until 1956. In 1918, she was the first and only woman since to be appointed court violinist and the first woman to play in the Royal Danish Orchestra. From 1926, she became the conductor of the amateur Euphrosyne Orchestra for the next 20 years. She also performed widely in Sweden and England.

Early life

Born in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

on 25 January 1891, Gunna Breuning-Storm was the daughter of the physician Hoter Axel Breuning-Storm (1849–1923) and Gabriele Sophie Borchorst (1863–1921). She studied the violin from an early age under Johannes Schiørring (1869–1951) and later under Torben Anton Svendsen (1904–1980), completing her education in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

under

Henri Marteau Henri Marteau (31 March 1874 – 3 October 1934) was a French violinist and composer, who obtained Swedish citizenship in 1915. Life and career Marteau was born in Reims. He was of German and French ancestry. His father, a Frenchman, was a well k ...

Career

She made her début in 1907 at the Old Fellows Mansion in the presence of the king and queen. After moving to Berlin, she débuted there in 1910 and went on to perform as a soloist in Germany's main cities. She performed with the

Berlin Philharmonic The Berlin Philharmonic (german: Berliner Philharmoniker, links=no, italic=no) is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. History The Berlin Philharmonic was fo ...

under

Arthur Nikisch Arthur Nikisch (12 October 185523 January 1922) was a Hungarian conductor who performed internationally, holding posts in Boston, London, Leipzig and—most importantly—Berlin. He was considered an outstanding interpreter of the music of B ...

Max Reger Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, as a musical director at the Paulinerkirche, Leipzig, Leipzig University ...

and

Felix Weingartner Paul Felix Weingartner, Edler von Münzberg (2 June 1863 – 7 May 1942) was an Austrian conductor, composer and pianist. Life and career Weingartner was born in Zara, Dalmatia, Austria-Hungary (now Zadar, Croatia), to Austrian parents. ...

and played at the court for Empress Augusta Viktoria. She also taught in Berlin, attracting a considerable number of students. With the outbreak of war in 1914, she returned to Denmark, continuing to teach and giving concerts. She also gave a number of concerts in Sweden in 1916, including one featuring the composer

Emil Sjögren Johan Gustav Emil Sjögren (16 June 1853, Stockholm – 1 March 1918, Knivsta) was a Swedish composer. Born in Stockholm, Sjögren entered the Stockholm Conservatory at the age of seventeen and later continued his studies at the Berlin Conser ...

with whom she played his sonatas for violin and piano. Back in Denmark, in 1918 she accompanied the court pianist Johanne Stockmarr and was appointed court violinist, becoming the only women to receive the honour. As a teacher, she was engaged by C.F.E. Horneman's conservatory and later by the

Royal Danish Academy of Music The Royal Danish Academy of Music, or Royal Danish Conservatory of Music ( da, Det Kongelige Danske Musikkonservatorium), in Copenhagen is the oldest professional institution of musical education in Denmark as well as the largest, with approxima ...

(1919–1923). Like her German instructors, she also began to conduct. In about 1920, she established her own chamber orchestra which in 1925 became the amateur Euphrosyne Orchestra. From 1926, she was the orchestra's conductor for the next 30 years, also maintaining the orchestra's educational role as a lively, enthusiastic teacher. She was supported by Crown Prince Frederik, later King Frederik IX, who sponsored a number of the orchestra's concerts. She also continued to perform as a soloist, on one occasion causing quite a stir by performing nine of the most famous violin concertos over three consecutive evenings. Breuning-Storm is also remembered for playing first violin in the Breuning-Bache Quartet which gave its first performance in 1919 and continued to play until 1956. Outside of Denmark it was known as the Copenhagen Quartet. Initially, its members included Gerhard Rafn, second violin, Ella Faber, violist, and Paulus Brache, cello. It gained a considerable reputation both in Denmark and abroad playing both classical and modern music. Gunna Breuning-Storm died in Copenhagen on 24 April 1966. She is buried in

Bispebjerg Cemetery Bispebjerg Cemetery ( Danish: Bispebjerg Kirkegård), established in 1903 on the moderately graded north slope of Bispebjerg Hill, is the newest of five municipal cemeteries in Copenhagen, Denmark. The main entrance to the cemetery is located nex ...

Awards

She was honoured with the Ingenio et arti award in 1935.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Breuning-Strom, Gunna 1891 births 1966 deaths Danish violinists Danish women violinists Women classical violinists Danish women music educators Danish women conductors (music) Danish music educators Musicians from Copenhagen Recipients of Ingenio et Arti