Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection, 1950-2008

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Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection, 1950-2008

NAU.MS.257
NAU.PH.90.19
Accession 2011.26 (UNPROCESSED)
Accession 2016.23 (UNPROCESSED)
Accession 2019.30 (UNPROCESSED)


Overview of the Collection

Creator: Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra
Title: Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection,
Inclusive Dates: 1950-2008
Quantity: 2 linear feet textual material, 7 scrapbooks, 101 black-and-white prints, 2 picture postcards, 6 35mm slides, 20 negatives, 2 sheets black-and-white transparencies
Abstract:The Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection includes scrapbooks, programs, news clippings and reviews, and photographs documenting the activities of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra (FSO) between 1950 and 2008, as well as correspondence, manuscript drafts, research materials, and oral history interview transcripts assembled by Dr. William H. Lyon, Professor of History at Northern Arizona University (NAU), for an unpublished history of FSO titled The Lark on the Mountain: Historical Memoir of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra(circa 1982).
Identification: NAU.MS.257
NAU.PH.90.19
Accession 2011.26 (UNPROCESSED)
Accession 2016.23 (UNPROCESSED)
Accession 2019.30 (UNPROCESSED)
Language: Material in English
Repository: Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives Department
Northern Arizona University.
Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives Department
P.O. Box 6022
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6022
Phone: 928 523-5551
Fax: 928 523-3770
Email: special.collections@nau.edu

Historical Note

Though citizens of the City of Flagstaff have enjoyed symphony performances since 1899, according to news articles from the Coconino Sun, these performances were irregular until the formation of the Northern Arizona Symphony Orchestra (later, the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra) in 1950. That year, Dr. Jack Swartz of Arizona State College (now Northern Arizona University, or NAU) collaborated with Dr. Eldon Ardrey, Frances Babbitt, Robert Fitzmaurice, and others decided to form an orchestra as part of the development of ASC's music program. The symphonette played its first concert on May 21, 1950 in Ashurst Auditorium. Shortly after this performance, the Northern Arizona Pro-Musica Society was formed by Ruth Ardrey, Raymond Henderson, Dorothy Pollock, Eldon Ardrey, Pat Curry, H. Stuart Houston, and others in order to support musical performance in the region. In 1951, the Pro-Musica Society supported a concert performance of the Northern Arizona Symphony Orchestra as part of the First Northern Arizona Festival of Fine Arts.

In 1955, Harold "Hal" Goodman, formerly a violinist in the orchestra, replaced Swartz as its conductor. That same year, Goodman supported the establishment of the Symphony Guild, which helped fundraise to support the orchestra financially.

Goodman was replaced as conductor by Vern Kliewer in 1958. In its early years, the Symphony relied on players from throughout northern Arizona, but under Kliewer, the orchestra sought to rely largely on Flagstaff-based musicians. The Symphony would typically hold concerts on Sunday afternoons in the College auditorium or the men's gymnasium. In 1959, the Symphony began charging for its performances, selling season tickets for $6.00 per family and $.100 a person at the door.

In 1960, Pat Curry became the conductor of the Symphony. Members recalled that he did a great deal to professionalize the Symphony, including bringing in guest conductors, establishing a scholarship program for music students, taking the orchestra on tour in Arizona, and establishing the Symphony Board. In 1966, he took a two year leave to complete his doctorate. Curry was succeeded by Dr. Thomas Kirshbaum, who led the Symphony for 18 years before retiring from the orchestra in 1982.

Harold "Hal" Weller became the Music Director and General Manager of the Flagstaff Symphony in May 1982, a role he held until 1997. During this time, FSO's operating budget increased from $110,000 to $850,0000, and its endowment likewise increased from $12,000 to over $1,000,000. Under Weller, the Flagstaff Symphony Youth Orchestra was established. At the request of NAU's President Clara Lovett, Weller developed and oversaw the "Flagstaff Spectrum Series" featuring Isaac Stern, Wynton Marsalis, and other performers.

