Then & Now

The Performing Arts Center was completed in 1976 as an upgrade from the previous "Music Hall." At the time, the academic part of the building was separate from the performance side, and one would either walk outside or through elevated hallways to access Kresge Auditorium. This year also saw the creation of our "Performing Arts Series" which continues to this day!

The Green Center of the Performing Arts was renovated and dedicated in 2007 through generous donations by Judson and Joyce Green. The new areas include the Great Hall, the music office suite, and cafe allegro! There are a few special secrets about the new parts of building: check out the main rotunda and think about the musical Circle of Fifths.

An all-hands-on-deck performance featuring all of our ensembles, faculty performances, and, sometimes, a special guest! This family-friendly concert is always a hit for the students, faculty/staff, and the community! This photo is from 1969 and shows the Orchestra and Choir performing together on Kresge Stage!

This photo is from our 2021 Holiday Gala themed "Holiday Gala at the Movies!" Here the festival choir and the band perform together, while a project plays in the background, and the outside hall is filled to the brim with decorations! Many things come-and-go, but the stance of a conductor will remain the same!

Here we see the DePauw University Jazz Band from 1971 in Moore Theatre! Jazz at DePauw has expanded in the past 50 years to include a yearly JazzFest, weekly performances at "The Fluttering Duck," and a full host of microphones!

Other than the inclusion of far more electricity, the Jazz Band has also changed to being called the Jazz Ensemble to better encapsulate the wide repertoire they perform. Some recent highlights include performing alongside a singer and joining forces with string players to expand the selection of pieces the ensemble performs!

The Concerto Competition is a long-standing tradition for the DePauw School of Music. Each year every student has the opportunity to compete for a chance to perform repertoire with the full orchestra. Here we see the winners from the 1993 competition seated in the area that is now the Great Hall!

This photo was taken at the end of our 2019 Concerto Competition Winners' Concert while the room filled with thunderous applause! The competition is open to all students regardless of instrument: pictured here are 3 vocalists, a percussionist, a pianist, a saxophonist, a violinist, and a cellist.