Amanda Maier (1853 - 1894) was born in Sweden in the musical family of a confectioner. At the age of sixteen, Maier went to study at the Stockholm
Conservatory. Her main subject was violin, but she also studied organ,
piano, cello, composition and harmony. She graduated in 1872.
During her studies she was also taught conducting and upon graduation
she was the first qualified female conductor. She immediately began
giving concerts in Sweden and abroad. However, she continued to study
composition in Leipzig with Carl Reinecke and Ernst Richter and violin
with Engelbert Röntgen, the concertmaster of the Gewandhausorchester. It
was also at this time that the first compositions came from her pen,
consisting of a violin sonata, a piano concerto and a violin concerto.
The latter received its premiere in 1875 with the composer as soloist.
In 1876, she became engaged to Julius Röntgen, the son of one of her teachers (about this important composer and conductor, see my article Classical Music in the Netherlands, part 2). In 1880 Amanda and Julius married in Landskrona and moved to Amsterdam.
Although Amanda's performances stopped after the marriage, she continued
to stay in musical circles. She became acquainted with Edvard Grieg,
Anton Rubinstein, Joseph Joachim and Johannes Brahms.
The marriage produced two children,
Julius Jr. (to whom she herself gave violin lessons) and Engelbert Jr.
She suffered at least three miscarriages between those two children.
After the birth of the last one, her health continued to falter. She
suffered from tuberculosis and spent time in sanatoriums in Nice and
Davos. She died in 1894.
Amanda Röntgen-Maier's Violin Sonata is here played by Lorenzo Meraviglia in an arrangement by Damiano Danti for violin, strings & piano.
Women Composers Index