''Women in Music'' was an American newsletter founded in July 1935 by its publisher and editor,

Frédérique Petrides Frédérique Petrides (pronounced peh TREE dis), (September 26, 1903 – January 12, 1983), was a Belgian-American conductor and violinist. In 1933, she founded and conducted the Orchestrette Classique in New York. It consisted of women music ...

, then the conductor of the

Orchestrette Classique Orchestrette Classique, later called Orchestrette of New York (1932–1943) was an American chamber orchestra in New York made up of women musicians. It was founded in 1932 by conductor Frédérique Petrides (1903–1983), who served as conducto ...

– an orchestra based in New York made-up of female musicians. The publication ran until December 1940. The thirty-seven extant issues were reprinted in the 1991 book by Jan Bell Groh, ''Evening the Score: Women in Music and the Legacy of Frédérique Petrides''. The newsletter title ''Women in Music'' was coined in 1935 by Petrides's husband, journalist, Peter Petrides to encapsulate the gist of its contents.

History

''Women in Music'' was founded in the summer of 1935 for the purpose of enlightening the public with little-known historical facts and current developments pertaining to female conductors, composers, instrumentalists, singers and women-led orchestras. Its scope was not limited to contemporary musicians – it chronicled the activities of female musicians from Ancient Egyptian times to the then present. The publication was sent free-of-charge to newspaper and magazine editors, libraries, music schools, institutions, and individuals in New York and elsewhere. The publication had a circulation of over 2,500. Major print media, including music journals, general magazines, and newspapers have cited ''Women in Music'' as a primary source for opinions, facts, and quotes. Some of the newspapers include ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

;

The New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American online newspaper published in Manhattan; from 2002 to 2008 it was a daily newspaper distributed in New York City. It debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of the earlier New York ...

;

New York World-Telegram The ''New York World-Telegram'', later known as the ''New York World-Telegram and The Sun'', was a New York City newspaper from 1931 to 1966. History Founded by James Gordon Bennett Sr. as ''The Evening Telegram'' in 1867, the newspaper began ...

;

New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...

;

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...

;

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...

;

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

;

San Diego Union ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868. Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...

;

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

;

Press-Telegram The ''Press-Telegram'' is a paid daily newspaper published in Long Beach, California. Coverage area for the ''Press-Telegram'' includes Long Beach, Lakewood, Signal Hill, Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Compton, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, Lynw ...

;

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...

'', and publications that drew articles from ''

Everybody's Weekly ''Everybody’s Weekly'' was weekly tabloid founded 1913 in London as ''The Competitors' Journal''. The publication was widely syndicated in the United States. ''Everybody's'', then owned and published by Everybody’s Publications Ltd., was acq ...

'' syndication.

"The ''Women in Music'' newsletters are the primary source for research done by musicologists on women in music." — Adrienne Fried Block, PhD (1921–2009), musicologist and choral director

Extant issues

Published by “

,” 190 East End Ave.,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

# Volume I July 1, 1935
Oscar Thompson, Rebecca Merit (Merritt), Hubay and Flesch,

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 ...

Henry Holden Huss Henry Holden Huss (June 21, 1862 in Newark, New Jersey – September 17, 1953 in New York City) was an American composer, pianist and music teacher. Huss grew up in New York City, the son of German immigrant parents. After studying piano and ...

# Vol. I, No. 2 August 1935
Fadettes, Caroline B. Nichols, Gertrud Hrdliczka, Eva Vale Anderson, Long Beach Woman's Symphony, Carmen Studer # Vol. I, No. 3 September 1935
Thomas B. Aldrich, Gustave A. Kerker,

Musical Mutual Protective Union The Musical Mutual Protective Union (MMPU) was a New York union of musicians, formed in 1863, with a focus on payment made to musicians in theaters and at balls. In 1885, the union was open to "all instrumental performers, who have been resident ...

of New York, Dr. Charles Burney, “Outline of a Prejudice”, Ebba Violette, Irene Sundstrom, Murielle and Portland Women's Symphony,

Nikolai Sokoloff Nikolai Grigoryevich Sokoloff (28 May 1886 – 25 September 1965) was a Russian-American conductor and violinist. Biography He was born in Kiev, and studied music at Yale. From 1916 to 1917 he was musical director of the San Francisco ...

# Vol. I, No. 4 November 1935
Women's String Orchestra,

Camilla Urso Camilla Urso (13 June 1840Pierre 1900p. 862 Other sources give her year of birth as 1842. – 20 January 1902) was a French-born child prodigy violinist, who became an American musician, "recognized as one of the finest violinists of the latter h ...

