Chicago Musical College is a division of the

Chicago College of Performing Arts Chicago College of Performing Arts is a performing arts college that is housed at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The college has three divisions: the Music Conservatory, the Interdisciplinary Conservatory, and the T ...

Roosevelt University Roosevelt University is a private university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1945, the university was named in honor of United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The university enrolls arou ...

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, United States.

History

Founding

Dr. Florenz Ziegfeld Sr (1841–1923), founded the college in 1867 as the Chicago Academy of Music. The institution has endured without interruption for years. Ziegfeld was the father of Florenz Jr., the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

impresario. The academy was credited as being the fourth conservatory in America. In 1871, the conservatory moved to a new building which was destroyed only a few weeks later by the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago, Illinois during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left mor ...

; despite the

conflagration A conflagration is a large fire in the built environment that spreads via structure to structure ignition due to radiant or convective heat, or ember transmission. Conflagrations often damage human life, animal life, health, and/or property. A c ...

, the college was again up and running by the end of the year.

Name change

In 1872, the school changed its name to Chicago Musical College (CMC); over 900 students were enrolled in that year. A Normal Teachers' Institute was added to the school's offerings. Tuition in those was an average of one dollar per lesson. Four years later, the State of Illinois accredited the college as a degree-granting institution of higher learning. A Preparatory Division was opened which established branches throughout the city. Rudolph Ganz joined CMC's faculty in 1900 and, except for a brief hiatus in the 1920s, remained associated with the school until his death in 1972. In 1917, CMC offered a Master of Music Degree, and seven years later the school became a charter member of the

National Association of Schools of Music The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) is an association of post-secondary music schools in the United States and the principal U.S. accreditor for higher education in music. It was founded on October 20, 1924, and is based in Resto ...

. By 1925, the college moved into its own eleven-story building,

Steinway Hall Steinway Hall (German: ) is the name of buildings housing concert halls, showrooms and sales departments for Steinway & Sons pianos. The first Steinway Hall was opened in 1866 in New York City. Today, Steinway Halls and are located in cities suc ...

at 64 E. Van Buren Street. One hundred and twenty-five names appeared on the faculty roster for that year, and the school opened three dormitory floors for students. In 1936, CMC was admitted as a full member to the

North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), also known as the North Central Association, was a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states engaged in educational accreditation. It ...

, the only independent music college in the Midwest to enjoy such status. By 1947, the college was offering doctorates in

fine arts In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creativity, creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function ...

and

music education Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as primary education, elementary or secondary education, secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a rese ...

Merger with Roosevelt University

In 1954, CMC merged with Roosevelt University's School of Music which had been founded in 1945. The name "Chicago Musical College" was retained for the new united college. All operations moved to join the university in the now–national landmark

Auditorium Building The Auditorium Building is a structure at the northwest corner of South Michigan Avenue (Chicago), Michigan Avenue and Ida B. Wells Drive in the Chicago Loop, Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Completed in 1889, it is o ...

at 430 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago's Loop. The building houses one of the finest auditoriums in the world, in addition to the Rudolph Ganz Memorial Recital Hall.

Reorganization as a conservatory

In the fall of 1997, Roosevelt established a College of Performing Arts, which joined Chicago Musical College and the Theater Program under one administrative unit, led by founding dean Donald Steven. In 2000, under the leadership of new dean James Gandre, the name was changed to Chicago College of Performing Arts. The college has two divisions: the Music Conservatory and the Theatre Conservatory.

Notable students and faculty

Alumni

* Grace Angelau (1899–1958), opera singer *

Clarice Assad Clarice Assad (born February 9, 1978) is a Brazilian-American composer, pianist, arranger, singer, and educator from Rio de Janeiro. She is influenced by popular Brazilian culture, Romanticism, world music, and jazz. She comes from a musical fam ...

(born 1978), composer, pianist * Emmy Brady Rogers (1897–1985), composer, pianist, music critic *

Storm Bull Storm Bull (October 13, 1913 – July 22, 2007) was an American musician, composer and educator. He was Professor Emeritus at the College of Music, University of Colorado at Boulder and Head of the Division of Piano. Background Storm Bull, the ...

