History of All-City Music Festival - Omaha Public Schools

The earliest All-City Music Festival can be traced back to the spring of 1937. It was a two-night performance and was given in the old city auditorium at 15th and Howard streets. The program featured 1,000 elementary voices and 550 high school choral students. The second night featured players from the emerging instrumental program and an unusual feature: a class piano demonstration on twenty-eight pianos (with 238 piano students). The second attempt at the All-City Festival, in 1939, featured only elementary band and orchestra. It was during this period that instrumental music instruction was taking its shape in the public schools. In the very early years the district assessed a ten-cent charge for instrumental music instruction and students provided their own instruments. Today, instrumental music instruction and performance opportunities are available from grade four through twelve.

The Ninth Grade Junior High School Chorus was added to the All-City program in 1965. Prior to that year, only the high school band, orchestra, and choruses had performed. It is fair to say that as the programs grew in strength and numbers, the desire to perform and demonstrate the performance level became important.

The Junior High Orchestra was added to the All-City program in 1967. Directed by Mr. John Adams, who later became supervisor of instrumental music, the 87 member orchestra was selected by their teachers and represented the very best from the 13 junior high schools of that period, including Technical Junior High, Indian Hill, and Bancroft. The following year the Junior High Band was added to the program.

The sixth grade Chorus made its debut with the All-City Music Festival in 1975. On that occasion the North Central/Southwestern Division of Music Educators National Conference was held in Omaha, and the festival was the highlight of the convention. Almost 1,000 sixth graders performed.

The OPS All-City Music Festival is reputed to be the oldest continual running festival of its kind in the country. In 1949, the Board of Education's intent was to provide All State-like experiences for all Omaha students and teachers and the festival followed the model of the All State Conference Clinic. This still holds today. The high school orchestra, band , and chorus members work with nationally known directors from Thursday through Saturday morning. Bringing the experience to all students and teachers was the goal; it continues to be realized. Participating in this production has inspired thousands of students and teachers.