Posted September 2022
September not only marks the beginning of the academic year—it also marks the start of Classical Music Month. This year, the BU School of Music celebrates its 150th birthday, making Classical Music Month especially significant. To honor 150 years of top-notch musical education, here is a brief history of the BU School of Music:
Boston University’s School of Music was founded in 1872, and is the first institution in the United States to grant music degrees. With the weight of that historic accomplishment comes the responsibility of providing world-class musical education, and Boston University continues to do just that.
The Boston University College of Music (as it was originally called), was created as part of a graduate theology program in 1872, and later shifted into the School of Education with a renewed focus on educating music teachers in 1929. In 1954, all departments in Theatre and Visual Arts became known as “Divisions” within the collective School for the Fine and Applied Arts. During this time, the College of Fine Arts was located at 25 Blagden Street in Boston, behind the Boston Public Library. With the acquisition of new property, 855 Commonwealth Ave became home to the College of Fine Arts four years later, in 1958.
In the 1970’s, the divisions of Music, Theatre and Visual Arts became known as “Schools.” In 2001, the collective schools finally became officially known as the College of Fine Arts. Beyond its campus in the beating heart of Boston, CFA’s School of Music encompasses the Opera Institute which was founded in 1985, and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute in Lenox, MA.
Because of the University’s early focus on music, nearly every major orchestra on the planet has counted a BU School of Music alumni among its members. College of Fine Arts alumni are more than just highly trained classical musicians, though—they’re music critics, artists, educators, and more. If you’re a School of Music graduate, you should feel proud to stand among an incredibly creative, innovative, passionate, and talented network of alumni.
Currently, the BU School of Music is home to 500 students who put on 400+ performances each year. Students enjoy a faculty ratio of 3:1, and 25 of those faculty are also members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. BU School of Music alumni are part of CFA’s larger 12,000+ member alumni community.