Description

My series ‘Maestro’ is inspired by the life of Frieda Belinfante (1904-1995). Frieda was a Dutch cellist and conductor who became an American citizen in 1955. During the Second World War she was active in the resistance. During her life she experienced a lot of opposition just because she was born a woman. Like the Dutch Antonia Brico (1902-1989) and the French pedagogue and conductor Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979), she was a pioneer who paved the way for other female conductors.

A century ago, in 1921, Frieda met composer Henriëtte Bosmans, with whom she lived from 1922 to 1929. With Bosmans and the flutist Johan Feltkamp she performed as ‘Het Amsterdamsch Trio’. When the relationship with Bosmans ended, Belinfante married Feltkamp in 1930, despite her lesbian orientation. This union lasted until 1936.