, Lois Wann, Emma Steiner,

Hans Kindler Johannes Hendrikus Philip Kindler (January 8, 1892 – August 30, 1949) was a Dutch American cellist and conductor who founded the National Symphony Orchestra. He was married to painter Alice Kindler and Persis Chase Myers. Kindler as ...

, Jeanette Evrard,

Sandor Harmati Sandor Harmati (9 July 18924 April 1936) was a Hungarian-American violinist, conductor and composer, best known for his song "Bluebird of Happiness" written in 1934 for Jan Peerce. Biography Sandor Harmati (''Harmati Sándor'' in Hungarian orthog ...

, Woman's Symphony of Chicago (Chicago Woman's Symphony Orchestra), Arthur P. Schmidt, Eleanor Warner Everest Freer # Vol. I, No. 5 December 1935
Luisa Tetrazini, Herliczka, Teresa Carreno, Henry T. Finck,

Dame Ethel Smyth Dame Ethel Mary Smyth (; 22 April 18588 May 1944) was an English composer and a member of the women's suffrage movement. Her compositions include songs, works for piano, chamber music, orchestral works, choral works and operas. Smyth tended t ...

Pauline Viardot-Garcia Pauline Viardot (; 18 July 1821 – 18 May 1910) was a nineteenth-century French mezzo-soprano, pedagogue and composer of Spanish descent. Born Michelle Ferdinande Pauline García, her name appears in various forms. When it is not simply "Paul ...

Maud Powell Minnie "Maud" Powell (August 22, 1867 – January 8, 1920) was an American violinist who gained international acclaim for her skill and virtuosity. Biography Powell was born in Peru, Illinois. Her mother was Wilhelmina "Minnie" Bengelstrae ...

Jenny Lind Johanna Maria "Jenny" Lind (6 October 18202 November 1887) was a Swedish opera singer, often called the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she performed in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and a ...

# Vol. I, No. 6. February 1936
Caroline B. Nichols, Julia Smith,

Antonia Brico Antonia Louisa Brico (Rotterdam, June 26, 1902 – Denver, August 3, 1989) was a Dutch-born conductor and pianist. Early life and education Born Antonia Louisa Brico to a Dutch Catholic unmarried mother in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Brico w ...

, New York Women's Symphony,

Harley Hamilton Harley Hamilton (March 8, 1861May 14, 1933) was an American conductor, violinist and composer. He was the founder and first conductor of the LA Women's Orchestra in 1893 and of the LA Symphony in 1897. Hamilton was one of the first symphony Ame ...

, Woman's Orchestra of Los Angeles, D. Cesar Cianfoni # Vol. I, No. 7 March 1936

Sir Henry Wood Sir Henry Joseph Wood (3 March 186919 August 1944) was an English conductor best known for his association with London's annual series of promenade concerts, known as the The Proms, Proms. He conducted them for nearly half a century, introd ...

, Marie Wilson, New York Ladies Ensemble, Musicians’ Union, Atlantic Garden Orchestra, Women's Little Symphony of Cleveland # Vol. I, No. 8 May 1936
Long Beach (group), Gertrud Herliczka # Vol. II, No. 1 July 1936

Stokowski Stokowski (feminine: Stokowska, plural: Stokowscy) is a Polish-language surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Anne K. Stokowski (1925–2020), American politician * Eugene E. Stokowski (1921–1979), American politician * Ferdynand ...

, Girl Scout, Long Beach Woman's Symphony, Eva Anderson, Pittsburgh Woman's Symphony, Lady Folkestone,

Grace Burrows Grace Burrows (29 June 1893 – 1981) was an English violinist, violin teacher and orchestra conductor. Life and career Grace Burrows was born in Leicester, the daughter of Dr. Benjamin Harper Burrows (1864–1915) who served as organist f ...

, British Women's Symphony Orchestra # Vol. II, No. 2 August 1936
Bembo,

Leopold Stokowski Leopold Anthony Stokowski (18 April 1882 – 13 September 1977) was a British conductor. One of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th century, he is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra and his appeara ...

, Philadelphia Women's Symphony # Vol. II, No. 3 November 1936
Elizabeth Kuyper, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'', Jeannette Scheerer, Gena Branscombe, Jane Evrard # Vol. II, No. 4 January 1937
Vienna Ladies Orchestra,

Phil Spitalny Phil Spitalny (November 7, 1890 – October 11, 1970) was a Russian Empire-born American musician, music critic, composer, and bandleader heard often on radio during the 1930s and 1940s. He rose to fame after he led an all-female orchestra, a nov ...

