The Shedd Institute facts for kids
The Shedd Institute
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| Former names | First Baptist Church |
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| Address | 625 High St |
| Location | Eugene, Oregon |
| Owner | The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts |
| Type | Performing arts center |
| Capacity | Jaqua Concert Hall: 780 Sheffer Recital Hall: 175 Warren Court: 250 |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1915 |
| Renovated | 2016 |
The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts is a special place in Eugene, Oregon. It is a performing arts company, a cultural center, and a community music school. The institute has three stages for shows, many rooms for community groups, and great facilities for music lessons. Every year, The Shedd presents different cultural festivals, concert series, and educational programs. These often focus on American music, but they include many other styles too.
History
How It Started
The Shedd Institute began in 1991. It started as a performing arts company. Its first goal was to create a summer festival of orchestral "pops" music. This festival, called the Oregon Festival of American Music, celebrated American classical music. A famous American conductor named Marin Alsop was its first music director.
In 1993, The Shedd became a Resident Company of the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. This meant it was a main group performing there. Two years later, in 1995, The Shedd opened its own community music school. This allowed more people to learn music.
Growing Programs
By 1997, The Shedd stopped being just a summer festival. It started offering programs all year long. They added two new performance groups. One was The American Composers Series, which focused on classical music from the Western Hemisphere written after 1900. The other was The Emerald City Jazz Kings. This group, led by Stephen Stone, plays historic popular music. They perform music from the 1910s to the 1960s. This includes big band jazz, swing, and musical theater songs.
In 1998, a famous jazz pianist, Dick Hyman, joined The Shedd as a jazz advisor. By 2002, The Shedd had even more concert series. These included an expanded classical series, a folklife festival, and a series called Now Hear This. This last series featured many different types of music and performances.
In August 2000, The Shedd presented a special show. It was the first public performance of a ballet called "La colline du delta." This ballet was written in 1955 by American saxophonist and composer Sidney Bechet. Dick Hyman conducted the music, and The Eugene Ballet created the dances.
A New Home
In July 2002, The Shedd Institute moved to a new building. This building used to be the First Baptist Church in downtown Eugene. It is a very large complex with spaces for performances, meetings, and classrooms. The Shedd named this new home "The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts." It was named after John G. Shedd, a businessman and helper of good causes from the early 1900s.
In 2004, the Oregon Festival of American Music officially changed its name to match the building. Now, the organization is often called "The Shedd Institute." The building itself is simply known as "The Shedd."
Performance Series
The Shedd Institute has many different concert series. These are ongoing programs that offer various types of performances. Here are some of the main ones:
- Oregon Festival of American Music: This festival started in 1992 and celebrates American music.
- The Emerald City Jazz Kings: Founded in 1997, this group plays classic jazz and popular music.
- Shedd Classical: This series, started in 1997, focuses on classical music.
- Shedd Theatricals: Begun in 2002, this series features theater performances.
- The Magical Moombah: This series started in 2001 and offers unique and engaging shows.
- Now Hear This: Founded in 2002, this series presents a wide variety of cultural performances.
- Shedd Presents: This series, started in 2004, brings various special events to The Shedd.
See also
- List of concert halls
