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Mu Phi Epsilon () is a co-ed international professional music fraternity. It has over 75,000 members in 227 collegiate chapters and 113
alumni Alumni (singular: alumnus (masculine) or alumna (feminine)) are former students of a school, college, or university who have either attended or graduated in some fashion from the institution. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for grou ...
chapters in the US and abroad.


History

Mu Phi Epsilon was founded on November 13, 1903 at the Metropolitan College of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio by Dr. Winthrop Sterling, a professor at the school and a member of
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America (colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Mu Alpha, or simply Sinfonia) () is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music. The fraternity is open to men "w ...
fraternity, and Elizabeth Mathias Fuqua, his 19-year-old assistant, as a way of recognizing the musicianship and scholarship of those eligible. The first chapter, named the ''Alpha chapter'', included eight women. Originally chartered as a national music sorority, it changed its status in 1936 to become an honor society, and again in 1944 to function as a professional music sorority. Its status once again changed in 1962 to that of an international music sorority, following the installation of the ''Alpha Tau chapter'' at the
Philippine Women's University The Philippine Women's University (PWU) is a tertiary education school which has its main campus in Manila, Philippines. An institution exclusive for girls from its inception until the 1970s, the PWU admits both women and men as its students. ...
in
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...
. Federal regulations (specifically
Title IX Title IX is the most commonly used name for the federal civil rights law in the United States that was enacted as part (Title IX) of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other educat ...
) in the early 1970s opened all such societies to
coeducation Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
al membership. In 1977, its official status changed for the final time to a co-ed professional music fraternity. Mu Phi Epsilon has chapters worldwide. The fraternity supports achievement in music through the awarding of grants and scholarships, as well as music competitions, concerts, and summer music programs. Much of this work has been supported by the Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation, an organization that has been in existence since 1963, as well as by fundraising and donations. Mu Phi Epsilon maintains communication with its members through The Triangle, the official quarterly journal of the fraternity. Materials appropriate for publication include articles on any phase of music education; scholarly articles reflecting research in the various fields of music; articles on pedagogy, performance, biography, or music therapy; and feature articles centering on the outstanding accomplishments of members. Notable Mu Phi Epsilon members include, among many others, performers such as Leone Buyse, Stephanie Chase,
Joyce DiDonato Joyce DiDonato (née Flaherty; born February 13, 1969) is an American lyric-coloratura mezzo-soprano. She is notable for her interpretations of operas and concert works in the 19th-century romantic era in addition to works by Handel and Mozart. ...
, Alma Gluck,
Marilyn Horne Marilyn Horne (born January 16, 1934) is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. She specialized in roles requiring beauty of tone, excellent breath support, and the ability to execute difficult coloratura passages. She is a recipient of the Natio ...
, Alice Nielsen,
Ernestine Schumann-Heink Ernestine Schumann-Heink (15 June 186117 November 1936) was a Bohemian-born Austrian-American operatic dramatic contralto of German Bohemian descent. She was noted for the flexibility and wide range of her voice. Early life She was born Ernes ...
, and
Shirley Verrett Shirley Verrett (May 31, 1931 – November 5, 2010) was an American operatic mezzo-soprano who successfully transitioned into soprano roles, i.e. soprano sfogato. Verrett enjoyed great fame from the late 1960s through the 1990s, particularly well ...
; composers such as Hansi Alt,
Amy Beach Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (September 5, 1867December 27, 1944) was an American composer and pianist. She was the first successful American female composer of large-scale art music. Her "Gaelic" Symphony, premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in ...
,
Cécile Chaminade Cécile Louise Stéphanie Chaminade (8 August 1857 – 13 April 1944) was a French composer and pianist. In 1913, she was awarded the Légion d'Honneur, a first for a female composer. Ambroise Thomas said, "This is not a woman who composes, but a ...
, Emma Lou Diemer, Nancy Plummer Faxon, Jessie Gaynor,
Carrie Jacobs-Bond Carrie Minetta Jacobs-Bond (August 11, 1862 – December 28, 1946) was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter who composed some 175 pieces of popular music from the 1890s through the early 1940s. She is perhaps best remembered for writing t ...
, Virginia Kendrick, Blythe Owen, Zenobia Powell Perry, Deon Nielsen Price, Williametta Spencer, Mary Jeanne van Appledorn, Viola Van Katwijk, June Weybright Jean E. Williams,
Ruth Shaw Wylie Ruth Shaw Wylie (24 June 191630 January 1989) was a U.S.-born composer and music educator. She described herself as “a fairly typical Midwestern composer,” pursuing musical and aesthetic excellence but not attracting much national attention: � ...
, and
Chen Yi Chen Yi may refer to: * Xuanzang (602–664), born as Chen Yi, Chinese Buddhist monk in Tang Dynasty * Chen Yi (Kuomintang) (1883–1950), Chief Executive of Taiwan Province * Chen Yi (marshal) Chen Yi (; August 26, 1901 – January 6, 1972 ...
; and other notable musicians including TV personality Diane Bish, music educators Hazel Gertrude Kinschella and Rosalie Speciale, and music librarian
Ruth Watanabe Ruth Taiko Watanabe (May 12, 1916 – ) was a Japanese-American music librarian. For 38 years (1946-1984), she ran the Sibley Music Library at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. She was called "one of the great music li ...
. Mu Phi Epsilon also recognizes its stellar members through the ACME honorific (Artists, Composers, Musicologists, and Educators), awarded to members who are distinguished in their field.