, Evelyn (Spitalny), Ethel Bartlett, Rae Robertson, William Durieux, Long Beach (group) # Vol. II, No. 5 February 1937

Georges Enesco George Enescu (; – 4 May 1955), known in France as Georges Enesco, was a Romanian composer, violinist, conductor and teacher. Regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history, Enescu is featured on the Romanian five lei. Biog ...

, Ellen Stone, Carmelita Ippolito, Frederick Huber # Vol. II, No. 6 March 1937

Jose Iturbi Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galile ...

# Vol. II, No. 7 April 1937

, British Woman's Symphony Orchestra, Helen Enser, Carmen Studer Weingartner # Vol. II, No. 8 June 1937

Olga Samaroff Olga Samaroff (August 8, 1880May 17, 1948) was an American pianist, music critic, and teacher. Among her teachers was Charles-Valentin Alkan's son, Élie-Miriam Delaborde. Her second husband was the conductor Leopold Stokowski. Samaroff was ...

National Federation of Music Clubs The National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) is an American non-profit philanthropic music organization that promotes American music, performers, and composers. NFMC endeavors to strengthen quality music education by supporting "high standards o ...

, Berlin Women's Orchestra, Elizabeth Kuyper, Mathilde Ernestine,

Federal Music Project The Federal Music Project (FMP) was a part of the New Deal program Federal Project Number One provided by the U.S. federal government which employed musicians, conductors and composers during the Great Depression. In addition to performing thousan ...

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

(WPA) # Vol. III, No. 1 July 1937
William J. Henderson, Caroline B. Nichols, Louis Elson, Ruth Kemper, Commonwealth Women's Orchestra of Boston (WPA),

Nino Marcelli Nino Marcelli (about 1890 – August 4, 1967) was an Italian composer and Conducting, conductor who revived the San Diego Symphony orchestra.Sand Diego History. San Diego Biographies''Nino Marcelli (1890–1967)'' Retrieved July 1, 2009. Marcell ...

’s San Diego Symphony, Lela Hammer, Woods Symphony Orchestra, Lois Wann, Virginia Payton # Vol. III, No. 2 September 1937

Albert Roussel Albert Charles Paul Marie Roussel (; 5 April 1869 – 23 August 1937) was a French composer. He spent seven years as a midshipman, turned to music as an adult, and became one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period. His ...

, Ebba Sundstrom, Herliczka,

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

, Virginia Short, Chicago Women's Concert Band, Lillian Poenisch # Vol. III, No. 3 October 15, 1937
Anne (or Anna) Mehlig Falk, George Schaun # Vol. III, No. 4 December 1937

Sidney Lanier Sidney Clopton Lanier (February 3, 1842 – September 7, 1881) was an American musician, poet and author. He served in the Confederate States Army as a private, worked on a blockade-running ship for which he was imprisoned (resulting in his catch ...

Otto Klemperer Otto Nossan Klemperer (14 May 18856 July 1973) was a 20th-century conductor and composer, originally based in Germany, and then the US, Hungary and finally Britain. His early career was in opera houses, but he was later better known as a concer ...

, Saint Louis Women's Orchestra, Edith Gordon # Vol. III, No. 5 January 1938
Fabien Sevitzsky, Bertha Roth Walburn Clark, Erno Rapee # Vol. III, No. 6 February 1938
Leona May Smith,

Nadia Boulanger Juliette Nadia Boulanger (; 16 September 188722 October 1979) was a French music teacher and conductor. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and also performed occasionally as a pianist and organist. From a ...

Walter Damrosch Walter Johannes Damrosch (January 30, 1862December 22, 1950) was a German-born American conductor and composer. He was the director of the New York Symphony Orchestra and conducted the world premiere performances of various works, including Ge ...

# Vol. III, No. 7 April 1938
Gertrude Herliczka, Lonny Epstein,

Carl Friedberg Carl Rudolf Hermann Friedberg (September 18, 1872 in Bingen am Rhein, Bingen, German Empire, Germany – September 9, 1955 in Meran, Italy) was a German pianist and teacher of Jewish origin. Biography He was son of Eduard Friedberg (?–1937) a ...

, Grace Kleinhenn Thompson Edmister,

Kirsten Flagstad Kirsten Malfrid Flagstad (12 July 1895 – 7 December 1962) was a Norwegian opera singer, who was the outstanding Wagnerian soprano of her era. Her triumphant debut in New York on 2 February 1935 is one of the legends of opera. Giulio Gatti-Casaz ...

