Music at University of Windsor

Music at University of Windsor

University of Windsor. Founded in 1857 at Windsor, Ont, as Assumption College (Roman Catholic). It became a university in 1953 and was granted incorporation as the non-denominational University of Windsor in 1963, affiliating at the same time with Essex College. In 1991 it offered a variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs and extensive adult education programs.

As early as 1959 music courses and student performing ensembles were organized by Violet Leach and Mateusz Glinski (visiting professor 1959-65) In his first year on the faculty (1964) Carl Morey developed a minor credit program in music. He established the Music Dept in 1966 and was its head 1967-70. The B MUS program was introduced in 1967 and produced its first graduates in 1971. Paul McIntyre succeeded Morey in 1970 and introduced an applied-music degree program in 1973. The department became the School of Music in 1977, with McIntyre as its director. McIntyre was succeeded in 1980 by Richard Householder, who was in turn succeeded by Edward Gregory Butler in 1986. In 1991 the degrees offered were: B MUS (honours, individualized school music, performance), BMA, honours BFA in music theatre, and honours B music therapy.

In 1971 the School of Music, in association with the Richards Institute of Music Education and Research (of Portola Valley, California), began to offer an 'Education through Music' program. The school's facilities include an electronic laboratory, a class piano lab, and a set of early instruments. In 1990 the school had approximately 125 music majors and a faculty of 28 (8 full-time and 20 part-time). Those on staff in 1990 included Jens Hanson, Steven Henrikson, Richard Householder, Edward Kovarik, and.Paul McIntyre.

Performing ensembles have included the University Singers, Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Chamber Choir, Community Choir, the Ensemble X1040Y, Collegium Musicum (Windsor, Ont), and Music Theatre Ensemble. In 1978 the University of Windsor Singers commissioned and premiered Derek Healey'sBrown Season (text by Thoreau) for flute, percussion, and SATB. Assumption College (University) has sponsored annually a Christian Culture series of lectures and concerts and has presented the Christian Culture Award to 'an outstanding exponent of Christian ideals.' Recipients have included Arnold Walter (in 1945) and Paul Doyon (1950).

From 1983 to 1986 a series of chamber music concerts, the 'Largely Canadian Series,' was produced jointly by the School of Music and the Windsor Symphony Orchestra. A concert series with faculty and visiting artists has also been presented.

Honorary degrees (D MUS) have been awarded to Murray Adaskin (1977), Mario Bernardi (1978), Virgil Thomson (1981), Violet Archer (1986), Anna Russell (1988), Maureen Forrester (LLD 1988), and Jon Vickers (1989).