(1913–2007), composer, music educator *

Steve Coleman Steve Coleman (born September 20, 1956) is an American saxophonist, composer, bandleader and music theorist. In 2014, he was named a MacArthur Fellow. Early life Steve Coleman was born and grew up in South Side, Chicago. He started playing ...

(born 1956), jazz saxophonist, composer * Florence Cole Talbert (1890–1961), opera singer, music educator * Sister Mary Clemente Davlin (1929–2017),

medievalist The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...

, lifelong member of a symphony, and advocate for campus diversity * Theodore C. Diers (1880–1942), Wyoming state representative and senator *

Irene Dunne Irene Dunne (born Irene Marie Dunn; December 20, 1898 – September 4, 1990) was an American actress who appeared in films during Classical Hollywood cinema, the Golden Age of Hollywood. She is best known for her comedic roles, though she perf ...

(1898–1990), film actress * Walter Dyett (1901–1969), violinist, music educator * Henry Eichheim (1870–1942), composer, conductor, violinist, organologist, and

ethnomusicologist Ethnomusicology is the multidisciplinary study of music in its cultural context. The discipline investigates social, cognitive, biological, comparative, and other dimensions. Ethnomusicologists study music as a reflection of culture and investiga ...

* Vivian Fine (1913–2000), composer * Floyd Graham (1902–1974), violinist, music-school educator * Amy Allison Grant (born 1880), singer, lecturer, elocutionist * Frances Wilson Grayson (1890–1927), pioneer woman

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...

* Vernice "Bunky" Green (born 1935), jazz saxophonist, jazz educator *

Johnny Hartman John Maurice Hartman (July 3, 1923 – September 15, 1983) was an American jazz singer, known for his rich baritone voice and recordings of ballads. He sang and recorded with Earl Hines' and Dizzy Gillespie's big bands and with Erroll Garner. ...

(1923–1983), singer * Thaddeus Kozuch (1913–1991), BM 1936 MM 1951, concert pianist and composer * Willis Laurence James (1900–1966), violinist * Harriet Lee, radio singer (1920s–1930s) and Hollywood voice teacher *

Ramsey Lewis Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis Jr. (May 27, 1935 – September 12, 2022) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and radio personality. Lewis recorded over 80 albums and received five RIAA certification, gold records and three Grammy Awards ...

(1935–2022), jazz pianist, composer *

Lloyd Loar Lloyd Allayre Loar (1886–1943) was an American musician, instrument designer and sound engineer. He is best known for his design work with the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co. Ltd. in the early 20th century, including the F-5 model mandolin and ...

(1886–1943), mandolinist, violinist, violist, singer, composer, acoustics engineer,

luthier A luthier ( ; ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments. Etymology The word ' is originally French and comes from ''luth'', the French word for "lute". The term was originally used for makers of lutes, but it came to be ...

* Christine McIntyre (1911–1984), actress and soprano singer * Robert McFerrin (1921–2006), operatic baritone * Filip Mitrovic (born 1979), composer * Ernestine Myers (1900–1991), dancer, dance educator * Prudence Neff (1887–1949), pianist and music teacher * Marie Pavey, actress * Florence Price (1887–1953), composer * Julia Rebeil (1891–1973), pianist, professor at the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...

* William Revelli (1902–1994), wind-ensemble director, educator * La Julia Rhea (1898–1992), opera singer *

Silvestre Revueltas Silvestre Revueltas Sánchez (December 31, 1899 – October 5, 1940) was a Mexican classical music composer, a violinist, and conductor. Life Revueltas was born in Santiago Papasquiaro in Durango, and studied at the National Conservatory of Mu ...

(1899–1940), violinist and composer (attended 1918–1920, 1922–1924) *

Jim Schwall Jim Schwall (November 12, 1942 – June 19, 2022) was an American musician, singer-songwriter, and photographer. He was best known as a co-founder and member of the Siegel-Schwall Band. Musical career Jim Schwall was born in Evanston, Illinois ...

