Antonia Brico

Antonia Brico
Symphony Conductor
1901 - 1989
INDUCTED 1986

In 1930, Antonia Brico became the first woman ever to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic.

The brilliant pianist opened the Denver-based Brico Music Studio in 1945, where she trained successful musicians, including recording artist Judy Collins. Unable to gain a permanent conductor position with any leading symphony orchestra, she launched her own community orchestra, the Brico Symphony. This extraordinary musician defied gender barriers with spirit and intelligence, and was not deterred by the problem of being both a woman and an artist in America in the mid-20th century.

“I do not call myself a woman conductor, I call myself a conductor who happens to be a woman.”. -- Antonia Brico