A Century of Artistry
One hundred years ago, Interlochen began as an idea—a place where young artists from around the world could gather, discover their voices, and explore their creative potential. Over the decades, that vision has created a vibrant community, where students learn from accomplished educators and guest artists and where individual determination meets collective imagination.
This website invites you to experience Interlochen through three lenses: yesterday, today, and tomorrow—then, now, and next. Walk through our history to see the people and moments that shaped us, experience the energy and creativity that define us now, and glimpse the possibilities that lie ahead as we celebrate a century of artistry, collaboration, and innovation.
As you explore, we hope you will feel the continuity of our work: that a single idea can transform an artist, and that an artist can, in turn, change the world.
Just An Idea
Before blue corduroy and Sound the Call and the land of the stately pines, Joseph Maddy had an idea.
The Beginning
In 1926, the National High School Orchestra performed for the first time, inspiring Joe Maddy to create a summer music camp at Interlochen.
Interlochen Through the Years
Snapshots from Interlochen's First Century
1920 | A Fortuitous Meeting
Joseph E. Maddy meets Thaddus P. Giddings while studying choral conducting in Chautauqua, New York.
(pictured: Giddings and Maddy at Interlochen in 1928)
1923 | The Universal Teacher
Maddy & Giddings publish The Universal Teacher, a groundbreaking approach to instrumental music instruction.
1926 | The First NHSO
Maddy assembles the first National High School Orchestra—composed of 230 students from 25 states—to perform at the Music Supervisors National Conference in Detroit, Michigan.
(pictured: Maddy and Detroit Symphony Orchestra Music Director Ossip Gabrilowitsch and the first National High School Orchestra on stage at Orchestra Hall in Detroit)
1928 | Opening Day
The National High School Orchestra Camp opens on June 24 with 115 students and 22 faculty members, some of whom also serve as one of 18 counselors.
1930 | Live from Interlochen
National radio broadcasts from Camp begin, first on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) and later the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), highlighting student achievements and raising the Camp's national profile.
(pictured: Columbia broadcast announcer Roy Erlandson and Percy Grainger)
1931 | "The Interlochen Theme"
Composer Howard Hanson conducts his Symphony No. 2, "Romantic," at Camp, gifting "The Interlochen Theme" to the institution as its broadcast signature.
1931 | The March King
John Philip Sousa visits Interlochen for the second time and conducts “The Northern Pines,” a march written especially for Interlochen.
1932 | An Enduring Name
The Camp officially becomes known as National Music Camp, a name that would endure for nearly 60 years.
1939 | Artistic Growth
The Visual Arts and Theatre programs are established.
1940 | Taking Flight
Dance comes to Interlochen with the establishment of the Dance Department by Hildegarde Lewis.
1941 | Movie Magic
There's Magic in Music, a Paramount feature film starring Allan Jones and Susanna Foster, premieres. The film was based on and partly filmed at National Music Camp the previous year.
1943 | Welcoming Young Artists
Junior programs are added for students below the high school level.
(pictured: Junior camper registration in the Interlochen Bowl Hotel in 1944)
1946 | Making Space for Art
The Fine Arts Building is dedicated. The fieldstone building, designed by department head Maud Miller Hoffmaster, houses the growing Visual Arts Division.
(pictured: the Fine Arts Building awaiting its roof)
1948 | The Universal Language
Kresge Assembly Hall is completed, with the words “Dedicated to the Promotion of World Friendship Through the Universal Language of the Arts” inscribed over the stage.
(pictured: Kresge with its original flat roof)
1950 | A New Studio
The new Dance Arts Building on the shore of Green Lake is dedicated. It is later named for Hildegarde Lewis, who established the dance program at National Music Camp.
1952 | A Milestone
The Camp celebrates its 25th anniversary with the completion of the new Joseph Maddy Administration Building.
(pictured: Joseph Maddy and students greet a visitor in front of the Maddy Administration Building on the opening day of Camp)
1955 | Ready for Winter
Two winterized dormitories, Brahms and Beethoven, are built. They will serve as the first dormitories for Interlochen Arts Academy.
