The Friends of Music at Princeton was founded in 1941 by Professor Roy Dickinson Welch, founder and first Chair of the Department of Music at Princeton University, in order to promote musical performances on the campus. While The Friends is still closely related to the Department of Music, the organization has grown to serve the larger community. The University provides a home for Friends concerts in the splendid Frank E. Taplin ’37 Auditorium in Fine Hall; the organization is guided by an advisory committee drawn from the membership; administrative functions are provided by the Princeton University Concert Office.
The Friends has traditionally played a vital role during the critical early years of the careers of performers and composers. Such musicians as Charles Rosen, Robert Taub, Martha Elliott, and Ann Monoiyos (to mention only a few) all blossomed in their early days at Princeton with the support of The Friends. Young composers including Andrew Imbrie, John Harbison, Donald Martino, Paul Lansky, and David Rakowski heard the first performances of their works as the direct result of Friends support.
As a donor-supported organization, The Friends exists for the primary purpose of sponsoring a wide variety of high quality concerts for the benefit of the entire community, offering audiences a broad spectrum of music which otherwise could not be heard.
Programs embrace a wide range of instrumental and vocal repertory, from music written in the Middle Ages to music written literally last week. Friends concerts include solo recitals, chamber music, music for electronic media, Western and non-Western music, music that is well known and music that is otherwise neglected.
Performers include the most talented student musicians at Princeton, their teachers in the Certificate Program in Musical Performance, as well as visiting professionals. Each year, some fifty concerts are open to the general public without admission charge.
Members of The Friends of Music at Princeton have the pleasure of knowing that their generosity makes possible a significant number of concerts, lectures, master classes, and other events related to the art of music which otherwose could not take place.
Community audiences, numbering thousands annually, enjoy richly varied musical performances in splendid surroundings, there is never an admission charge.
Members receive the Friends of Music Journal, containing in-depth and up-to-the-minute information about concerts and other activities at Taplin and Richardson Auditoriums.
Members receive notice of special events: lectures, master classes, and occasional open rehearsals. From time to time, Members are also invited to special concerts and occasional receptions to meet the artists and their fellow members.