In 1885 a dozen women pianists gathered to establish a music club in
Detroit. They sought to improve their performance skills and promote good
music in a city that, as yet, had no symphony orchestra or concert management.
At first limited to pianists, Tuesday Musicale soon admitted other
instrumentalists and singers.
Later it added a Student League Program to meet the needs of high-
performing teenage musicians. Along with the Performing Members,
Associate (non-performing) Members help to make up the enthusiastic
audiences at the regular Tuesday concerts each season and also serve as
members and officers of the club’s governing body. Each year there is one
Artist Concert featuring an instrumentalist or singer of national or international
prominence and a Young Artist-of-the-Year concert featuring an up-and-
coming young musician.
Tuesday Musicale began introducing artist concerts to Detroit audiences
in 1888. An impressive list of artists was presented over the years, including
Jan Paderewski, Claudio Arrau, Fritz Kreisler, Myra Hess, Ernestine
Schumann-Heink, Blanche Thebom, Ruth Laredo, Marcella Sembrich, Peter
Serkin and, more recently, James Tocco and opera star Irina Mishura. In 1914,
the re-establishment of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, which had ceased to
exist in 1910, was spearheaded by the President of our organization.
Tuesday Musicale supports the musical community by making contributions to
the Michigan Opera Theatre, Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra, which is the
DSO youth orchestra. We give two scholarships annually to University of
Michigan students, as well as several annual awards to members of the Student
League. Members serve music in the metropolitan Detroit area as teachers, and
as vocal and instrumental performers in professional and community
orchestras, chamber groups and churches. Members also volunteer to perform
in hospitals and nursing homes.
Tuesday Musicale is now 140 years old. Many changes have marked its
growth, including the addition of men to its ranks. Tuesday Musicale will
remain dedicated to promoting great music in the Metropolitan Detroit Area.
For further information, visit our website: TuesdayMusicaleOfDetroit.org
