A Century on Music in Omaha 1854 - 1954
type: CreativeWork
description: Material interests will always take precedence in the formative period of a city, and not until these are permanently fixed and assured, are the finer things given due consideration. Therefore, although Omaha had its music from the very beginning, it did not reach a high degree of musical enterprise until the seventies. From that time its cultural growth advanced very rapidly. Musicians from all over the world were attracted to the young metropolis, which showed so much promise, and through their efforts this city soon became an acknowledged center of cultural activity. It has been the general opinion among the musicians, for some time, that a permanent record of the great achievements and artistic triumphs, attained by men and women of an earlier generation, should be made and preserved. These fascinating names and events have been only vaguely familiar to the many people who were not witnesses of the deeds and activities of an earlier period. This writer hopes that the following pages will present a clear and lasting picture of the city’s musical growth during the last one hundred years. Efforts of local talent have naturally been stressed more than performances by imported musicians. Visiting artists, orchestras, opera companies, and bands certainly make a valuable contribution but their occasional visits would amount to very little if local musicians did not band together. Local programs, singing clubs, orchestras, and bands show cultural development much more in the life of a city. Through performances and support of local talent, musicians and music lovers are united in a common bond and tend to cooperate with each other for the betterment of the community. Thus united, they can do much for the musical growth of the city by presenting famous artists and by making people cognizant of the importance of local symphony orchestras opera companies, glee clubs, bands, and chamber music groups, which need the support of the community. A city, to be truly musical, must…
abstract: Material interests will always take precedence in the formative period of a city, and not until these are permanently fixed and assured, are the finer things given due consideration. Therefore, although Omaha had its music from the very beginning, it did not reach a high degree of musical enterprise until the seventies. From that time its cultural growth advanced very rapidly. Musicians from all over the world were attracted to the young metropolis, which showed so much promise, and through their efforts this city soon became an acknowledged center of cultural activity. It has been the general opinion among the musicians, for some time, that a permanent record of the great achievements and artistic triumphs, attained by men and women of an earlier generation, should be made and preserved. These fascinating names and events have been only vaguely familiar to the many people who were not witnesses of the deeds and activities of an earlier period. This writer hopes that the following pages will present a clear and lasting picture of the city’s musical growth during the last one hundred years. Efforts of local talent have naturally been stressed more than performances by imported musicians. Visiting artists, orchestras, opera companies, and bands certainly make a valuable contribution but their occasional visits would amount to very little if local musicians did not band together. Local programs, singing clubs, orchestras, and bands show cultural development much more in the life of a city. Through performances and support of local talent, musicians and music lovers are united in a common bond and tend to cooperate with each other for the betterment of the community. Thus united, they can do much for the musical growth of the city by presenting famous artists and by making people cognizant of the importance of local symphony orchestras opera companies, glee clubs, bands, and chamber music groups, which need the support of the community. A city, to be truly musical, must…
author: Tvrdy, Helen
language: en_US
keywords: Omaha, Nebraska -- History, Nebraska -- History
date published: 1954
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:52:24Z
provider: Creighton University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Creighton University

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/10504/74275