Aims and Purposes

In its own words, the fraternity aims for the advancement of music throughout the world and promotes scholarship, musicianship, and friendship, along with encouraging each member's loyalty to their Alma Mater. Beyond that, members of Mu Phi are to provide support for music in the community in whatever way possible. The International Bylaws of Mu Phi Epsilon state that its aim is "the advancement of music in the community, nation, and world through promotion of musicianship, scholarship, therapy, and music education, with an emphasis on service through music." It is a part of the National Interfraternity Music Council, which includes six other fraternities:
Delta Omicron Delta Omicron () is a co-ed international professional music honors fraternity whose mission is to promote and support excellence in music and musicianship. History Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity was founded on September 6, 1909 at ...
,
Kappa Kappa Psi Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity (, colloquially referred to as KKPsi), is a fraternity for college and university band members in the United States. It was founded on November 27, 1919, on Thanksgiving Day, at Oklahoma Agricul ...
,
Phi Beta Phi Beta Fraternity: National Professional Association for the Creative and Performing Arts () is an American national professional college fraternity for the creative and performing arts. It was founded in 1912 at Northwestern University in Evan ...
,
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America (colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Mu Alpha, or simply Sinfonia) () is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music. The fraternity is open to men "w ...
,
Sigma Alpha Iota Sigma Alpha Iota () is a women's music fraternity. Formed to "uphold the highest standards of music" and "to further the development of music in America and throughout the world", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its m ...
, and
Tau Beta Sigma Tau Beta Sigma Honorary Band Sorority, (, colloquially referred to as TBSigma or TBS) is a co-educational service sorority. The sorority, headquartered at the historic Stillwater Santa Fe Depot in Stillwater, Oklahoma, numbers over 3,800 active m ...
. It also carries affiliations with many other national and international organizations that provide support for music, including: * The American Classical Music Hall of Fame * The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) * The International Alliance for Women in Music (IAWM) * The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) * The Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) * The National Association of Composers, U.S.A. (NACUSA) * The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) * The National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) * The North American Interfraternity Foundation (NIF) * The National Music Council (NIC) * The Professional Fraternity Association (PFA) * The Society for American Music * The SupportMusic Coalition


Membership

Membership is limited to music majors and minors, music faculty not already initiated as members in another professional music fraternity, and musicians of achievement who have never joined a professional music fraternity and who desire membership through Special Election of active chapter members. Members are drawn from a diverse range of musical fields, including education, performance, therapy, and technology. Members of Mu Phi Epsilon are not permitted to be involved in the music fraternities
Delta Omicron Delta Omicron () is a co-ed international professional music honors fraternity whose mission is to promote and support excellence in music and musicianship. History Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity was founded on September 6, 1909 at ...
,
Phi Beta Phi Beta Fraternity: National Professional Association for the Creative and Performing Arts () is an American national professional college fraternity for the creative and performing arts. It was founded in 1912 at Northwestern University in Evan ...
,
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America (colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Mu Alpha, or simply Sinfonia) () is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music. The fraternity is open to men "w ...
, or
Sigma Alpha Iota Sigma Alpha Iota () is a women's music fraternity. Formed to "uphold the highest standards of music" and "to further the development of music in America and throughout the world", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its m ...
, but may join the band fraternity
Kappa Kappa Psi Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity (, colloquially referred to as KKPsi), is a fraternity for college and university band members in the United States. It was founded on November 27, 1919, on Thanksgiving Day, at Oklahoma Agricul ...
or band sorority
Tau Beta Sigma Tau Beta Sigma Honorary Band Sorority, (, colloquially referred to as TBSigma or TBS) is a co-educational service sorority. The sorority, headquartered at the historic Stillwater Santa Fe Depot in Stillwater, Oklahoma, numbers over 3,800 active m ...
.''The Membership Trainer of Mu Phi Epsilon, Sixth Edition'' They are also free to join a social Greek house. Those seeking membership must first ensure that they meet the academic requirements for members of Mu Phi Epsilon. Candidates will then go through a process that involves several activities. This process is intended to get candidates better acquainted with the members, as well as to give them the knowledge about the fraternity that all members should know. Activities may include, but are not limited to, service projects, fundraising, music making, and other forms of outreach. This process can vary slightly from chapter to chapter based upon local tradition, but the essentials of it remain the same. Once through this process, candidates enjoy full membership in Mu Phi Epsilon as long as they remain in good standing academically and professionally.


