Steffy Goldner became first woman in New York philharmonic

In 1921, Steffy Goldner, a Viennese harpist, travelled to New York City to join the New York Philharmonic as their first female member.

Goldner faced resistance in Austria, where the Vienna Philharmonic was not yet ready to accept a woman. She brought her harp and letters of recommendation with her to the United States, and successfully launched a career with the American orchestra.

Nives Widauer, a Swiss artist living in Vienna, created an installation at the Jewish Museum in Vienna showcasing Goldner’s story. The exhibit centers around Goldner’s original harp case, which she used as a makeshift dressing room because the orchestra did not provide one for its sole female musician. Widauer discovered the harp case after years of trying to document the travel cases of the Vienna Philharmonic, eventually receiving assistance from a Philharmonic board member.

Goldner played with the New York Philharmonic for ten years before ending her career for personal reasons. She later died of cancer in 1962. It took the New York Philharmonic another 34 years to welcome female members again. Widauer’s installation, timed to coincide with a performance by the New York Philharmonic, is on display until January 31st.