Doriot Anthony Dwyer facts for kids

Doriot Anthony Dwyer (born March 6, 1922 – died March 14, 2020) was an amazing American flutist. She made history as one of the first women to become the main (or 'principal') flutist in a big American orchestra. From 1952 to 1990, she was the principal flute for the famous Boston Symphony Orchestra. Before that, she played second flute for the National Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She also taught music as a professor at Boston University.

Becoming a Flute Star

Doriot Anthony Dwyer was born in Streator, Illinois, on March 6, 1922. Her family loved music! Her dad played the bass, and her mom was a talented flutist. Her mom even performed with her sisters on a touring show called the Chautauqua Redpath circuit. Doriot's dad was related to the famous women's rights leader Susan B. Anthony.

Doriot wanted to start playing the flute when she was just six years old. But her mom made her wait until she was eight. She learned from her mom for a year, then started lessons with Ernest Leigl. He was the main flutist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

When Doriot was 15, she was good enough to play in the Illinois All-State Orchestra. In her last year of high school, she won a national competition. This allowed her to attend the Interlochen Center for the Arts, a special summer camp for young artists. While there, she earned a scholarship to study at the Eastman School of Music.

At Eastman, Doriot noticed that girls were sometimes treated differently in music. Even though she was very talented, she wasn't always chosen for the top flute spot in the student orchestra. After her first year, she tried out for a piccolo position with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The conductor was impressed by her playing. But he told her, "You don't want to play in Pittsburgh. They're all men!"

After graduating in 1943, Doriot won the job of second flute with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C..

Starting Her Professional Journey

Doriot played with the National Symphony Orchestra for two years. In 1945, she moved to New York City to work as a freelance musician. This meant she played for different groups as needed. She even performed with the jazz band that played for Frank Sinatra! Later, she played with the Ballets Russes, a famous ballet company.

After her time with the ballet, Doriot moved to Los Angeles. There, she worked in recording studios, playing music for movies and shows. In 1946, she became the second flutist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She also became the main flutist for the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and a radio orchestra. Doriot later said that her years in Los Angeles were like her "college" because she learned so much.

Making History in Boston

In 1952, the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) needed a new principal flutist. Doriot applied for the job. She made sure to write "Miss" Doriot Anthony on her application. This was so they would know she was a woman, since her first name could be for a boy or a girl. Famous violinist Isaac Stern wrote a letter recommending her.

During the auditions, the BSO director, Charles Munch, wasn't happy with the players. He agreed to have a "Ladies Day" audition for female flutists. After a tough competition, Doriot was the only one left. Munch asked her to come back for a second audition. But Doriot said, "No!" She thought they might be trying to find a European flutist instead. She also felt it was a test of her confidence. Two months later, she was officially named the first chair (principal) flute of the Boston Symphony Orchestra!

When the news came out, newspapers had big headlines like "Woman Crashes Boston Symphony." People were surprised to see a woman in such a high position in a major orchestra. The Boston Globe newspaper even called October 18, 1952, "Ladies’ Day." This was because Doriot performed, and so did a French pianist named Lélia Gousseau.

A music reviewer wrote that Doriot played her part "deftly and musically." He said her playing was so skillful that her fellow musicians gasped and cheered! The audience also showed how much they appreciated her.

While many people focused on her being a woman, Doriot herself felt that becoming a principal player was the bigger achievement. She once said, "Gradually, during my life, I've got used to the idea that I'm a woman."

The Symphony soon realized they didn't have special changing rooms for women. Another female musician, a harp player, offered to share her harp's case as a dressing room! Doriot politely declined. She was given a spare green room to use instead.

During her 38 years with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Doriot received many compliments for her performances. She played under famous conductors like Charles Munch, Seiji Ozawa, and Leonard Bernstein.

In 1960, a composer named Ingolf Dahl dedicated his piece Serenade for Four Flutes to Doriot. They had become friends at a music festival called Tanglewood.

When Doriot announced she would retire in 1989, the Boston Symphony Orchestra asked composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich to write a special piece for her. It was called Concerto for Flute and Orchestra. Doriot performed it for the first time on April 26, 1990. A newspaper photo caption called her "a living legend of flute playing."

Later Life and Awards

After retiring from the Boston Symphony, Doriot Anthony Dwyer continued to teach music. She was a professor at Boston University and also taught at the Boston Conservatory.

She received special honorary doctorates (like advanced degrees) from several colleges, including Harvard University in 1982. She also won many awards, such as the Sanford Medal from Yale University in 1975. In 1993, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Flute Association. The Boston Woodwind Society even named their Flute Merit award in her honor.

In 2012, Doriot was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame.

Doriot Anthony Dwyer passed away in Lawrence, Kansas, on March 14, 2020, at the age of 98. She had moved there in 2015 to be closer to her daughter, Arienne Dwyer.

Awards and Recognitions

• 1975 – Sanford Medal Recipient – Yale University School of Music
• 1979 – Featured on a Supersisters trading card set
• 1993 – Lifetime Achievement Award – National Flute Association
• 1995 – Hutchison Medal Recipient – University of Rochester
• 2006 – Flute Merit Award (Named in honor of Doriot Anthony Dwyer) – Boston Woodwind Society
• 2012 – Inductee in the Rochester, New York Music Hall of Fame
• 2014 – Inductee in the Streator Township High School "Worthy" Hall of Fame

Discography

• Maurice Ravel: Chansons madécasses, with Frederica von Stade (mezzo-soprano), Jules Eskin (cello) and Martin Katz (piano), Columbia, 1981