Chapters and Administration

Collegiate chapters continued taking their names from the original ''Alpha chapter'', progressing through the Greek alphabet and then used the prefixes Mu, Phi, and Epsilon. This was then followed by using the other prefixes of the Greek alphabet in alphabetical order, beginning with Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and so on. As of 2016, the prefix Eta is used for new chapters. International chapters have been ''Alpha Tau'' (Philippine Women's University, 1962), ''Beta Xi'' (University of the Philippines, 1967,) and ''Delta Iota'' (University of Western Ontario, Canada, 1990). Since 1903, 227 chapters of Mu Phi Epsilon have been installed on college campuses, and 113 alumni chapters have been established in cities near those colleges. After graduation or leaving school, the collegiate members are encouraged to affiliate with a nearby alumni chapter or with the International Fraternity as an Affiliated Member. The administration of Mu Phi Epsilon is made up of three main bodies: The executive board, the Foundation, and the district directors. The executive board is made up of eight people, including the President (currently Rosemary Ames), five vice presidents, the executive secretary-treasurer, and the editor of The Triangle. The Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation was established for the benefit of philanthropic projects suitable to commemorate the aims and purposes of the Fraternity. Finally, the district directors are appointed to oversee the Fraternity chapters in geographical divisions of the United States. They meet personally with the collegiates and alumni, answer questions, give support, and help them work through problems. Currently, the collegiate and alumni chapters are divided into twelve Provinces and thirty-five districts within those provinces.


List of Collegiate Chapters

Mu Phi Epsilon has established 227 collegiate chapters in its history. If a candidate for membership does not have a collegiate chapter geographically accessible to them, they may be initiated under the name of the Omega Omega Chapter. Any questions regarding a specific chapter, regardless of its status, can be directed to the Mu Phi Epsilon Extension Officer.


List of Alumni Chapters

Mu Phi Epsilon has established 113 alumni chapters in its history. Any questions regarding a specific chapter, regardless of its status, can be directed to the Mu Phi Epsilon Extension Officer.


Benefits of Membership

Mu Phi Epsilon Fraternity offers a Musicological Research Contest, an Original Composition Contest, the Marian Bowker Davidson Accompanying Award, the Katherine Doepke Creative Programming Award, and various awards for its members and chapters. The Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation, established to honor the Fraternity's founders and other deceased members, funds the philanthropic, scholarship and educational activities of Mu Phi Epsilon. Some of the many scholarships and grants are: *Awards and scholarships for undergraduate and graduate musical performance *Music Education awards *Scholarships for study at recognized summer programs *Doctoral grants *Foreign study grants *Scholarships for voice, instruments, music therapy, jazz, music business, and others *An international performance competition with the winner sponsored in a two-year concert tour Summer tuition scholarships are offered to members of Mu Phi Epsilon attending music programs at Aspen, Banff Music Centre,
Brevard Music Center Brevard Music Center is a classical music venue and festival held annually located in Brevard, North Carolina. It has been the home to their international summer institute and festival that enrolls about four hundred students, age fourteen and o ...
,
Chautauqua Institution The Chautauqua Institution ( ) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit education center and summer resort for adults and youth located on in Chautauqua, New York, northwest of Jamestown in the Western Southern Tier of New York State. Established in 1874, the ...
, Encore School for Strings, Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony,
Music Academy of the West The Music Academy is a classical music training program in Montecito in Santa Barbara County, California. Overview The academy hosts an annual eight-week summer music festival, highlighted by concerts and workshops directed by famous composer ...
, Round Top, and
Tanglewood Music Center The Tanglewood Music Center is an annual summer music academy in Lenox, Massachusetts, United States, in which emerging professional musicians participate in performances, master classes and workshops. The center operates as a part of the Tanglewo ...
. Philanthropic gifts are made to community music schools through the Music Outreach Project. To celebrate the 75h Anniversary of Mu Phi Epsilon, the Fraternity and the Foundation cooperated in building and endowing a cottage/studio for a composer-in-residence at the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina. The first Composer-In-Residence selected was Emma Lou Diemer, Mu Delta. She accepted but later found it necessary to decline the appointment, so Elie Siegmeister was named as the composer to occupy the Chair of Composition at Brevard Music Center. Notable composers to follow include W. Francis McBeth, Elliot DelBorgo, Walter Hartley, Fisher Tull, Don Freund, and many others.


See also

*
Professional fraternities and sororities Professional fraternities, in the North American fraternity system, are organizations whose primary purpose is to promote the interests of a particular profession and whose membership is restricted to students in that particular field of profess ...


References


External links


Mu Phi Epsilon Music Library & ArchivesMu Phi Epsilon ''New York City Alumni chapter''; A profile from Bloomingdale School of Music (November, 2007)
{{Authority control Student organizations established in 1903 Music organizations based in the United States Professional fraternities and sororities in the United States National Interfraternity Music Council Professional Fraternity Association 1903 establishments in Ohio