Stephanie Goldner

Stephanie Goldner (February 9, 1896 – November 18, 1962) was an Austrian-American harpist and the first female member of the New York Philharmonic. Known professionally as Steffy Goldner, she had a successful career in the concert hall and on radio. She was a member of the New York Philharmonic from 1922 to 1932 and toured the United States and Europe with the orchestra.

Early life and education Goldner was born in 1896 to Desider Goldner and Emma Adler Goldner in Vienna, Austria. At age eight, she took lessons from the Austrian writer and harpist Vicki Baum. Her brother Hermann, and sisters, Julia and Gertrude, were also musicians. She attended the Vienna Academy of Music, now the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, for four years.

Career Goldner performed as a harp soloist in Vienna, starting in 1912 at the age of 16, and also performed chamber music with her sisters, touring England and Germany. Conductor Oskar Nedbal of the Wiener Tonkünstler-Orchester and conductor Wilhelm Bruch of the Philharmonisches Orchester Nürnberg, now Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg, both praised her work and wrote letters of recommendation. In addition to Europe, she toured the United States with the Philharmonic nine times. The concerto, featuring her as a soloist, was repeated the next season, on February 19, 1933. In addition to the concert hall, Goldner could be heard on the radio, including the WABC and WEAF stations. She appeared both as a soloist and with her husband for violin and harp duets.

In an article about Goldner in 1931, her ninth season with the Philharmonic, the author Juliet Danziger noted her accomplishments:

Personal life On August 8, 1922, Goldner married the violinist and conductor Eugene Ormandy. In 1932, she moved to Minneapolis where her husband was the conductor of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. In 1936, she moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra. They divorced in 1947. She died in 1962 from pancreatic cancer, while living with her sister, Julia Goldner Elbogen, in California.

Legacy

In February 2020, the New York Philharmonic Archives displayed The Special Case of Steffy Goldner, a multimedia exhibit designed by Swiss/Austrian artist , in David Geffen Hall for performances of the Philharmonic. The exhibit featured the original traveling case for her harp, instrumental to her professional career and legacy. On March 5, the exhibit was displayed at the Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C., part of the program to celebrate International Women's Day. In March 2022, it was displayed at the New-York Historical Society. By November, one hundred years after Goldner joined the New York Philharmonic, the number of women members outnumbered the men.

Discography The Discography of American Historical Recordings lists four recordings for Goldner on harp and her husband on violin. Two recordings are available on Spotify: Humoresques, Op. 101, B. 187: No. 7, Poco lento e grazioso, by Antonín Dvořák Souvenir in D Major, by František Drdla Two recordings are violin and harp duets: "Holy, Holy, Holy!" "Abide with Me"