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37-525: The current music director of the Princeton University Orchestra is Michael J. Pratt. Pratt has held this position since 1977, rendering PUO's 2024 season his 47th at the helm of the ensemble. The roots of music performance at Princeton can be traced back to 1791, when a group of student musicians filled the belfry of a candle-lit Nassau Hall and serenaded the guests of President Witherspoon's second wedding. Student groups calling themselves

74-656: A University trustee and member of the Committee on Commencement Arrangements, and his grandfather Reverend Dr. Archibald Alexander (the Presbyterian founder of the Princeton Theological Seminary and its first professor; honorary Princeton doctorate 1810). Alexander Hall was designed by architect William Appleton Potter . Construction on the building was completed in 1894, and Alexander Hall held its first annual Commencement ceremony on June 13 of that year. After

111-434: A balcony at the north end which could be reached from the second-story entry. Partially below ground level, though dimly lighted by windows, was the cellar, which served as kitchen, dining area (beneath the prayer hall), and storeroom. In all there were probably forty rooms for the students, not including those added later in the cellar when a moat was dug to allow additional light and air into that dungeon." On March 6, 1802,

148-558: A concert choir. In addition to performing large symphonic works from the established classical canon, the ensemble also gives frequent premieres of new works composed by faculty and even undergraduate students. Every season, there is one concerto concert that features musicians from the orchestra; concerto auditions are held in January. Thanks to generous donations from University Alumni, the Princeton University Orchestra tours internationally every other year; tour costs are funded entirely through

185-537: A fire devastated the interior of the hall, leaving only the exterior walls standing and destroying nearly all contents including 2,900 out of the library's 3,000 books. Benjamin H. Latrobe, the first architect professionally trained in the United States and known for his work in the Federal style , oversaw the reconstruction and refused his share of the $ 42,000 that had been raised for the effort. "The horizontal lintels over

222-679: A gun in the artillery company commanded by Alexander Hamilton , who had been rejected by Princeton when he first came to the colonies. The result of the battle was a decisive Patriot victory, and Nassau Hall was retaken by the Americans. The Congress of the Confederation convened in Nassau Hall for a little more than four months (from June 30, 1783, to November 4, 1783). The normal location in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania had to be vacated because of

259-418: A large auditorium into a professional-grade concert hall following generous support from David Richardson. Additionally, unprecedented interest in music performance among students, coupled with growth in the overall undergraduate class size and the development of Princeton's dedicated extracurricular hours (two hours every weekday during which classes are forbidden from meeting), allowed PUO to quickly expand into

296-463: A mutiny by Continental Army soldiers. Starting in 1869, each graduation class adds a new sprig of ivy to grow up the walls of the building. The first U.S. commemorative postage stamp printed on colored paper honored Nassau Hall on its bicentennial. It depicted a front view of Nassau Hall. It was denominated at the first class rate of 3 cents and was on orange paper. It was first issued at Princeton, New Jersey, on September 22, 1956. The song Old Nassau

333-490: A new melody for the song's lyrics. As described in 1760 in the New American Magazine , "The simple interior design is shown in the plan, where a central corridor provided communication with the students' chambers and recitation rooms, the entrances, and the common prayer hall; and on the second floor, with the library over the central north entrance. The prayer hall was two stories high, measured 32 by 40 feet, and had

370-694: A proper performing space. In 1984, the auditorium within Alexander Hall was officially renamed to Richardson Auditorium. Following its renovation in the 1980s, the hall now has an elevator-mounted orchestra pit, sound reflectors for improved acoustics, humidity-controlled instrument storage, and a Tiffany Glass mosaic named "Homeric Story". Today, the building's turrets, rusticated brownstone, and red granite-walls frequently host concerts featuring ensembles and musicians, including conductor Gustavo Dudamel in 2018 and 2019. Until 2017, when construction on Princeton University's new $ 330 million performing-arts center

407-841: Is a historic 900-seat Richardsonian Romanesque performance hall at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey . It is home to both the Princeton University Orchestra and the Princeton Symphony Orchestra . The name of the hall honors three generations of the Alexander family, who all served as University trustees. Funding for the building was sourced from Mrs. Harriet Crocker Alexander, who donated $ 350,000 ($ 11.9 million in 2023 dollars) so its name would honor her in-laws: her husband Charles B. Alexander (Class of 1870), his father Henry M. Alexander (Class of 1840),