In 1980, Dr. William "Bill" H. Lyon, Professor of History at NAU, began the Flagstaff Symphony History Project, which sought to document the founding of FSO and its evolution over time. (Lyon was himself a violinist with FSO who had begun playing with the Symphony in 1958.) Lyon corresponded and conducted oral history interviews with a number of people who had been associated with FSO since 1950, including Jack Swartz John Stilley, Kathleen Gregg, Lorraine Curry, Ruth Ann Lewellen Howell, Ruth Ardrey, and Stuart Houston, as well as FSO conductors Pat Curry, Thomas Kirshbaum, and Vern kliewer. Based on his research, Lyon prepared a history of FSO titled The Lark on the Mountain: Historical Memoir of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra(1982). The book was never published.

Weller was succeeded by Randall Craig Fleischer in the fall of 1999. During Fleischer's time as conductor, the Symphony struggled financially due to a decrease in charitable donations. Flesicher left FSO in 2006.

Elizabeth Shulze became Artistic Director and Conductor of the Symphony in 2006. In 2013, she received the Medallion in Conduction award from the Sorel Charitable Organization based on her work with the Symphony. She re-introduced annual educational concerts through a collaboration with the Carnegie Hall "Link Up" program. Schulze left FSO in 2017.

In 2020, the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra celebrated its 70th season under Music Director and Conductor Charles Latshaw.

Information provided in this historical note is based upon materials in the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection, including Dr. William H. Lyon's 1982 manuscript of The Lark on the Mountain: Historical Memoir of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra and a biographical note provided by Harold Weller, as well as the "Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra History" page of FSO's website (January 2020) and a 2006 Daily Sun article titled "FSO conductor to pass baton."


Scope and Content

The Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection consists of photographic materials, programs, news clippings, reviews, scrapbooks, and research materials including oral history interview transcripts documenting the founding and evolution of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, or FSO, (formerly the Northern Arizona Symphony Orchestra) from 1950 to roughly 2008, particularly the time span between 1967 and 1985. Most of the materials relate to FSO's publicity and outreach efforts.

The Manuscripts record group includes materials assembled by Dr. William H. Lyon, Professor of History at Northern Arizona University (NAU), for the Flagstaff Symphony History Project which he oversaw between 1980 and 1982. The History Project culminated in an unpublished history of FSO titled The Lark on the Mountain: Historical Memoir of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra(circa 1982). These materials are now found in Series 1 and Series 1 of the Manuscripts record group (NAU.MS.257.01 and NAU.MS.257.02), though some of the photographs found in the Photographs record group (NAU.PH.90.19) also pertain to Lyon's history.


Arrangement

The Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection has been arranged by SCA staff into 2 format-based record groups. The Manuscripts record group has further been arranged into 4 series based on record type, format, and activity.
NAU.MS.257 - Record Group 1: Manuscripts, 1950-2008
NAU.MS.257.01 - Series 1: Correspondence, 1982-1985
NAU.MS.257.02 - Series 2: Flagstaff Symphony History Project, 1980-1985
NAU.MS.257.03 - Series 3: Publicity and programs, 1950-2008
NAU.MS.257.04 - Series 4: Scrapbooks, 1967-1981
NAU.PH.90.19 - Record Group 2: Photographs, 1952-1984

Restrictions

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on use for processed materials, except limitations on handling due to the risk of damage to fragile items, notably scrapbooks.

Accessions 2016.23 and 2019.30 have not yet been processed. They may contain sensitive material that requires advance review by Special Collections and Archives staff. Please contact Special Collections and Archives at least 3 weeks in advance to request access.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for Northern Arizona University, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.


Related Material

Flagstaff Symphony Guild [manuscripts], NAU.MS.444

Clara M. Lovett Presidential Papers [manuscripts], R.G.1.13

Paul Sweitzer Collection [photographs], NAU.PH.426

In 2004, Special Collections and Archives returned a 1980 1 inch reel to reel tape to the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra for its own records.


