Emma Roberto Steiner
Encyclopedia
Emma Roberto Steiner was an American
composer
and conductor
. She was one of the first women in the United States to make a living from conducting, and did so at more than 6,000 performances during her lifetime. Her career spanned nearly five decades, from the 1870s, when she first began conducting for touring comic opera
companies, until her death in 1929. In the early 1900s, she took a decade-long hiatus from her musical career to move to Alaska
, where she was a prospector
and traveler. Steiner wrote hundreds of musical pieces, including seven operas, and conducted more than 6,000 performances.
hero and her mother an accomplished pianist. Thus, she was exposed to music at a young age, composing songs by age 7 and a piano duet at 9. Others recognized her talents early, and even suggested to her father that he send her to Paris
to study music, but her parents refused and did not encourage her to develop the talent. She nonetheless continued composing, starting on an opera at age 11, Aminaide, one scene of which was produced at the Peabody Conservatory, a prominent music school in Baltimore that Steiner was not able to attend.
Music historians are unsure exactly how or when in happened, but by the age of 21, Steiner had left her family behind to pursue her musical career. She moved to Chicago
, where she became assistant music director at a small opera company. In the following years, she worked as a conductor for a series of touring light opera companies that performed Gilbert and Sullivan
and other comic operas that were popular during that period. In 1889 and again in 1891, her opera Fleurette was produced to good reviews. Steiner rose to further prominence when one of her compositions was performed at the 1893 Chicago
World's Columbian Exhibition. The next year, she conducted a performance of her own works in New York City
by the well-respected Anton Seidl Orchestra.
Despite a bout of pneumonia
in 1896, Steiner continued to conduct, compose, and perform. Soon after the turn of the century, however, she experienced a series of tragedies. A 1902 warehouse fire in New York destroyed many of her works, including the only remaining copy of her first opera. She experienced another, more severe illness that affected her eyesight. And in 1909, she filed a lawsuit
after the death of her father, who had remarried after her mother's death and had written Steiner out of his will
in preference to his stepdaughter.
Around this time, Steiner left her career behind, and moved to Nome, Alaska
. There, she became traveler and a prospector
in the tin
mining fields northwest of Nome, where she was the first white
woman to enter, and where she discovered important tin deposit
s. Following her return after nearly a decade, she became an advocate for Alaska, often giving talks about the state. She again turned to music, and continued writing and performing into the 1920s. The Metropolitan Opera
held a special performance of her works in 1925, the last time a woman would conduct there until 1976. She also helped found a home for elderly and infirm musicians, to which she dedicated the proceeds of some of her later concerts. In its obituary after her death on February 27, 1929, The New York Times claimed that the stress of running the home had brought on the collapse that ended her life.
During her career, Steiner conducted more than 6,000 performances of operas, operettas, and other works including a number of her own. She wrote hundreds of musical pieces, including seven operas. In addition to her original works she is credited along with Caroline B. Nichols as being among the first women in the United States to make a successful career out of conducting musical performances.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
. She was one of the first women in the United States to make a living from conducting, and did so at more than 6,000 performances during her lifetime. Her career spanned nearly five decades, from the 1870s, when she first began conducting for touring comic opera
Comic opera
Comic opera denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending.Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a new operatic genre, opera buffa, emerged as an alternative to opera seria...
companies, until her death in 1929. In the early 1900s, she took a decade-long hiatus from her musical career to move to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, where she was a prospector
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
and traveler. Steiner wrote hundreds of musical pieces, including seven operas, and conducted more than 6,000 performances.
Biography
Steiner was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1852. Her father, Colonel Frederick Steiner, was a Mexican WarMexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
hero and her mother an accomplished pianist. Thus, she was exposed to music at a young age, composing songs by age 7 and a piano duet at 9. Others recognized her talents early, and even suggested to her father that he send her to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to study music, but her parents refused and did not encourage her to develop the talent. She nonetheless continued composing, starting on an opera at age 11, Aminaide, one scene of which was produced at the Peabody Conservatory, a prominent music school in Baltimore that Steiner was not able to attend.
Music historians are unsure exactly how or when in happened, but by the age of 21, Steiner had left her family behind to pursue her musical career. She moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, where she became assistant music director at a small opera company. In the following years, she worked as a conductor for a series of touring light opera companies that performed Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
and other comic operas that were popular during that period. In 1889 and again in 1891, her opera Fleurette was produced to good reviews. Steiner rose to further prominence when one of her compositions was performed at the 1893 Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
World's Columbian Exhibition. The next year, she conducted a performance of her own works in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by the well-respected Anton Seidl Orchestra.
Despite a bout of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in 1896, Steiner continued to conduct, compose, and perform. Soon after the turn of the century, however, she experienced a series of tragedies. A 1902 warehouse fire in New York destroyed many of her works, including the only remaining copy of her first opera. She experienced another, more severe illness that affected her eyesight. And in 1909, she filed a lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
after the death of her father, who had remarried after her mother's death and had written Steiner out of his will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
in preference to his stepdaughter.
Around this time, Steiner left her career behind, and moved to Nome, Alaska
Nome, Alaska
Nome is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. According to the 2010 Census, the city population was 3,598. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901, and was once the...
. There, she became traveler and a prospector
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
in the tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
mining fields northwest of Nome, where she was the first white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
woman to enter, and where she discovered important tin deposit
Cassiterite
Cassiterite is a tin oxide mineral, SnO2. It is generally opaque, but it is translucent in thin crystals. Its luster and multiple crystal faces produce a desirable gem...
s. Following her return after nearly a decade, she became an advocate for Alaska, often giving talks about the state. She again turned to music, and continued writing and performing into the 1920s. The Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
held a special performance of her works in 1925, the last time a woman would conduct there until 1976. She also helped found a home for elderly and infirm musicians, to which she dedicated the proceeds of some of her later concerts. In its obituary after her death on February 27, 1929, The New York Times claimed that the stress of running the home had brought on the collapse that ended her life.
During her career, Steiner conducted more than 6,000 performances of operas, operettas, and other works including a number of her own. She wrote hundreds of musical pieces, including seven operas. In addition to her original works she is credited along with Caroline B. Nichols as being among the first women in the United States to make a successful career out of conducting musical performances.