Hollywood’s first female concertmaster
NewsThe University of Southern California has chosen to commemorate Eudice Shapiro , who in 1942 – and for 23 years after – was concertmaster at RKO, Paramount and United Artists.
Among her students was the future NY Philharmonic concertmaster Glenn Dicterow. He recalls: ‘I remember going to see a movie produced by Paramount studios and the score, written by André Previn, had several violin solos, which I later found out were played by Eudice. She made some wonderful solo violin albums that I still possess, and I would listen to them feeling so proud that she was my teacher….
‘I studied with Eudice in 1965 and 1966. She was an extremely nurturing, very regal human being. She was the first of any teacher who didn’t let me copy her — I had to listen to recordings. Very much the opposite of Heifetz. I think that was the most unique thing about her, that she never demonstrated on her violin how to play anything.’
Eudice died in 2007, aged 93.
Read on here.
She first studied at Eastman and then Curtis with Zimbalist.
Wonderful player.
Her manners were as beautiful as her playing. And Stravinsky loved her work: she takes the solos on his Agon recording.
Hooray! I work in Hollywood and NYC as a talent manager (actors/musicians) and I find Hollywood a shallow and deeply misogynist place. Eudice Shapiro well deserves every honour she receives. A stellar talent and a fantastic teacher. Teachers help unlock the student’s potential, not turn them into an audience member.
Late in life Eudice became a regular guest artist at the Flagstaff Summer Music Festival. I worked for the festival doing whatever needed to be done and spoke with her quite often. She knew all the giants – my heroes – living in California and talked about Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff, Alma Mahler, Schoenberg, Korngold, Waxman, and many more. I could listen to her all day and never tire of her vast experience.