Music: Women on Their Own

While brickbats were still being hurled at the Chicago City Opera (see above) an occasion arose this week for critics to give honest praise to a Chicago musical venture. Its Woman’s Symphony Orchestra was about to give a concert to celebrate its tenth-Anniversary season. It could rightfully command respect for performances that beg no indulgence because the players are female.

The best U. S. woman’s orchestra owes its existence to Lillian Poenisch, a fiery little spinster who plays the clarinet; Adeline Schmidt, a white-haired flutist; and Lois Bichl, a cellist noted for her great good-nature. These three wanted to play in an orchestra but knew they stood little chance of being admitted to an established symphony organization. To start a band of their own they collected $1,000 from Samuel Insull, an equal amount from the late Julius Rosenwald, persuaded Richard Czerwonky of Bush Conservatory to be their first conductor.

Men were hired to blow the difficult wind instruments at first but now all 80 players are women and for six years the conductor has been graceful, blonde Ebba Sundstrom, who is determined that the orchestra shall sound professional. Conductor Sundstrom has worked at music since she was a child on a farm in Lindsborg, Kans. At 7 she played the violin, at 13 she organized a trio, played in hotels and theatres. She was organist and choir director at Grace Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, when she met a young Swedish dentist as blonde as herself, became Mrs. Victor Nylander.

Tense black-haired Antonio Brico, conductor of the New York Women’s Symphony, makes music sound like all work and no play. Conductor Sundstrom’s touch is lighter but her discipline is strong. Her orchestra was considered capable enough to play at the opening of the Ford Gardens at the Century of Progress ir. 1934. It played last summer at the Grant Park concerts, proved more popular than the solid old Chicago Symphony. Conductor Sundstrom, practical about her job, says: “Women’s orchestras must not merely play well; they must even strive to play better than other orchestras if they are going to be successful.”