The Only Girl in the Orchestra

Respectfully produced by her niece, Molly O’Brien, this documentary is a short retrospective of the life of Orin O’Brien.

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In 1966, Orin became the first woman to join the 107 piece New York Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Leonard Bernstein. He hired her and wrote about her in glowing terms at a time when women were often infantilized, banalized, and disrespected in the media.

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As Ms. O'Brien tells us about her parents, her childhood, and her life of playing and teaching, she narrates the film and drops gems all over the place.

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Music helps us organize our emotions.

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Over the 35 minutes, we see her retire (at 87) and move apartments. The scene where the piano movers are knocking the legs off of her grand piano made my heart flutter.

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This is my theory of how to enjoy life incredibly: You don’t mind playing second fiddle.

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It’s too short, but I loved this.

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