Walla Walla Symphony Records

Collection

Identifier: WCMss-072

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Walla Walla Symphony Records contain minutes from the Board of Directors; concert programs; newspaper clippings; photographs and posters; scrapbooks; audio and video tapes of performances, recitals, and interviews; newsletters; memorabilia, and research materials used in the publication of "A Dream Fulfilled: one hundred years of the Walla Walla Symphony Orchestra 1907-2007," by Dan Shultz. The collection dates from 1907 to 2012.

Dates

Creation: 1897-2012

Creator

Walla Walla Symphony (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Historical Note

The Walla Walla Symphony Orchestra claims to be the oldest continuously operating symphony west of the Mississippi. Its Board of Directors was formed July 1, 1907. In a second meeting on September 6 of that year, it appointed Edgar Fischer as conductor. Fischer had just resigned as director of the Whitman College Conservatory of Music. The first concert on December 12, 1907, began with Mozart’s "Magic Flute." The orchestra’s early performances took place in the Keylor Grand Theatre. With a seating capacity of 1,300, it was considered one of the largest and finest theatres in the Northwest. The orchestra performed in other auditoriums through the years before making their home in Whitman’s Cordiner Hall in 1967, where they continue to perform regularly.

Extent

22.27 Linear Feet (13 record cartons, 5 manuscript boxes, 3 flat boxes, 2 small flat boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Walla Walla Symphony Records contains board of Directors minutes, concert programs, newspaper clippings, video and audio tapes, scrapbooks, and other memorabilia from the 100-year history of the Walla Walla Symphony Orchestra. The collection dates from 1907 to 2012.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated to the Whitman College and Northwest Archives by Michael Wenberg in September 2010. The accession number associated with this donation is 2010-017. Additional material was donated by Leah Wilson-Velasco on 2018 July 13. The accession number associated with this donation is 2018-029.