Frédérique Petrides
Frédérique Petrides | |
|---|---|
Courtesy of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Music Division, and The University of Arkansas Press | |
| Born | Frédérique Mayer September 26, 1903 |
| Died | January 12, 1983 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | Belgian-born American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Occupation(s) | Orchestral conductor, editor and publisher, violinist |
| Years active | 54 |
| Organization(s) | Orchestrette Classique, West Side Orchestral Concerts |
| Notable work | Editor and publisher of the Women in Music newsletter |
| Spouse | Peter Petrides (1896-1978) |
| Children | Avra Petrides, daughter (November 21, 1938-) |
| Awards | National Federation of Musicians, 1979 Merit Award |
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 musicians and premiered works by then relatively untried American composers, such as Paul Creston, Samuel Barber and David Diamond, that are now widely played and celebrated. She also edited and published the ground-breaking newsletter, Women in Music, which highlighted the activities of professional women musicians throughout the ages.
In addition, she founded several concert series in Manhattan, including the West Side Orchestral Concerts, the Student Symphony Society of New York, and the Carl Schurz Park concerts.