Gabriele Wietrowetz

Eugène Ysaÿe! Pablo de Sarasate! Gabriele? Gabriele? Who? Hardly anyone today is aware of the fact that, in addition to these famous musicians, there were also women who thrilled audiences worldwide with their skills on the violin and played a decisive role in shaping musical life, not to mention specific names. Gabriele Wietrowetz (1866-1937), a student of Joseph Joachim, was one of the most famous violinists of her time. She was the first woman ever to teach violin playing at the Royal Academic Academy of Music (today: University of the Arts) in Berlin. In addition to her Europe-wide solo tours, she founded a women's string quartet that lasted for over a decade. In her diverse musical activities, however, Gabriele Wietrowetz continually encountered gender-specific barriers in a male-dominated discipline, which she was usually able to overcome with skill and ability, as well as with the advice and help of other musicians. Her individual life and career story contributes to the rediscovery and understanding of the world of female violinists at the turn of the century.