The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts
Encyclopedia
The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts, or The Shedd Institute, is a performing arts
company, cultural arts center, and community music school
in Eugene
, Oregon
, United States
. Located in downtown Eugene, The Shedd Institute has 3 performance venues, various community meeting rooms, and extensive music education facilities. It presents annually an array of culturally-diverse festivals, concert series and educational programs that focus on, but are not limited to, American music in all of its forms and variations.
as a thematically-based summer orchestral pops festival dedicated to the championship of American classical music. In 1993 the Festival was designated as a Resident Company of the Hult Center for the Performing Arts
, joining 6 other local non-profits, including The Eugene Symphony, Eugene Opera, Eugene Ballet and Oregon Bach Festival. It established a community music institute in 1995.
In 1997 the company shifted radically from its summer-only festival model and began year-round programming with the foundation of two additional performance initiatives, The American Symphonia and The Emerald City Jazz Kings. The American Symphonia, which has been under the artistic direction of conductor James Paul
since 1997, is a classical music initiative dedicated specifically to the championship of post-1900 European art music written in the Western Hemisphere. The Emerald City Jazz Kings, founded and directed by trombonist and music scholar Stephen Stone, is a 16 to 22 member ensemble dedicated to the presentation of American popular music from the 1920s through '50s, with an emphasis on big band jazz, swing, musical theater, and the American standard. In 1998 the company's eclectic August festival named jazz pianist and composer Dick Hyman
as its jazz advisor, who joined James Paul at its artistic helm.
By 1999 the Festival had added 2 more performance initiatives to its programming (its Now Hear This Presenting Series and the Twin Rivers Folklife Festival) and, with the continued expansion of its community music school, had begun a search for a building of its own. In July 2002 it moved into the former First Baptist Church in downtown Eugene (a 65000 square feet (6,038.7 m²) complex of performance, meeting and classroom spaces), which it named "The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts" in honor of early 20th century Chicago businessman and philanthropist John G. Shedd
, the great-grandfather of Festival co-founder and long-time patron and Director of Education, Ginevra Reed Ralph.
In 2004 the Festival official changed its name to the name of its building. It is commonly referred to as "The Shedd Institute" while the building is known simply as "The Shedd". It added 2 additional concert initiatives to its cultural service mix (The Magical Moombah, a musical vaudeville for kids directed by Judith "Sparky" Roberts, and its Shedd Presents series) and began rental of the facility to other regional, cultural and educational programs.
(an August Festival, founded in 1992, dedicated to the classic American Songbook), The Emerald City Jazz Kings (the Institute's resident jazz and historic popular music ensemble, founded in 1997), the Now Hear This Presenting Series (founded in 2000), The American Symphonia (founded in 1997), The Magical Moombah (founded in 2001), Shedd Presents, and Jazz Party at The Shedd (founded in 2007).
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
company, cultural arts center, and community music school
Music school
The term music school refers to an educational institution specialized in the study, training and research of music.Different terms refer to this concept such as school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department or conservatory.Music instruction can be provided...
in Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located in downtown Eugene, The Shedd Institute has 3 performance venues, various community meeting rooms, and extensive music education facilities. It presents annually an array of culturally-diverse festivals, concert series and educational programs that focus on, but are not limited to, American music in all of its forms and variations.
History
The Shedd Institute was founded in 1991 under the name Oregon Festival of American MusicOregon Festival of American Music
Oregon Festival of American Music is an eclectic, thematically-based two-week summer music festival that has been held annually in Eugene, Oregon since 1992. Produced by The John G...
as a thematically-based summer orchestral pops festival dedicated to the championship of American classical music. In 1993 the Festival was designated as a Resident Company of the Hult Center for the Performing Arts
Hult Center for the Performing Arts
The Hult Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts facility in Eugene, Oregon, that opened in 1982.It is located adjacent to the Eugene Hilton and the Eugene Community Conference Center, which were also completed in 1982, as part of the same urban renewal project.The Hult Center and the...
, joining 6 other local non-profits, including The Eugene Symphony, Eugene Opera, Eugene Ballet and Oregon Bach Festival. It established a community music institute in 1995.
In 1997 the company shifted radically from its summer-only festival model and began year-round programming with the foundation of two additional performance initiatives, The American Symphonia and The Emerald City Jazz Kings. The American Symphonia, which has been under the artistic direction of conductor James Paul
James Paul
James Paul is an American conductor. He is currently the music director and conductor of The Shedd Institute's Oregon Festival of American Music and its American Symphonia, and music director of the Oregon Coast Music Festival.-Career:James Paul studied voice at the Oberlin Conservatory of...
since 1997, is a classical music initiative dedicated specifically to the championship of post-1900 European art music written in the Western Hemisphere. The Emerald City Jazz Kings, founded and directed by trombonist and music scholar Stephen Stone, is a 16 to 22 member ensemble dedicated to the presentation of American popular music from the 1920s through '50s, with an emphasis on big band jazz, swing, musical theater, and the American standard. In 1998 the company's eclectic August festival named jazz pianist and composer Dick Hyman
Dick Hyman
Richard “Dick” Hyman is an American jazz pianist/keyboardist and composer, best-known for his versatility with jazz piano styles. Over a 50 year career, he has functioned as pianist, organist, arranger, music director, and, increasingly, as composer...
as its jazz advisor, who joined James Paul at its artistic helm.
By 1999 the Festival had added 2 more performance initiatives to its programming (its Now Hear This Presenting Series and the Twin Rivers Folklife Festival) and, with the continued expansion of its community music school, had begun a search for a building of its own. In July 2002 it moved into the former First Baptist Church in downtown Eugene (a 65000 square feet (6,038.7 m²) complex of performance, meeting and classroom spaces), which it named "The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts" in honor of early 20th century Chicago businessman and philanthropist John G. Shedd
John G. Shedd
John Graves Shedd was the second president and chairman of the board of Marshall Field & Company.Born on a New Hampshire farm, Shedd arrived in Chicago, Illinois in 1871 and began working as a stock clerk for Marshall Field. By 1901, he had worked his way up to a vice-presidency and took over as...
, the great-grandfather of Festival co-founder and long-time patron and Director of Education, Ginevra Reed Ralph.
In 2004 the Festival official changed its name to the name of its building. It is commonly referred to as "The Shedd Institute" while the building is known simply as "The Shedd". It added 2 additional concert initiatives to its cultural service mix (The Magical Moombah, a musical vaudeville for kids directed by Judith "Sparky" Roberts, and its Shedd Presents series) and began rental of the facility to other regional, cultural and educational programs.
Performance programs
The Shedd Institute's performance division currently manages 6 concert series: Oregon Festival of American MusicOregon Festival of American Music
Oregon Festival of American Music is an eclectic, thematically-based two-week summer music festival that has been held annually in Eugene, Oregon since 1992. Produced by The John G...
(an August Festival, founded in 1992, dedicated to the classic American Songbook), The Emerald City Jazz Kings (the Institute's resident jazz and historic popular music ensemble, founded in 1997), the Now Hear This Presenting Series (founded in 2000), The American Symphonia (founded in 1997), The Magical Moombah (founded in 2001), Shedd Presents, and Jazz Party at The Shedd (founded in 2007).