Controlled Access Terms

Personal Name(s)
Ardrey, Ruth--Interviews
Goodman, A. Harold, 1924---Interviews
Lyon, William Henry, 1926-

Corporate Name(s)
Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra (Flagstaff, Ariz.)--History--Sources

Subject(s)
Music--Arizona--Flagstaff--History--Sources
Music--Arizona--Historiography
Musicians--Arizona--Flagstaff--Interviews
Symphony orchestras--Arizona--Flagstaff--History
Symphony orchestras--Arizona--Historiography


Administrative Information

Alternative Form Available

Selected photographs from the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection (NAU.PH.90.19) have been digitized by SCA staff and are available through Digital Collections. Select "Colorado Plateau Archives." Use the advanced search menu to search for "Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra" in the "Collection name" field, or search for "NAU.PH.90.19."

Click here to view all digitized material from the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection.

Preferred Citation

[Title or brief description of item or file.] Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection [manuscripts], NAU.MS.257, Series [ ], Box [ ], Folder [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Northern Arizona University. Cline Library. Flagstaff, Arizona.

[Title or brief description of item.] Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection [photographs], NAU.PH.90.19.[item number], Box [ ], Folder [ ].Special Collections and Archives. Northern Arizona University. Cline Library. Flagstaff, Arizona.

Acquisition Information

The first body of materials within the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection was donated by Dr. William H. Lyon in 1990. Additional materials were donated in 2011, 2016, and 2019.

Processing Information

The original donation of manuscript materials for the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection was processed by Robert Coody in 1995.

A subsequent accrual to the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection (2011.46), consisting of news clippings, scrapbooks, and programs, was processed by SCA staff in 2011. These manuscript materials were originally identified as "2011 Addition" in the finding aid. At this time, photographic materials (NAU.PH.90.19) donated in 2011 were added to the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection.

In January 2020, Mowana Lomaomvaya and Samantha Meier, with support from Britney Bibeault, processed another accrual to the collection (2019.10),re-housed fragile scrapbooks, and labeled photograph folders, updating the container list accordingly. The 2011 accruals (photographs and manuscripts) were more fully integrated into the finding aid.

Further accruals to the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection (Accessions 2011.26 and 2019.30) remain unprocessed as of January 2020. An inventory provided by the donor of the 2019.30 materials is available upon request.


