MILFORD, Del. -- The Music School of Delaware is celebrating 100 years of excellence in music education.
The school first opened in Wilmington in 1924 as the Wilmington Music School. Meanwhile, the Delaware Music School opened in Milford in the 1980s. In 2007, the two organizations merged to become The Music School of Delaware, operating out of both locations.
Gus Mercante is a voice instructor and manager of the school's 100-year anniversary event series, MSOD@100. He says the school's success and longevity are evident in its faculty members, some of whom have worked there for 50 years.
"When you think that one person has been dedicated to an organization like this for so long, you add it up," says Mercante. "It's no surprise the school has lasted for 100 years."
The Music School of Delaware is the only nationally accredited program of its kind in Delaware and the only statewide accredited community music school in the nation.
"What really stands the test of time is our dedication to music, to the excellence of music, and to the accessibility of music to the community," says Director of Community Operations Mary Jane Vanvestraut. "Community is really, really important to us. It's not only community within the employees and within the staff and faculty, but the community within the students as well as the student body.We also really like to take our education, our outreach, into our surrounding community."
Today, The Music School of Delaware offers both private and group lessons, a variety of classes, ensembles, choir, and more.
The school's MSOD@100 event series includes more than 10 performances across the state involving faculty and students.
There are two upcoming events in Milford. One is a collaboration between the school's Mendelssohn’s Octet, Nagoya String Quartet, and Copeland String Quartet on February 10 at 7:30 p.m. at Avenue United Methodist Church. The other is Jane the Quene: A Dramatic Song Cycle about England’s Nine Days Queen on March 8 at 4 p.m. at Avenue United Methodist Church.
Full series information can be found here.