Ebba Sundstrom, from an advertisement in a 1920 publication.^[1]

Ebba Sundstrom Nylander (February 26, 1896 — January 5, 1963) was an American violinist and conductor, director of the Women's Symphony Orchestra of Chicago in the 1930s. She may have been the first American-born woman to conduct a full symphony orchestra.^[2]

Early life

Ebba Sundstrom was born in Lindsborg, Kansas, a settlement of Swedish-immigrant farmers where her father was a carpenter.^[3] Both of her parents were musical, as founders of Lindsborg's Bethany Oratorio Society. She learned piano and violin as a child, and began performing for audiences and teaching violin when she was still a young teenager. She studied at the Minneapolis School of Music under Richard Czerwonky.^[2]

Career

In the 1920s and 1930s, Sundstrom maintained a busy performing schedule, regularly appearing on stages in Chicago and Minneapolis, and in live radio concerts.^[4][5] She also taught violin at the Bush Conservatory of Music in Chicago.^[6] In 1929, she took over from Ethel Leginska the director position with the Woman's Symphony Orchestra of Chicago.^[7] After seven seasons conducting the orchestra,^[8] she took leave in 1937 for "study and travel".^[9][10] She did not return to the conductor's post, but by 1941 was teaching at North Park College,^[11] and conducting the school's orchestra,^[12] until she resigned from North Park in 1951.^[13]

Sundstrom often played with and for Swedish-American cultural groups, including the United Swedish Singers of Chicago,^[14] The Swedish Old People's Home Society,^[15] and the American Daughters of Sweden.^[16] She was one of the first members of Altrusa in Chicago, and appeared on Altrusa programs as a presenter.^[17] She was president of the Women's Music Club.^[18]

Personal life

Ebba Sundstrom married Victor T. Nylander, a dentist who taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 1920 to 1937.^[19] They had a son, Reinhold Nylander, born in 1930.^[20] She was widowed when Victor died in 1962.^[19] Ebba Sundstrom Nylander died in 1963, aged 66 years.^[21]

References