Antonia Brico
Toronto Daily Star, March 1 1930
Antonia Brico (1902-1989) was born in the Netherlands to a Dutch Catholic unmarried mother and was raised as Wilhelmina Wolthuis by foster parents who moved to California in 1908 and who were reportedly abusive. She found solace in the piano and, when she discovered her true identity, took back her birth name and studied music at the University of California. She then graduated from the conducting master class at the Berlin State Academy, becoming the first American to achieve this honour.
After conducting in Berlin, she conducted in Hamburg, San Francisco, Washington, and Detroit, among other locations. In 1938, she became the first woman to conduct the New York Philharmonic. However, her conducting opportunities were limited because she was female. In 1942, she settled in Denver, Colorado, teaching piano and conducting; Judy Collins was one of her students. She also conducted the Denver Philharmonic and guested with orchestras around the world.
The Denver Philharmonic Orchestra website has a biography of her, as does the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame, of which she is a member.
Created October 16, 2025.