Josephine Kryl

Josephine Kryl was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, the daughter of Bohumir Kryl and Mary Jerabek Kryl. Her father was a cornetist from Bohemia. Her mother was born in Vienna, Austria. Her younger sister Marie Kryl also became a professional musician, as a pianist.[1]

Josephine Kryl studied with Leon Semetini,[2] Leopold Auer,[3] and Eugène Ysaÿe.[4]

The Kryls performed together through Josephine's adolescence, sometimes as a family, and sometimes just the sisters.[5] At the start of World War I Josephine Kryl was a teenager, studying in Belgium with Ysäye. Before she could return to the United States, she heard bombardments nearby, saw spies arrested, and survived an attack on a train.[6] After her marriage, she continued to appear with her father and sister in concert.[7]

As a soloist, Josephine Kryl appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1915,[8] in recitals with Emmy Destinn in 1917,[9] and with the Rochester Symphony in the 1930s.[10] "Josephine Kryl has many natural gifts of temperament and talent," noted one report in 1920. "To these she adds a firmly grounded knowledge of her instrument acquired in exhaustive study which was started at an early age."[11]

Bohumir Kryl was wealthy.[12] In 1921, he openly offered each daughter $100,000 if they would postpone marriage until they were thirty years old,[13] hoping the publicized offer would give them incentive to make their music careers a priority.[14] Josephine Kryl married composer and conductor Paul Thomas White in 1922, forfeiting that reward.[15][16]"Paul and I are going to do a great deal in music this year," she explained to reporters. "It is silly to say one has to give up music for love."[17] They had four daughters. Josephine Kryl White died in 1960, aged 63 years, in Rochester, New York.[18]

Her grandson Paul Yancich is principal timpani with the Cleveland Orchestra.[19] Another grandson, Mark Yancich, is principal timpani with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.[20]

• A publicity photo of Josephine Kryl with her father and sister, from "Traveling Culture: Circuit Chautauqua in the Twentieth Century", Redpath Chautauqua Collection, University of Iowa Libraries Special Collections Department.