1906

Founding

The Conservatory was originally founded as the Kansas City Conservatory of Music by John Cowan in 1906.

1916

First Publicly Owned and Supported Conservatory in the Country

In 1916, Cowan turned over the original Conservatory to the City of Kansas City, Mo., making it the first publicly owned and supported music conservatory in the country.

1926

Merger with Horner Institute for Fine Arts

On July 1, 1926, the Conservatory merged with the Horner Institute for Fine Arts, founded in 1914 by Charles Horner (1878-1967).

1929

Third Largest Music Institute in the Nation

With nearly 4,000 students, the Conservatory became the third largest music institution in the country by 1929.

1930s

Early Ties to the University of Kansas City

In the early 1930s, the English department at the University of Kansas City (UKC), a private university and predecessor of UMKC, sponsored plays in association with community groups in off-campus venues.

1936

Breakthrough Publication

Conservatory director John Thompson, pianist, teacher, composer and author of the John Thompson’s Modern Course for The Piano series, published his most well-known pedagogical book, Teaching Little Fingers to Play, in 1936.

1959

Founding of the American Choral Directors Association

Archie Jones, Conservatory dean, was instrumental in the creation of the American Choral Directors Association, founded in 1959.

1960s

Guest Professional Artists Come to Work with Conservatory Students

In the early 1960s, theatre professor Dr. Patricia McIlrath began bringing in an impressive succession of guest professional artists, including international directors, to work with students on academic theatre productions.

1962

Vincent Scassellati Brings Talent to the Conservatory

Vincent Scassellati came to the university as a full-time costume designer in 1962, and his creations appeared in hundreds of academic and professional productions.

1963

UKC Becomes the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC)

UKC became the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) when it joined the University of Missouri system in 1963.

1970s

Music Therapy Pioneer Founds UMKC’s Program

Wanda Lathom-Radocy, professor emerita and founder of the UMKC music therapy program, played a leading role in developing higher education curricula for the emerging music therapy profession in the 1970s.

1972

Theatre Branches Out

Theatre became a separate department in 1972, with two rotating professorships that brought distinguished professional theatre artists to campus for one-semester appointments.

1975

International Choral Symposium Founded

Conductor Eph Ehly, professor emeritus, founded the International Choral Symposium in 1975.

1980s

Groundbreaking Dance Programs Come Online

The Conservatory’s classical dance program began offering a dual-emphasis program of ballet and modern dance in the 1980s, becoming one of the first institutions to provide this dual-emphasis preparation.

1981

New Master’s Degrees in Theatre are Introduced

The UMKC Department of Theatre was granted authority to offer the only Master of Fine Arts degrees in theatre in Missouri. The two new Master of Fine Arts degrees were in acting/directing and design/technology.

2001

A New Name for a New Era in Theatre

Sound designer Tom Mardikes rebranded the department as UMKC Theatre in 2001. He also initiated co-productions with the Coterie and Unicorn theatres.

2006

The Conservatory Turns 100

UMKC Conservatory celebrates its 100^th anniversary by adopting the name UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance.

2011

Performances at the Kauffman Center Become Regular Occurrences

Conservatory students began regularly performing at the world-renowned Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts after it opened in 2011.

2019

Acting Program Receives Its Flowers

The M.F.A. acting program was named one of the top 25 programs in the United States by The Hollywood Reporter in 2019.

2019

Theatre Officially Joins the Conservatory

In July 2019, UMKC Theatre joined the UMKC Conservatory.