At 90 years, the Cleveland Women’s Orchestra is the lone survivor of the numerous women’s orchestras that existed in early 20th century. Throughout history, women have always been “music makers.” During the Middle Ages and despite the ecclesiastical admonition, “Let women keep silence in church,” women sang and learned to play instruments in churches, convents, schools, and the palaces of the wealthy, always in private. It wasn’t until the late 1800’s and the early 20th century that women musicians started to push hard for public recognition.
The impetus for women’s orchestras in this country came with the appearance in New York in 1871 of the Vienna Damen Orchestra (on tour from Vienna), “blushing maidens attired in the purest white,” as the press put it. This was soon followed by the founding in 1888 of the Fadettes of Boston, which lasted only until 1920. Bolder opportunities and full symphonies of women were soon to follow.
In the 1930’s, Cleveland was the sixth largest city in the country with many wealthy families with daughters who took music lessons, but later, as adults, had no place to perform as they were not accepted into symphony orchestras. There was a big effort, especially on the part of the male Cleveland Orchestra members, to establish a women’s orchestra and join other large cities across the country.
Our orchestra was founded in 1935 by Hyman Schandler, a Cleveland Orchestra violinist. Talented women musicians traveled from all over Northeast Ohio to take part. The debut concert, a big event for the city, was at Severance Hall in November, 1936 to an audience “full of the city’s music lovers and patrons.” Mr. Schandler conducted the orchestra for 55 years until his death in 1990. His friend and fellow conductor, Robert Cronquist, conducted the orchestra for 28 years until his passing in 2018. The orchestra is very pleased to have Maestro Eric Benjamin as its current Music Director.
In the early 20th century, there were as many as 25-30 women’s orchestras in the larger cities across the country. Due to changing social norms and the drafting of male musicians during WWII, women were finally accepted in symphony orchestras to fill some of those open positions breaking the prohibitions.
As the longest running women’s orchestra in the country, the historic Cleveland Women’s Orchestra celebrates 90 years of serving women musicians and Northeast Ohio with public service arts programming: affordable, accessible concerts and special event programs for the broader community.
