Frédérique Petrides and the Orchestrette Classique: a women's orchestra performing contemporary American music

Because few women were permitted to join professional orchestras before World War II, women’s orchestras developed in major American cities, including Boston, New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia, during the interwar period. The Orchestrette Classique, a women’s chamber orchestra, performed in New York City between 1933 and 1944 under the direction of conductor and violinist Frédérique Petrides. Over the course of its tenure, the ensemble became known for its unusual concert programs, which often juxtaposed contemporary compositions with more traditional classical repertoire. Using primary source documents from the Frédérique Petrides Paperscollection at the New York Public Library and articles from New York newspapers, this thesis presents the ways in which Petrides promoted the members of her ensemble as serious musicians, despite gender bias and the economic difficulties of the Depression. By cultivating working relationships with contemporary composers such as Henry Cowell, David Diamond, and Paul Creston, Petrides gave female musicians a role in the development of American classical music.