The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of its orchestra program with a concert on May 27 and a scholarship honoring the program’s founder.
Middleton High School orchestra teacher Steve Kurr said teacher Greta Muehlmeier began the District’s orchestra program in 1926. However, she had to resign in 1930 when she married, as District policy required women to resign upon marriage.
“It was a common school district policy at the time,” Kurr said. Kurr’s orchestra students conducted historical research to learn more.
“We contacted State Senator Dianne Hesselbein to find out more,” Kurr said. “She researched and found that it was common for districts to have such policies but it was never a state law. Our students have been stunned to find such things less than 100 years ago.”
The orchestra was dormant until 1971, when Dr. Marvin Rabin – who founded Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra – sent graduate students to Middleton to revive the orchestra. The program saw several conductors and teachers at middle and high school levels in the years that followed, including Dr. James Kjelland, John Pickart, Jim Croxson, Bill Hofeldt, Lynne Wymore and Mike Dewey.
Dewey joined MCPASD in 1982 and served as the high school’s orchestra teacher until his death in 2000, when Kurr took over.
To honor the orchestra's historic legacy and pay tribute to its founder, Middleton High School’s annual Almost Summer concert on May 27 will feature performances from students as well as alumni and friends of the orchestra. The free concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Middleton High School Performing Arts Center.
All three high school ensembles – Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia and Cardinal Orchestra – will perform Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings, Nimrod from Elgar's Enigma Variations, and Gustav Holst’s Mars as well as debut a commissioned piece, Sea of Tranquility, by composer Katie O'Hara LaBrie.
Alumni and friends of the Middleton High School Orchestra program are invited to join for the Tchaikovsky and Nimrod pieces. A rehearsal will be held at 6:15 p.m., on stage, the night of the concert. Interested musicians can email Kurr at skurr@mcpasd.k12.wi.us to get on the roster and for a part to practice ahead of time.
In addition, Middleton High School seniors Indre Raghavan, Sarah Blust and Kyle McIntosh will be featured soloists in Beethoven’s Triple Concerto playing violin, piano and cello, respectively.
The orchestra invites donations to the Greta Muehlmeier Scholarship to further orchestra opportunities for all MCPASD students.
Photo caption: Orchestra from Middleton High School's 1975-76 yearbook.