Aiding the Cause of Music in the City, State and Nation – We Welcome Anyone Interested in Music!
MacDowell Music Club, Janesville, Wisconsin
The MacDowell Music Club is a service organization which strives to further music in our community by supporting music education, encouraging performers and providing scholarships to talented vocal and instrumental students. Membership is not limited to performers – we welcome anyone interested in music.
MacDowell Club Objective
The objective of this club shall be the continuation of a permanent organization for the musical culture of its members; the sponsoring of the Junior Federated Clubs; the uplifting of the standard of music in the city of Janesville, Wisconsin and through its affiliation with the National and Wisconsin Federation.
The MacDowell Music Club History
MacDowell Music Club’s history in Janesville began on January 19, 1903, when a group of pianists organized the Pianists’ Club. At its fourth meeting on March 16, 1903, the membership voted to change the name to the Schumann Club. At that time, the club met in members’ homes. Concerts and operas were presented in Library Hall and Myers Grand Opera House. In 1912, the Schumann Club was renamed the MacDowell Club in honor of Edward MacDowell, then considered to be the country’s foremost composer.
Membership in the Wisconsin Federation of Music Clubs was voted in 1913. Mrs. MacDowell visited in 1914 and spoke about the MacDowell Colony. She urged the group to help federate the MacDowell Clubs throughout the country. Membership in the National Federation of Music Clubs was voted in 1918. The MacDowell Music Club’s first meetings were held at the Janesville Woman’s Club in 1928 and it has been our “home” ever since.
MacDowell Music Club Resources