(born 1942), blues, blues-rock musician, singer-songwriter, Siegel-Schwall Band, Jim Schwall Band *

Corky Siegel Mark Paul "Corky" Siegel (born October 24, 1943) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and composer. He plays harmonica and piano. He plays and writes blues and blues-rock music, and has also worked extensively on combining blues and cla ...

(born 1943), blues, blues-rock musician, singer, composer, Siegel-Schwall Band *

Tracy Silverman Tracy Silverman (born April 7, 1960) is an American violinist, composer, and producer. Biography Born in Peekskill, New York and raised in Beloit, Wisconsin, Tracy Silverman made his professional debut at the age of 13 with the Chicago Symphon ...

, violinist, composer *

Frank Skinner Christopher Graham Collins (born 28 January 1957), known professionally as Frank Skinner, is an English comedian, actor, presenter and writer. At the 2001 British Comedy Awards, he was named Best Comedy Entertainment Personality. His televisio ...

(1897–1968), film composer and arranger *

Eddie South Edward Otha South (November 27, 1904 – April 25, 1962) was an American jazz violinist. Biography Born in Louisiana, Missouri, South studied classical music in Budapest, Paris, and Chicago. He turned to jazz because, as a Black musician, the ...

(1904–1962), jazz violinist * Eileen Southern (1920–2002),

musicologist Musicology is the academic, research-based study of music, as opposed to musical composition or performance. Musicology research combines and intersects with many fields, including psychology, sociology, acoustics, neurology, natural sciences, f ...

* Louise Cooper Spindle (1885–1968), composer *

Jule Styne Jule Styne ( ; born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was an English-American songwriter and composer widely known for a series of Broadway theatre, Broadway musical theatre, musicals, including several famous frequ ...

(1905–1994), songwriter * Aube Tzerko (1909–1995), pianist and mentor, Bachelor's in 1927 from the Chicago Musical College under tutelage of Moisseye Boguslawski * Jingjing Wang, pianist * Walter Wenzel, violinist *

Allan Arthur Willman Allan Arthur Willman ''(variant spellings'' Alan & Wilman; ''né'' Allan Arthur Simpkins; 11 May 1909 Hinckley, Illinois 7 May 1989 Cheyenne, Wyoming) was an American classical pianist, composer, music pedagog at the collegiate level, and longt ...

(1909–1989), MM 1930, classical pianist, composer, music-department chairman * Ivah Wills Coburn (1878–1937), stage actress and producer

Faculty

* Petrowitsch Bissing (1871–1961) * Rudolph Ganz (1877–1972), pianist, composer * Goldie Golub (1909–2000), pianist, CMC piano educator for more than 50 years * Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882–1961), pianist, composer *

Louis Gruenberg Louis Gruenberg ( ; June 9, 1964) was a Russian-born American pianist and prolific composer, especially of operas. An early champion of Schoenberg and other contemporary composers, he was also a highly respected Oscar-nominated film composer in H ...

(1884–1964), composer * Wesley LaViolette(1894–1978), influential early jazz educator * Fannie B. Linderman (1875–1960), teacher of dramatic arts, entertainer, writer * Herbert Witherspoon (1873–1935), music history * Carl Valentin Wunderle (1866–1944), violinist

Historic boards of directors and executive staff

1896 directors''Music and Musicians,'' DAily Inter Ocean (Chicago newspaper),'' August 16, 1896, Vol. 25, Issue 145, part 3, pg. 33 * Augustus Eugene Bournique (1842–1926) * William Melancton Hoyt (1837–1926) * Alexander Hamilton Revell Sr. (1858–1931) * The Reverend Hiram Washington Thomas, D.D. (1832–1909) * Hon. Richard S. Tuthill (1841–1920) * Carl O. Ziegfeld (1869–1921) * Dr. Florenz Ziegfeld (1841–1923) * William Kimball Ziegfeld (1872–1927) 1896 executive staff * Alfred M. Snydacker (1858–1929), corporate secretary * Carl O. Ziegfeld (1869–1921), business manager * Dr. Florenz Ziegfeld (1841–1923), president * William K. Ziegfeld (1872–1927), associate manager

References

{{Authority control Roosevelt University 1867 establishments in Illinois Music schools in Illinois Universities and colleges established in 1867