Container List

NAU.MS.257 Record Group 1: Manuscripts, 1950-2008 (2 linear feet textual material, 7 scrapbooks)
Scope & Content
The Manuscripts record group of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection contains programs, news clippings, reviews, and other publicity materials regarding the Northern Arizona Symphony Orchestra and Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra as well as correspondence, manuscript drafts, notes, research materials, and oral history interview transcripts assembled by Dr. William (Bill) H. Lyon, Professor of History at Northern Arizona University (NAU), during the Flagstaff Symphony History Project (1980-1982), for an unpublished history of FSO titled The Lark on the Mountain: Historical Memoir of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra(1982). News clippings, reviews, and programs constitute the bulk of this record group.
Materials in this record group were minimally reprocessed by Samantha Meier in 2020. Some file titles have been changed to better reflect their contents.
Series 1: Correspondence, 1982-1985 (0.05 linear feet textual material)
Scope & Content
Series 1 contains correspondence between Dr. William (Bill) H. Lyon, Professor of History at NAU, and Dr. John McLaughlin (President of the Flagstaff Symphony Board), Lorraine Frank of the Arizona Humanities Council, book publishers, and others, mostly related to Lyon's unpublished history of FSO titled The Lark on the Mountain: Historical Memoir of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra(found in Series 2), as well as a 1982-1983 roster for FSO. Some 1984 correspondence pertains to the photograph of Paul Sweitzer now identified as NAU.PH.90.19.34, as well as Lyon's plans for "photograph sections" of his manuscript. Other correspondence pertains to the death of Kathleen Gregg in 1982.
In January 2020, Britney Bibeault discovered 2 letters pertaining to a photograph of Paul Sweitzer in the Photographs Record Group (NAU.PH.90.19), Folder 17 - Paul Sweitzer. These items were removed and added to the "Correspondence" file. Additionally, the "Letters and clippings" file previously found in Series 2 was moved to Series 1 by Samantha Meier, as it contains similar material to the "Correspondence" file.
BoxFolder
11 Correspondence - William Lyon, 1982 December 8-1985 July 29
11a Letters and clippings, 1980-1983
This file contains photographs with call numbers NAU.PH.90.19.130-NAU.PH.90.19.132.
Series 2: Flagstaff Symphony History Project, 1980-1985 (0.25 linear feet textual material)
Scope & Content
Series 2 contains materials related to William Lyon's work on the Flagstaff Symphony History Project, including a complete manuscript version of Lyon's unpublished history of FSO titled The Lark on the Mountain: Historical Memoir of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra (1982), as well as correspondence regarding the History Project, a taping schedule for oral history interviews with members of FSO, notes, newspaper clippings, programs, other research materials, and full, annotated, excerpted and edited transcripts from oral history interviews that Lyons conducted in 1980, with the support of NAU. Oral history interviewees included Ruth Ardrey, Kathleen Gregg, Lucy Alice Houston, Stuart Houston, Thomas Kirshbaum, Vern Kliewer, Dr. Harold "Hal" A. Goodman, Frances Babbitt, Pat Curry, Lorraine Curry, and other board members and performers.
BoxFolder
12 Manuscript version of The Lark on the Mountain: Historical Memoir of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra by William H. Lyon, circa 1982
13 Topical excerpts from oral history transcripts, 1980s
14 Oral history transcripts and correspondence, 1980-1981
15 Pollack Ranch meeting research, 1950, 1980
16 Research material, 1954, 1982
17 Flagstaff Symphony History Project taping schedule
18 Oral history interview subjects, 1980
19 Oral history transcript fragments, 1980-1981
Series 3: Publicity and programs 1950-2008 (1.7 linear feet textual material)
Scope & Content