1958 | Support from the Stones
Gifts from the W. Clement and Jessie V. Stone Foundation pay for the construction of a new Interlochen Bowl Hotel, later renamed Stone Student Center.
(pictured: Maddy with Jesse V. and W. Clement Stone at the dedication of Stone Student Center)
1961 | A Young Superstar
Pianist Van Cliburn performs his first concert at Interlochen, beginning a long association with the institution.
1962 | The Academy
Interlochen Arts Academy opens in 1962 with 130 students and new facilities designed by prominent 20th-century architect Alden B. Dow.
1963 | IPR On the Air
Interlochen’s public radio station, WIAA-FM, begins operation, broadcasting classical music and syndicated news programs eight hours a day.
1964 | A Philadelphia Story
The Interlochen Arts Festival is established with a performance by The Philadelphia Orchestra, the first major American orchestra to perform at Interlochen.
1968 | That's LIFE
LIFE magazine publishes a 12-page feature on the Arts Academy.
1970 | Copland Conducts
Aaron Copland visits Camp to conduct the World Youth Symphony Orchestra and the High School Choir in a performance of his own works.
1972 | Jazz Comes to Camp
The Camp Jazz Program is inaugurated with a standing-room-only performance by Stan Kenton.
1975 | A Regional Arts Center
The Grand Traverse Performing Arts Center, featuring the 1,000-seat Corson Auditorium, is dedicated.
1975 | A New Chapter
The Creative Writing Division is established.
(pictured: Creative Writing instructor Jack Driscoll with Arts Academy students)
1977 | All for One
The National Music Camp and Interlochen Arts Academy are united as one institution: Interlochen Center for the Arts.
(pictured: Interlochen President Roger Jacobi sharing an update on Interlochen Center for the Arts)
1980 | "Collage"
Interlochen Arts Academy presents the first “Collage,” a fast-paced interdisciplinary sampler that later becomes an annual tradition at both Academy and Camp.
1981 | A Space for Reflection and Music
Dendrinos Chapel and Recital Hall opens, home to the 45-rank Aeolian Skinner Margaret Upton Memorial Organ.
1985 | "The Two Bears"
"The Two Bears" sculpture by Marshall Fredericks is donated by Alden B. Dow Associates and placed prominently in front of Corson Auditorium.
(pictured: "The Two Bears" in 2019)
1987 | A Prodigy Returns
Maestro Lorin Maazel returns after 48 years to conduct the World Youth Symphony Orchestra.
(pictured: Lorin Maazel, age 9, on the podium at National Music Camp)
1987 | A Birthday Celebration x 2
Interlochen celebrates the 60th anniversary of Camp and 25th anniversary of the Academy with a birthday cake. The youngest camper and the oldest employee share the honor of cutting the cake.
1991 | A Center for the Arts
The National Music Camp changes its name to Interlochen Arts Camp, mirroring the name of Interlochen Arts Academy.
1991 | An Evolution
Interlochen’s Board of Trustees approves a campus master plan developed by Sasaki Associates.
(pictured: a proposed campus map)
1996 | Cultural Olympiad
The Interlochen Arts Camp World Youth Symphony Orchestra performs at the Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. Works include the world premiere of "Umoja: Each One of Us Counts" by Alvin Singleton.
1998 | On with the Show
The 173-seat Harvey Theatre makes its debut.
2000 | In the News
Interlochen Public Radio launches a second station, featuring an all-news format.
(pictured: Interlochen Public Radio General Manager Thom Paulson)
2005 | Lights, Camera, Action!
The Motion Picture Arts Division (now Film & New Media) becomes the first new artistic discipline added since 1975.
2005 | Continuing Education
Adult education programs are consolidated and expanded under the new Interlochen College of Creative Arts (ICCA).
2006 | National Medal of Arts
Interlochen is recognized by President George W. Bush as one of nine National Medal of Arts recipients, awarded to individuals or groups for their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support, and availability of the arts in the United States.
