Records of the Washington Square Music Festival
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Abstract
The Records of the Washington Square Music Festival are comprised of the administrative files of the Washington Square Music Festival, a nonprofit group supporting public concerts in Washington Square Park, which operated under the auspices of the Washington Square Association. The files include information about the organization's finances and development, as well as the musicians and concerts it hosted, scrapbooks, photographic materials (photographs, negatives, and contact sheets), and audio-visual materials (audiocassettes, VHS cassettes, CDs, and DVDs) mostly of performances during the festival.
History of the Washington Square Music Festival
The Washington Square Music Festival was founded in 1953 by violinist Alexander Schneider and the Washington Square Association. The Washington Square Music Festival is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which operates specifically to provide free public concerts in Washington Square Park. It is sponsored by the Washington Square Association, a civic group formed in 1906, and is funded in part by the affiliated nonprofit Washington Square Association Music Fund. Since the 1970s, the Festival and its fundraising activities have been largely overseen by Executive Director Margaret "Peggy" Friedman and Chairperson Margaret T. "Peggy" Campbell. Friedman remains Executive Director today.
Past performances have included works by diverse composers, including Leonard Bernstein and Richard Wagner, as well as works for the band and chamber ensemble. Planned programming for 2012 will also include a West African concert. The Festival has hosted a number of conductors, ensembles, and soloists, including longtime oboist and conductor Henry Schuman.
The Washington Square Music Festival continues to hold events each summer.
Sources:
"A History of the Washington Square Music Festival," circa 1980; Records of the Washington Square Music Festival; MC 158; Box 2; Folder 44; New York University Archives.
"Initiatives: Music and Concerts: Washington Square Music Festival," Washington Square Association, Accessed April 11, 2012, http://www.washingtonsquarenyc.org/washington_square_music_festival.htm.
Letter from Gilbert DiLucia to residents of Greenwich Village, May 11, 1984; Records of the Washington Square Music Festival; MC 158; Box 2; Folder 20; New York University Archives.
"Washington Square Music Festival's 54th Season," Washington Square Music Festival, Accessed April 11, 2012, http://www.washingtonsquaremusicfestival.org/pages/program.html?ID=3222.
Arrangement Note
Series I of this collection is arranged alphabetically by folder title in one series. All original folder titles have been retained; additions appear in brackets where clarification is necessary.
The 2022 accretion has not been arranged by an archivist. The materials are arranged in the order in which they were received from the donor.
Scope and Content Note
This collection is comprised of the administrative records of the Washington Square Music Festival. It includes files on grant applications, development campaigns, and budget reports, as well as the correspondence of the organization's chairman, coordinator, and executive director. Additionally, there is some correspondence from the early period of the Music Festival between members of the public and members of the Washington Square Association, especially H. Stanley Hillyer (chairman of the Concert Committee) and Association secretary Elsa Gray Steinert.
The collection also documents the planning of Festival concerts held in Washington Square Park and other Greenwich Village locations, including press releases and clippings, correspondence with musicians and conductors, drafts of programs, musical and equipment selections, and promotional material.
The 2022 accretion to the Records of the Washington Square Music Festival (1953-2019) include some administrative records, correspondence, performance programs, citations and proclamations from the City of New York, scrapbooks, photographic materials (photographs, negatives, and contact sheets), and audio-visual materials (audiocassettes, VHS cassettes, CDs, and DVDs) mostly of performances during the festival.
Subjects
Access Restrictions
Access to some materials may be restricted. Contact the New York University Archives for further information.
Use Restrictions
Some materials may be restricted. Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the:
New York University Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 998-2641
Fax: (212) 995-4225
E-mail: university-archives@nyu.edu
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Records of the Washington Square Music Festival; MC 158; box number; folder number or item identifier; New York University Archives, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Original donation received June 2001; the accession number associated with this donation is 01.005. 2022 accretion donated by Peggy Friedman, Executive Director, Washington Square Music Festival, November 2022. The accession number associated with the accretion is 2022.091.
Born-Digital Access Policies and Procedures
Born-digital materials have not been transferred and may not be available to researchers. Researchers may request access copies. To request that material be transferred, or if you are unsure if material has been transferred, please contact New York University Archives, special.collections@nyu.edu, 212-998-259] with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.
Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures
Audiovisual materials have not been preserved and may not be available to researchers. Materials not yet digitized will need to have access copies made before they can be used. To request an access copy, or if you are unsure if an item has been digitized, please contact New York University Archives, special.collections@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596, with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.
About this Guide
Processing Information
At the time of accessioning, materials from accession 2022.091 were placed in acid-free boxes. A portion of the collection's content were foldered, while audio-visual and born-digital materials were housed in appropriately sized acid-free containers.
Born-digital materials have been identified, inventoried, and physically removed from their original boxes but have not yet been imaged or analyzed. New York University Libraries follows professional standards and best practices when imaging, ingesting, and processing born-digital material in order to maintain the integrity of the content.