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444-553: Is now one of two undergraduate full-orchestras at Princeton University. The other undergraduate full-orchestra is the Princeton University Sinfonia , which is led by the associate conductor of PUO, Ruth Ochs PhD, and features a less-demanding rehearsal and concert schedule. Auditions for both orchestras, which are held in early September before Department of Music faculty, are open to all University students, and all returning members are required to re-audition. A week after

481-740: Is the oldest building at Princeton University in Princeton , Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. In 1783 it served as the United States Capitol building for four months. At the time it was built in 1756, Nassau Hall was the largest building in colonial New Jersey and the largest academic building in the American colonies. The university, originally known as the College of New Jersey , held classes for one year in Elizabeth and nine years in Newark before

518-553: The university's president . Old Nassau refers affectionately to the building and serves as a metonym for the university as a whole. The U.S. Department of the Interior designated Nassau Hall a National Historic Landmark in 1960, "signifying its importance in the Revolutionary War and in the history of the United States." When the building was constructed in 1754, the college's board wanted to name it after Jonathan Belcher ,

555-527: The American Revolutionary War , Nassau Hall was possessed by both British and American forces and suffered considerable damage, especially during the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777. From June 30 to November 4, 1783, Princeton was the provisional capital of the United States, and Nassau Hall served as its seat of government . The Congress of the Confederation met in the building's library on

592-602: The "Instrumental Club" existed in the late 1800s, and precisely one century after the 1791 wedding ceremony, the name "Princeton University Orchestra" made its first-ever appearance in the 14 January 1891 publication of the New York Times . The official founding date of the ensemble recognized by Princeton's Department of Music is 13 February 1896, when professional musicians from New York orchestras performed several concerts in Alexander Hall . For its first 25 years of history,

629-492: The Marquand Chapel caught fire, Protestant chapel services were held in the hall. Although Alexander Hall initially functioned as a space for hosting private University affairs — including commencement, faculty meetings, and popular talks — the space was renovated and expanded into a professional-class performance hall in the 1980s following a large donation from David Richardson (Class of 1966) and growing needs on campus for

666-605: The Music Performance certificate receive complementary lessons and are eligible to spend a semester abroad studying at the Royal College of Music , which has been named one of the top music conservatories in the world. Following the creation of a strong music performance program, the conductor noted a significant upswing in Princeton University applicants with exceptional musical talent and interest, which in turn allowed

703-466: The Princeton University Orchestra receive discounted music lessons with department faculty in these rooms and are granted access to them for free. As stated by former University President Shirley Tilghman , who championed the planning and development of the new Lewis Arts Complex, the aim for the New Music Building is to establish Princeton University as an international hub for art and music alike —

740-539: The Princeton University Orchestra to grow into an even stronger ensemble, able to tackle any piece in the classical repertoire. In 2018, there were enough applicants to the incoming class alone to fill multiple large symphonic orchestras. Nowadays, the orchestra is recognized for its musical excellence, and its music director, Michael Pratt, has been named an honorary member of the Royal College of Music in London by Charles, Prince of Wales . The Princeton University Orchestra

777-585: The Princeton University Orchestra was relatively small and largely student-led; after the conclusion of the first World War, however, Richard L. Weaver was appointed as the symphony's first proper music director. In 1935, the music director roles for both the University Orchestra and the University Glee Club were officially established as full-time positions within Princeton's Department of Music. Over

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814-402: The audition, students receive notice whether they have been tapped for one of the department orchestras. Until 2017, the Princeton University Orchestra held rehearsals thrice per week in its home, Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall . In the fall of that year, following the grand opening of Princeton University's $ 330 million performing-arts center , the orchestra's rehearsals were moved to

851-399: The building during the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777. Three cannonballs were fired at the building, but only two made contact. One bounced off the south side of the building; the damage can still be seen today. Another cannonball reportedly flew through a window in the faculty room and "decapitated" a portrait of George II of Great Britain . The cannonball was said to have come from

888-629: The culmination of his residency, Dudamel will conduct the Princeton University Orchestra and the Princeton University Glee Club twice in-concert, the first of which will be held in Richardson Auditorium, and the second of which will be held at the Trenton War Memorial . This will be Dudamel's first concert engagement with any university orchestra. Nassau Hall Nassau Hall , colloquially known as Old Nassau ,

925-784: The ensemble's shared endowment with the Glee Club. The Princeton University Orchestra's first international tour was to the United Kingdom in 1994. Since then, PUO has performed in Germany , Austria , the Netherlands , Czechia , Slovakia , Hungary , Spain , Portugal , and Ireland , among others. In late January 2019, the orchestra will return to Spain for concerts in Barcelona, Zaragoza, and Madrid. In celebration of Princeton University Concerts' 125th anniversary, conducting sensation Gustavo Dudamel

