From the desk of Trey Devey: Our greatest cultural entrepreneur
President Devey reflects on our founder’s legacy of innovation, initiative, and collaboration—and how we’re carrying his vision into our second century.
Interlochen founder Joseph Maddy (left) with Alexander Ruthven (center) and S.S. Kresge (right) at the dedication of the expanded Kresge Auditorium, 1964.
Dear friends,
Since its early history, the state of Michigan has been a national hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. Our state’s story is propelled by a “who’s who” of brilliant minds. From industrialist and Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford to chemical industrialist Herbert Dow to department store tycoon S.S. Kresge, Michigan entrepreneurs have pioneered dozens of advances that transformed American society.
Beyond science and commerce, Michigan has also left an indelible mark on America’s cultural landscape. Although its role is perhaps not as publicized as that of New York City or Los Angeles, Michigan has nonetheless contributed significantly to American artistry—due in no small part to one of our nation’s greatest cultural entrepreneurs.
Kansas native Dr. Joseph E. Maddy spent nearly four decades of his professional life building a groundbreaking arts organization right here in Michigan: Interlochen Center for the Arts. At a time when the arts were just beginning to be recognized as a vital part of the educational landscape, Maddy was a leading advocate for youth music training. The institutions he founded—Interlochen Arts Camp and Interlochen Arts Academy—were the first of their kind: places where the arts were not an afterthought, but a central component of youth development.
Maddy was not only Interlochen’s president, but also the personification of its unique spirit. He was more than just a leader: He was an innovator, a catalyst, a convener of creative minds, and a tireless champion for the organization he founded. He understood innately that an idea alone is not enough—to achieve your vision, you must support your ingenuity with initiative, action, and like-minded collaborators.
With the launch of our new Core Values in 2024, Maddy’s prescient March 1927 article “Just an Idea”—in which he first articulated his vision for a national music camp—returned to the forefront of Interlochen lore. But Maddy also released a second article, simply titled “National Orchestra Summer Camp,” in the next edition of The Music Supervisors Journal. Never one to rest on his laurels, Maddy had spent the two months between his articles working relentlessly to make his idea a reality. By the time the follow-up article was published in the May 1927 edition, Maddy had drafted an agreement for the land that is now our campus and found a financial supporter: Jessie Gregg Kelley, the wife of the highly regarded composer and conductor Edgar Stillman Kelley.
Throughout his tenure at Interlochen, Maddy continued to display that generative combination of ingenuity, initiative, persuasion, and foresight. He seldom waited until the moment was ‘right’ to pursue his next idea. Time and time again, Maddy took action in the present in anticipation of a future venture, from installing a radio booth during the construction of the Interlochen Bowl—a full two years before the Camp inked a national broadcast agreement with CBS—to literally digging holes for proposed Academy facilities.
Although Maddy’s proactivity often disgruntled some of the more financially savvy members of the institution’s board, he invariably found supporters for his latest project. His tireless advocacy for Interlochen won him the backing of some of the nation’s most extraordinary entrepreneurs and educators—including the aforementioned Herbert Dow and S.S. Kresge and former University of Michigan President Alexander G. Ruthven—and attracted the era’s greatest creative minds to the humble but quickly growing artists’ haven in rural Michigan. Perhaps Maddy’s greatest legacy was his ability to unite the very best people in the perfect place in support of a shared ideal—creating a distinctive community that is still thriving six decades after his passing in April 1966.
Today, Maddy’s legacy lives on at Interlochen in myriad ways: in the endurance of the programs he founded, in the realization of many of his unfulfilled dreams, and in the magnetic spirit of innovation, collaboration, and leadership that defines this institution.
Like Maddy, we continue to serve as a leader in the creative youth development movement, both through our own on-campus initiatives and through bold partnerships with youth arts organizations across the nation, including Arts Access Miami, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Civic Youth Ensembles, and the Harmony Project in New York City. Just as Maddy once used radio to teach musical instruments, Interlochen Online is tapping into the latest technology to bring world-class arts training to students around the globe. Meeting the full demonstrated need of all accepted students—one of the primary goals of Vision 2028—echoes Maddy’s hope that every young musician would be able to attend the National High School Orchestra Camp with scholarship support. Our latest campus master plan, designed to prepare Interlochen’s campus for our second century, mirrors Maddy’s impulse to plan today for tomorrow’s needs.
Camp and Academy students continue to enjoy the one-of-a-kind artistic experiences that can only be found at Interlochen—from performing side-by-side with the world’s most sought-after artists to touring across the United States and beyond. The Shirley Young Distinguished Artist Series, launched last summer with a performance by Lang Lang, will continue this summer with a residency by soprano Renée Fleming. Our recently completed Imagine US tour delivered life-changing moments for our students while sharing the mission and vision of Interlochen with audiences in three of our nation’s cultural capitals. The March 2026 tour also officially launched our Centennial Celebrations, a series of events that honors both the legacy established by Maddy and the future we are striving for—together.
Because like Maddy, we could not do any of this without the support of our friends, donors, and collaborators. As we continue our Centennial Celebrations over the next three years, I invite you to participate in whatever capacity you are able—whether you share your story through our oral history project, financially support our Vision 2028 priorities, or return to campus for one of the many incredible events we have planned. For more information about these events and how you can get involved, visit our Centennial Celebration webpage.
I hope you’ll join us as we celebrate the remarkable impact this special place has had on the young artists of the past and present—and prepare to serve even more creative youth in the future.
With gratitude,
Trey Devey
President, Interlochen Center for the Arts
