Forming Het Klein Orkest in 1937 established Frieda Belinfante as the first woman in Europe to serve as the artistic director and conductor of a professional orchestral ensemble. This achievement marked a significant milestone in a career that spanned the concert halls of the Netherlands and the resistance efforts of World War II.
Musical Formation
Born in 1904 in Amsterdam, Belinfante was one of four children of Aron Belinfante, a pianist and music school director, and Georgine Antoinette Hesse. Following her father's mandate that every child study an instrument, she took up the cello at age 10. She completed her studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Her professional debut occurred at 17 in the Kleine Zaal of the Concertgebouw, accompanied by her father, who died shortly thereafter. She later developed her technique through sessions with cellist Gérard Hekking in Paris.
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During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, Belinfante engaged in active resistance. Collaborating with Willem Arondeus and the CKC resistance group, she participated in the March 27, 1943, bombing of the Amsterdam population registry to destroy records used for identifying individuals for deportation. When the Gestapo targeted the group, she spent three months in hiding disguised as a man. She eventually fled across the Alps on foot to Switzerland with the assistance of her former teacher, Hermann Scherchen. She remained there until the end of the conflict, after which she was repatriated.
Orange County Philharmonic
Belinfante emigrated to the United States in 1947 and joined the UCLA music faculty in 1949. In 1953, she formed The Vine Street Players, an ensemble comprised of local university faculty and Hollywood musicians. This led to the 1954 founding of the Orange County Philharmonic Society. As artistic director and conductor, she insisted that concerts remain free to the public, funded by donations. The orchestra grew to include youth programs and performances by soloists such as Mischa Elman and Lili Kraus. Her tenure concluded in 1962.
Fast facts
- Born: 1904, Amsterdam
- Died: 1995, Santa Fe
- Citizenship: Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Primary Occupations: Conductor, cellist, resistance fighter
- Education: Conservatorium van Amsterdam
- Orchestral milestone: First female European director of a professional chamber ensemble
- Wartime role: Member of CKC resistance group
Questions readers ask
What was Belinfante's primary resistance contribution?
She forged personal documents for individuals sought by the Gestapo and co-organized the 1943 bombing of the Amsterdam population registry.
Why did her time with the Orange County Philharmonic end?
Her contract was not renewed in 1962 due to mounting financial pressures and conflicts regarding musician payment.
Achievements
- Instruments: cello