Series 3 contains programs, draft reviews of concert performances by Paul Sweitzer, photographic prints and negatives (likely also Sweitzer's), newspaper clippings from the Daily Sun, research materials, and other publicity-related materials pertaining to the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. The series includes a 1951 note from Acting Dean of Instruction J. Lawrence Walkup regarding a December 1951 broadcast of a cantata written by Jack Swartz and Rev. George Gooderham, with direction by Dr. Eldon Ardrey.
BoxFolder
110 Otello reviews & reactions, 1970 May
111 Flagstaff Symphony reviews, 1971-1972
This file contains photographs with call numbers NAU.PH.90.19.133-134.
BoxFolder
212 Flagstaff Symphony reviews, 1972
This file contains a photograph with call numbers NAU.PH.90.19.135.
213 Flagstaff Symphony reviews, 1973
214 First Northern Arizona Festival of Fine Arts and Northern Arizona Symphony Orchestra concert, May 1951
215 Flyer for The Opera Workshop of Arizona State College at Flagstaff Music Department presents "The Village Barber", undated
216 Concert notices, 1951-1952, 1970
217 Con Brio [Flagstaff Symphony Association newsletter] 1983-1984
218 Programs, 11th season, 1960 November-1961 May
219 Programs, 12th season, 1961 October-1962 March
220 Programs, 13th season, 1962 October-1963 May
221 Programs, 14th season, 1963-1964
222 Programs, 15th season, 1964-1965
223 Programs, 16th season 1965-1966
224 Programs, 17th season, 1966-1967
225 Programs, 18th season, 1967-1968
226 Programs, 19th season, 1968-1969
227 Programs, 20th season, 1969-1970
228 Programs, 21st season, 1970-1971
229 Programs, 22nd season, 1971-1972
BoxFolder
330 Programs, 23rd season, 1972-1973
331 Programs, 24th season, 1973-1974
332 Programs, 25th season, 1974-1975
333 Programs, 26th season, 1975-1976
334 Programs, 27th season, 1976-1977
335 Programs, 28th season, 1977-1978
336 Programs, 29th season, 1978-1979
337 Programs, 30th season, 1979-1980
338 Programs, 31st season, 1980-1981
339 Programs, 32nd season, 1981-1982
BoxFolder
440 Programs, 34th season, 1983-1984
441 Programs, 35th season, 1984-1985
442 Programs, 36th season, 1985-1986
443 Programs, 37th season, 1986-1987
444 Programs, 47th season 1996-1997
445 Programs, 48th season, 1997-1998
446 Programs, 50th season, 1999-2000
447 Programs, 51st season, 2000-2001
448 Programs, 53rd season, 2002-2003
449 Programs, 54th season, 2003-2004
450 Programs, 55th season, 2004-2005
451 Programs, 56th season, 2005-2006
452 Programs, 58th season, 2007-2008
453 Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Conductors & Board Members 1947-2000, 2000
BoxFolder
554 News clippings, 1985
555 News clippings, 1986
556 News clippings, 1987
557 News clippings, 1988
558 News clippings 1989
559 News clippings, 1990
560 News clippings, 1991
BoxFolder
661 News clippings, 1992
662 News clippings, 1993
663 News clippings, 1994
664 News clippings, 1995
665 News clippings, 2007
Series 4: Scrapbooks, 1967-1981 (7 scrapbooks)
Scope & Content
Series 4 includes 7 scrapbooks (mostly compiled by Kathleen Gregg) containing photographs, news clippings, ephemera, and programs documenting the activities of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. Certain scrapbooks were made to document specific events, like the Symphony Ball.
Please note that many of these scrapbooks are extremely fragile and require delicate handling. Where possible, please refer to digital copies of the scrapbooks available through Digital Collections. Access to the original scrapbooks may be mediated or limited by SCA staff to ensure their long-term survival.
Box
2 (oversize) Scrapbook #1, 1967
2 (oversize) Scrapbook #2 - Programs of Northern Arizona Symphony 1963-1965 and Flagstaff Symphony 1965-1969
Compiled by Kathleen Gregg.
2 (oversize) Scrapbook #3 - Programs of Northern Arizona Symphony and Flagstaff Symphony 1950-1963
Compiled by Kathleen Gregg.
2 (oversize) Scrapbook #4 - 20th Season thru 28th, 1969-1978
2 (oversize) Scrapbook #5 - 29th Season, 1978
Box
1 (oversize) Scrapbook #6 - Symphony Ball, 1964-1973
Box
3 (oversize) Scrapbook #7 - 1978-79 to 1994
NAU.PH.90.19 Record Group 2: Photographs, 1952-1984 (101 black-and-white prints, 2 picture postcards, 6 35mm slides, 20 negatives, 2 sheets black-and-white transparencies)