(pictured: Interlochen President Jeffrey Kimpton with President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush)
2008 | Visual Arts
The Herbet H. and Barbara C. Dow Center for Visual Arts is completed.
2010 | A New Major
Interlochen Arts Academy adds its seventh major, Comparative Arts–now called Interdisciplinary Arts.
(pictured: the inaugural class of Comparative Arts students)
2012 | 50 Years of IAA
Interlochen Arts Academy celebrates its 50th anniversary with a multi-city tour and a special reunion on campus.
2012 | A New Sound
Interlochen adds the Singer-Songwriter program to both Camp and Academy, introducing expanded options for contemporary music.
2017 | A New Home for Music
Interlochen breaks ground on the Music Center, bringing the Music Division together under one roof for the first time.
(pictured: administrators, trustees, faculty, and staff at the groundbreaking ceremony)
2020 | A Virtual Success
Interlochen Arts Camp holds its 93rd season virtually, establishing Interlochen Online.
2021 | 30 Years in the Making
The opening of the Dance Center and the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow House marks the completion of Interlochen’s 30-year Sasaki Campus Master Plan, which includes 17 new or renovated facilities.
2023 | MUKTI
140 Interlochen Arts Academy students travel to New York City to present the world premiere of the original multidisciplinary work, MUKTI: A Moment of Liberation, at Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall.
2024 | Edmonia
Interlochen Arts Academy presents the world premiere production of composer Dr. Bill Banfield's groundbreaking hybrid opera, Edmonia, which tells the story of 19th-century Black and Ojibwe sculptor Edmonia Lewis.
2025 | A Summer Residency
Interlochen launches the Shirley Young Distinguished Artist Series, a summer residency and performance series that will run from 2025 to 2028 during Interlochen's centennial celebration. Renowned pianist Lang Lang serves as the inaugural guest.
2026 | Celebrating America at 250
The Imagine US tour officially inaugurates Interlochen’s centennial celebration.
Major Milestones
Celebrate with Us
Join us at one of our centennial celebration events on campus or in cities around the country!
Interlochen Centennial Events
Imagine US: Interlochen Center for the Arts Celebrate America at 250
Tuesday, March 10, 2026 - 7:30 p.m. ET
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center | Detroit, Michigan
Imagine US: Yo-Yo Ma and Interlochen Center for the Arts Celebrate America at 250
Friday, March 13, 2026 - 7:30 p.m. ET
Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Imagine US: Yo-Yo Ma and Interlochen Center for the Arts Celebrate America at 250
Sunday, March 15, 2026 - 3 p.m. ET
Symphony Hall | Boston, Massachusetts
Renée Fleming - Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene
Saturday, August 8, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
Kresge Auditorium
Friday, October 16 - Sunday, October 18, 2026
On Campus | Interlochen Center for the Arts
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Thursday, July 8, 2027 | 7:30 p.m.
Kresge Auditorium
Share Your Story
Share your memories and hear others reflect on theirs.
Get Your Gear
Shop our special centennial collection.
Send A Student
Learn more about Interlochen programs.
Give a Gift
Support the next century of young artists.
A Musical Gift
In 1931, Howard Hanson gave part of his Symphony no. 2 "Romantic" to Joe Maddy and the National Music Camp for its radio broadcasting signature.
Centennial Collection
Celebrate 100 years of Interlochen with special centennial merchandise.
Centennial News
Before blue corduroy and Sound the Call and the land of the stately pines, Joseph Maddy had an idea.
Yo-Yo Ma will headline the March 13 program, conducted by Cristian Măcelaru.
Trey reflects on Imagine US: Celebrating America at 250 and how this national tour marks the beginning of Interlochen’s Centennial Celebration—linking past, present, and future.
The orchestral program, which will take place at the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center in Detroit, marks a century of impactful collaboration by featuring Arts Academy students, DSO musicians, and cello soloist Tommy Mesa.
A component of Interlochen’s upcoming 2028 centennial celebration, the Shirley Young Distinguished Artist Series will bring several of the world’s leading artists to Interlochen to work with students and stage public performances.