The following are highlights from the School of Music history taken from A Century of Making Music, A Documentary Scrapbook of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, edited by Susan C. Cook (1996).
The Early Years
1850
The first Chancellor is inaugurated at the newly created University of Wisconsin.
1875
The first glee club is started on campus.
1878
The first music course offered for credit at the University is "Rudiments of Music".
The glee club becomes the University Choral Club.
Assembly Hall is built, later known as Music Hall and the primary site for School of Music activities.
1885
The Banjo and Guitar Club is organized and later becomes the Mandolin Club.
The Wisconsin Regimental Band is organized. It later becomes the Marching Band.
1887
The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music is established by Ada Bird in Sun Prairie.
1889
The first courses in music theory, reading vocal music, and harmony are offered.
1891
The University of Wisconsin Instrumental Sextet is establishes and later becomes the University of Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra.
1894
The Wisconsin Regimental Band officially becomes the University Band and plays frequently at football games.
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| The UW Marching Band in 1910. |
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| The UW Marching Band today. |
The First Decade
1895
The School of Music is created at Chadbourne Hall becomes its home.
The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music merges with the School of Music when Ada Bird joins the faculty.
1989
Words are added to the song "Toast to Wisconsin" by Henry D. Sleeper and "Varsity"-the school song-is created.
1900
The School moves from Chadbourne Hall to Assembly Hall, which is renamed Music Hall in 1910.
1904
A new faculty member, Herman Owen, brings a new focus on music education to the curriculum.
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| Music Hall ca. 1900. |
The Second Decade
1909
W. T. Purdy and Carl Beck write "On Wisconsin" for a contest.
Ada Bird leaves the School of Music and starts the Wisconsin School of Music.
1912
State certification in music education is available to students after completion of a two-year course.
The Third Decade
1915
A four-year "Graduate in Music" degree program (later renamed the Bachelor in Music) is created by Charles H. Mills.
1917
Helen Piper (Law) receives the first Bachelor of Music degree.
1920
A new Band and Orchestra director, Edson Morphy, is appointed. He goes on to create a separate Concert Band.
1921
Rho Chapter of the Sigma Alpha Iota National Music Fraternity for Women is initiated.
Phi Chapter of the Phi Mu Alpha-Sinfonia professional music honor society for men is organized.
1924
Alice Goodell receives the first Master of Arts in Music Degree.
The Fourth Decade
1926
Areas of focus are made available to School of Music Juniors and Seniors in the areas of: Applied Music, History and Theory, and Public School Music.
The University Singers, a mixed chorus, and the Light Opera Orchestra are created.
1927
Professors Mills and Gordon devise the "Wisconsin Plan" to raise standards of secondary school music education.
1930
The Summer Music Clinic is organized and is one of the schools most visible facets of the Wisconsin Plan/Idea.
1931)
An All-State Band program is begun and is comprised of talented area high school students.
1932
All-State Orchestra and All-State Chorus are added.
1933
Women's Symphonic Band is organized in response to the exclusion of women in the marching and concert bands.
Ensembles from the Summer Music Clinic perform at the Chicago World's Fair.
1934
Raymond F. Dvorak becomes the director of bands and begins a new era of prominence for the UW Marching Band.
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| Dvorak conducts "Water Music" from the poolside. |
The Fifth Decade
1938
Carl Bricken becomes the director of the School of Music and establishes residencies for Gunner Johansen and the Pro Arte Quartet that continue through 1944.
The Madison Boy Scout Drum and Bugle Corps, aka the Madison Scouts, holds its first rehearsals.
1939
Gunnar Johansen becomes artist-in-residence at the School of music. His position combined teaching and performing and was the first of its kind in the United States.
Professor Dvorak is pressured to allow women to audition for the Concert Band when no conductor can be found for the Women's Symphonic Band. The marching band, however, continues to remain an all-male institution.
The Wisconsin Union Theatre is opened and provides another performance venue.
1940
The Belgian Pro Arte Quartet, with leader Rudolf Kolisch, is stranded in the United States at the outbreak of World War II and begins a residency at the School.
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| The original Pro Arte Quartet. |
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| The Pro Arte Quartet today. |
The Sixth Decade
1949
The first African American students receive Bachelor of Music degrees.
1950
The Department of Music in Extension is created and pushes the musical arts into the University's statewide outreach and service program.
The Seventh Decade
1957
Lavern John Wagner receives the first Ph.D. in musicology.
1958
Aaron Copland comes to campus in a Festival of his music. In his time here, he lectures and conducts the University Symphony Orchestra.
1959
"On Wisconsin" is voted the Wisconsin State Song.
1961
The University Woodwind Quintet is born and becomes the Wingra Woodwind Quintet in 1968.
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| The Wingra Quintet then. |
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| Wingra today. |
The Eighth Decade
1965
Ground is broken for the construction of the current Humanities Building.
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| The construction of Humanities begins. |
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| The Mosse Humanities Building today. |
1966
The Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra is created through the Music Extension.
1968
Michael Leckrone becomes the conductor of the Marching Band and becomes Director of Bands in 1975.
Lois Ann Anderson becomes the first professor in ethnomusicology.
1969
The Humanities Building is dedicated with a series of concerts.
1972
Mitchel Neil Sirman receives the first Doctoral of Musical Arts degree.
The Wisconsin Brass Quintet becomes the third faculty ensemble.
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| The WBQ ca. 1970. |
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| The WBQ today - complete with three original members. |
1973
James R. Cheatham, a former member of Duke Ellington's Orchestra, joins the faculty as conductor of the Black Music Ensemble.
Portia Maultsby receives the first Ph.D. in ethnomusicology.
1974
Women are allowed to audition for marching band and are able to participate in all band activities.
The Ninth Decade
1975
A Javanese gamelan gong orchestra is purchased by the school.
1978
The Faculty Concert Series is organized by Professors Marc Fink and Douglas Hill to benefit the Scholarship Fund.
1979
Former Beatle Paul McCartney purchases the rights to "On Wisconsin".
The Arts Outreach Program is established.
The Tenth Decade
1985
The University Bands celebrate their 100th anniversary and Raymond F. Dvorak is inducted into the National Band Association Hall of Fame.
The Wisconsin Center for Music Technology is created.
1989
Javier Calderón becomes the first full time faculty member in guitar since the early years of the school.
1994
The Centennial Commissions undertakes the commission of six new works by Daron Hagen, John Harbison, Libby Larsen, David Ott, Ralph Shapey, and Joan Tower with funding through a series of grants, funds, and gifts.
The Eleventh Decade
2005
Gunther Schuller is artist-in-residence at the School. During his time here, he teaches two courses and conducts the University Symphony Orchestra.
2006
The Winds of Wisconsin is organized. This audition based wind ensemble is made up of Wisconsin high school wind and percussion instrumentalists who perform traditional and contemporary wind band literature.
2007
Michael Leckrone, Director of the Marching Band and Director of Bands, is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Foundation for School Music.
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