# Vol. III, No. 8 June 1, 1938

, Hans Kindler,

, Musicians Union - local 802, Committee for Recognition of Women in the Musical Profession,

Musical America ''Musical America'' is the oldest American magazine on classical music, first appearing in 1898 in print and in 1999 online, at musicalamerica.com. It is published by Performing Arts Resources, LLC, of East Windsor, New Jersey. History 1898–19 ...

Serge Koussevitzky Sergei Alexandrovich KoussevitzkyKoussevitzky's original Russian forename is usually transliterated into English as either "Sergei" or "Sergey"; however, he himself adopted the French spelling "Serge", using it in his signature. (SeThe Koussevit ...

, Frederick Huber, William J. Henderson # Vol. IV, No. 1 July 1938

, Teresa Carreno, Gladys Weige, Woman's Symphony of Chicago, Fanny Arnston-Hassler, Woman's Concert Ensemble # Vol. IV, No. 2 September 1938
Ruth Kemper, Howard Barlow # Vol. IV, No. 3 October 1938
Pauline Juler # Vol. IV, No. 4 December 1938

, Lonny Epstein, Edgar Carver's all-girl band, John C. Freund,

Marian Anderson Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to Spiritual (music), spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throu ...

, William J. King, The New York City Federation of Women's Clubs, Mrs. Otto Hahn, Julia Smith # Vol. IV, No. 5 January 1939

, Brico Symphony, ''

'', Eleven Debutantes, Henriette Weber # Vol. IV, No. 6 March 1939
Asger Hamerik,

# Vol. IV, No. 7 April 15, 1939
Alicia Hund,

Amy Fay Amelia Muller Fay (May 21, 1844 – November 9, 1928) was an American concert pianist, manager of the New York Women's Philharmonic Society, and chronicler best known for her memoirs of the European classical music scene. A pupil of Theodor Kullak ...

, Hetty Turnbull,

Albert Stoessel Albert Frederic Stoessel (October 11, 1894 – May 12, 1943) was an American composer, violinist and conductor. Biography He was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1894. He studied music at the Berlin Hochschule as a pupil of Emanuel Wirth and W ...

, Louise Angelique Bertin,

Paul Creston Paul Creston (born Giuseppe Guttoveggio; October 10, 1906 – August 24, 1985) was an Italian American composer of classical music. Biography Born in New York City to Sicilian immigrants, Creston was self-taught as a composer. His work ten ...

# Vol. V, No. 1 November 1939
David Diamond # Vol. V, No. 2 December 1939
Izler Solomon, Ruth Haroldson,

Heidi Sundblad-Halme Heidi Gabriella Wilhelmina Sundblad-Halme (25 September 1903 – 30 April 1973) was a Finnish composer and conductor who founded the Helsinki Women’s Orchestra and conducted it for 30 years. Career Sundblad-Halme was born in Jakobstad, where her ...

, Alexander Richter # Vol. V, No.3 February 1940

Erika Morini Erika Morini Siracusano (January 5, 1904 – October 31 or November 1, 1995) was a Jewish Austrian violinist. Early life and family Morini was born in Vienna, and received her first instruction from her father, Oscar Morini (originally spelled ...

, Amy Marcy (Cheney) Beach,

Elsa Hilger Elsa Hilger (April 13, 1904 – May 17, 2005) was an American cellist. She was the first woman other than a harpist to become a member of a major symphony orchestra. She was born in Trutnov in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. She began taking ce ...

Deems Taylor Joseph Deems Taylor (December 22, 1885 – July 3, 1966) was an American music critic, composer, and promoter of classical music. Nat Benchley, co-editor of ''The Lost Algonquin Roundtable'', referred to him as "the dean of American music." Ear ...

, Sophie Hutchinson Drinker, Drinker Library of Choral Music # Vol. V, No. 4 April 1940
World's Center for Women's Archives, Inc. # Vol. V, No. 5 September 1940

, All-American Youth Orchestra # Vol. VI, No. 1 December 1940
Caroline B. Nichols,

, Women in MusicGroh (1991), pps. 125-126

Bibliography

Footnotes

References

External links

''Women in Music'', July 1, 1935 issue
{{DEFAULTSORT:Women In Music Music magazines published in the United States Defunct women's magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1935 Magazines disestablished in 1940 Music newsletters Women in music Feminist magazines Magazines published in New York City