Scope & Content
The Photographs record group contains portraits of various performers and conductors of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, as well as images of rehearsals, concert performances, youth concerts, the 15th anniversary celebration of the Northern Arizona Symphony, and other publicity-related materials. Some of these images were assembled by Dr. William (Bill) Lyon to illustrate his unpublished history of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, now found in Series 2 of the Manuscripts record group (NAU.MS.257.02). Other images were likely taken by Paul Sweitzer to accompany reviews and other articles about FSO that he wrote for the Arizona Daily Sun. Certain images are attributed to Peter L. Bloomer of Horizons West, Arizona State College, "Mary Lou", the Fronske Studio, and Ray Newton, among others.
Arrangement
Images in the Photographs record group have been arranged into files based on their subject matter.
Selected images from the Photographs record group (NAU.PH.90.19) have been digitized by SCA staff and are available through Digital Collections. Click here to view all digitized material from the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection.
During minor reprocessing in January 2020, photographic images found interfiled with textual materials in the Manuscripts record group were assigned photographic call numbers (beginning with NAU.PH.90.19) by Samantha Meier. These images remain in the Manuscript portion of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Collection. They are noted by call number in the files in which they appear in the Manuscripts record group, as well as in the file list for the Photographs record group.
Certain file titles were changed by Samantha Meier in January 2020 to better reflect their contents.
BoxFolder
11NAU.PH.90.19.1 Brown, trumpet
12NAU.PH.90.19.2 Cummings, Elaine
Image attributed to Peter L. Bloomer.
13NAU.PH.90.19.3 Curry, Lorraine
14NAU.PH.90.19.4-6 Curry, Pat
15NAU.PH.90.19.7 Goodman, Harold A.
16NAU.PH.90.19.8 Gregg, Kathleen, 1980
Image attributed to Paul Sweitzer.
17NAU.PH.90.19.9 Gould, Dr. James "Bud"
18NAU.PH.90.19.10-10a Johnson, Virginia
19NAU.PH.90.19.11 Kinney, Mel (Millard)
110NAU.PH.90.19.12-24, 45-46, 77 Kirshbaum, Thomas 1967-1981
111NAU.PH.90.19.25 Kliewer, Vernon
Image attributed to Fronske Studio.
112NAU.PH.90.19.26-27 Pennario, Leonard
113NAU.PH.90.19.28-29 Pertieoroli, Sergio
Postcards attributed to Alban, Cairo.
114NAU.PH.90.19.30-31 Shaw, Clarence, circa 1970
115NAU.PH.90.19.32 Smith, Denise
116NAU.PH.90.19.33 Smith, Marion
117NAU.PH.90.19.34 Sweitzer, Paul, 1984
118NAU.PH.90.19.35 Valdez, Patricia, 1981
120NAU.PH.90.19.37, 129 Weller, Harold "Hal", 1983 August, undated
121NAU.PH.90.19.38-40 Dancing / Madam Butterfly
122NAU.PH.90.19.111-112 Oblique aerial, Flagstaff cityscape
123NAU.PH.90.19.40-44a, 48,53-56, 61, 63, 78-80, 82-83 Multiple identified artists and full orchestra shots, 1952-1969, undated
124NAU.PH.90.19.113-114 Performers, including Otello 1970
125NAU.PH.90.19.85-104 Negatives of multiple artists
126NAU.PH.90.19.64-76, 128 Young performers and Youth Concerts
127NAU.PH.90.19.49-52, 81, 84-84a, 115-127 Unidentified artists, performances, and rehearsals, 1963, undated
128NAU.PH.90.19.105-110 Ray Newton slides
129NAU.PH.90.19.57-60 Northern Arizona Symphony 15th anniversary (Jack Swartz and Pat Curry), 1965
130NAU.PH.90.19.62 Valley National Bank gift, 1981
NAU.PH.90.19.130-NAU.PH.90.19.132Photographs from Letters and clippings file
These photographs are stored with corresponding material in Manuscript Series 1 (NAU.MS.257.01), Letters and clippings, 1980-1983 file, Box 1, Folder 1a.
NAU.PH.90.19.133-NAU.PH.90.19.134Photographs from Flagstaff Symphony reviews, 1971-1972 file
These photographs are stored with corresponding material in Manuscript Series 3 (NAU.MS.257.03), Flagstaff Symphony reviews, 1971-1972 file, Box 1, Folder 11.
NAU.PH.90.19.135Photograph from Flagstaff Symphony reviews, 1972 file
This photograph is stored with corresponding material in Manuscript Series 3 (NAU.MS.257.03), Flagstaff Symphony reviews, 1972 file, Box 2, Folder 12.