Denver Film Festival: Claiming a Place on the Podium

In honor of DFF42 film The Conductor, this panel will examine the life of Antonia Brico, who pursued a landmark career as a conductor at a time when the music world was a well-defended male preserve. Born in Rotterdam in 1902, Brico pursued her musical education in San Francisco and Berlin. After making waves on the international scene, Brico became the first woman to conduct the New York Philharmonic. In 1942, she settled in Denver, where she founded what would become the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra. Moderated by Robert Denerstein, the panel—including the film’s director, Maria Peters, and star Christanne de Bruijn—will also focus on issues and challenges involving the creation of big-screen biographies.