962-410: The fifties and sixties, the ensemble shrank down to as few as thirty students amid "music-is-better-seen-than-heard" mentalities in music academia, as well as insufficient rehearsal and performance spaces on campus. Following Pratt's appointment to the orchestra's podium, this downward trend quickly reversed itself into an upwards explosion. In 1984, the orchestra's home, Alexander Hall, was renovated from

999-493: The hall was completed in 1756. Designed originally by Robert Smith , the building was subsequently remodeled by notable American architects Benjamin Latrobe , after the 1802 fire, and John Notman , after the 1855 fire. In the early years of Princeton University, Nassau Hall accommodated classrooms, a library, a chapel, and residential space for students and faculty. It housed the university's first Department of Psychology . During

1036-420: The hope is that Princeton is one day as well known to the world for its music and performing-arts as it is for its rigorous academics and research. The late-Romantics form the foundation of the Princeton University Orchestra's repertoire. The ensemble performs a work by Gustav Mahler roughly three out of every four years, and frequently collaborates with the Princeton University Glee Club on works that require

1073-486: The large symphonic orchestra of over 100 students that it remains today. In response to students in the orchestra expressing a desire to continue as musicians after their studies at Princeton, Michael Pratt established the Music Department's Certificate Program in Music Performance in 1990, and he was a major architect in the general integration of performance into Princeton's wider curriculum. Undergraduate musicians in

1110-568: The new 3,500 square-foot Lee Rehearsal Room, which was designed for the orchestra specifically and features both adaptive acoustics and equipment for high-fidelity audio recordings. During concert weeks, the orchestra returns to its home in Richardson Auditorium for dress rehearsals. In addition to housing a state-of-the-art rehearsal space, the New Music Building within the Lewis Arts Complex also features practice rooms and rehearsal studios suspended by wires for sound-isolation. All musicians in

1147-527: The royal governor of New Jersey, but he declined, preferring it to be dedicated "to the immortal memory of the glorious King William III ," who hailed from the Dutch House of Orange-Nassau . As a result, the building is known as Nassau Hall. The New Jersey Legislature met for the first time in Nassau Hall on August 27, 1776. British forces occupied Nassau Hall in 1776, and the Continental Army attacked

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1184-489: The second floor. According to Princeton University, "Here Congress congratulated George Washington on his successful termination of the war, received the news of the signing of the definitive treaty of peace with Great Britain, and welcomed the first foreign minister—from the Netherlands —accredited to the United States." At present, Nassau Hall houses Princeton University's administrative offices, including that of

1221-400: The subsequent forty years, PUO grew to as many as sixty students, and music directors of the ensemble included Harold Berkeley, Mortiz von Bomhard, Russell Ames Cook, Nicholas Harsanyi, Robert S. Freeman, Peter T. Westergaard, Mordechai Sheinkman, and Bruce Ferden. The modern history of PUO begins with the appointment of the orchestra's present music director, Michael J. Pratt, in 1977. Through

1258-659: The three entrances at the front of the building were replaced with triangular pediments, and the circular window in the central pediment rising from the eves (sic) was replaced with a fanlight." The hall was gutted by fire once again in March 1855. Reconstruction was carried out by John Notman of Philadelphia in his characteristic Italian Renaissance style , adding an often-criticized cupola and towers along with engineering improvements. Many of his architectural flourishes were removed in later renovations. Alexander Hall (Princeton University) Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall

1295-434: Was adopted as Princeton University's alma mater (school song) in 1859. The lyrics were written by Harlan Page Peck, a member of Princeton's class of 1862, and first published in the March 1859 issue of Nassau Literary Magazine . The music, originally to be set to the tune of Auld Lang Syne , proved unworkable, and Karl A. Langlotz , a professor of music at Princeton who had studied composition under Franz Liszt , wrote

1332-600: Was chosen as the Princeton University artist-in-residence for 2018 – 2019. Throughout the academic year, Dudamel will visit the campus for cross-disciplinary discussions, academic panels, and cultural celebrations. He has curated three chamber concerts in Alexander Hall that feature musicians from the Los Angeles Philharmonic , the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra , and the Berlin Philharmonic . As

1369-470: Was completed, the Princeton University Orchestra rehearsed in the hall thrice per week during the academic year. Following the opening of the Lewis Center Arts, the orchestra now holds its rehearsals in the 3,500 square-foot Lee Rehearsal Room (built for the ensemble) and moves to Richardson Auditorium on the week of the concert. Beyond music, the hall maintains a strong bond with the local community as

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