Nina Stollewerk facts for kids

Nina Stollewerk Rosthorn (born July 18, 1825, died January 26, 1914) was a very talented Austrian musician. She was a composer (someone who writes music), a conductor (someone who leads an orchestra), and a singer. Nina was special because she was one of the most talked-about female composers of her time. It was also very rare for women in the 1800s to conduct an orchestra, but Nina was one of the few who did!

Early Life and Music Studies

Nina Stollewerk was born in Vienna, a famous city in Austria known for its music. She started learning music at a young age. She had a great teacher named Simon Sechter, who helped her develop her musical skills.

Later, Nina married Hugo von Rosthorn. He was in charge of a big railway company. Even though she was married, Nina chose to publish most of her music using her maiden name, Nina Stollewerk. This way, her music was known by her own name.

Her Musical Journey

Nina started composing her own music when she was just 16 years old. In 1841, she wrote her first "lieder," which are German songs, usually for a singer and a piano.

Her music was so good that famous singers performed it. One well-known singer, Jenny Lind, sang Nina's compositions. This helped Nina's music become even more popular.

In 1849, Nina had a big dream: she wanted to open a music school just for girls in Vienna. This was a very forward-thinking idea for her time, showing her dedication to helping other young women learn music.

A Trailblazing Conductor

Nina Stollewerk was often written about in newspapers and music reviews, especially in a paper called the Allgemeine Wiener. A music critic named Ferdinand Peter Graf von Laurencin d’Armond often praised her work.

What made Nina truly stand out was her ability to conduct. In 1851, she led an orchestra herself at the Odeon (Munich) concert hall. She conducted her own orchestral pieces. This was very unusual for a woman in the 19th century. Her music was also performed in Vienna's famous Musikverein, a very important concert hall.

Nina's Compositions

Nina Stollewerk's music was published by well-known companies like Anton Diabelli. She wrote many different types of music.

Music for Instruments

• Romanesca (for a bass viol, a type of string instrument)
• Mary Stuart Overture (a piece for orchestra, often played at the beginning of an opera or play)
• Mass (a longer piece of music, often for a choir and orchestra)
• Offertory (another type of religious music)
• Two symphonies (large pieces for a full orchestra, usually with several movements)

Songs and Choral Works

Nina also wrote many songs for singers and pieces for choirs.

• “Elisa’s Erstes Begegnen” (a song with words by Ferdinand Sauter)
• “Grablied” (a song with words by Johann Nepomuck Johann Vogl)
• Gute Nacht (a piece for a male chorus and four solo male singers)
• “Liebchen wo Bist Du?” (a song with words by Joseph David)
• “Linde Durch die Linde”
• “Matrosenlied,” opus 6 no. 1 (a sailor's song with words by Wilhelm Christoph Leonhard Gerhard)
• Psalm (a religious song for six voices)
• “Uberall mit Dir”
• “Wunsch und Gruss,” opus 6
• “Zwei Gedichte,” opus 5 (two poems set to music, with words by Siegfried Kapper)

Nina Stollewerk Rosthorn was an amazing musician who broke barriers for women in the world of classical music. Her talent as a composer, conductor, and singer left a lasting mark.