The Friday Morning Music Club originated in Washington, D.C. in the mid-1880s as an informal club for the study of music. Members of the club were required to audition to become a part of the club, and had to take part in musical performances. Early activities included reading from musical periodicals, the creation of a musical library, the creation of a lecture series, and the hosting of other musical groups for their DC performances.
Over the years, the club grew in size, and requirements for membership became more rigorous. In 1894, the club was incorporated in the District of Columbia, and the headquarters moved from the various members’ homes to the music room of the Washington Club, located at 1710 I Street. As the club has grown over the years, it has been located in various places, including the Assembly room of the Cosmos Club, the Raleigh Hotel, and the Charles Sumner School. Today, its archives are located at the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., 801 K St., N.W., Washington, D.C., and its primary location for meetings and programs is First Congregational United Church of Christ in Washington, D.C.
The period from 1943-1949 was extremely active, and included the formation of groups of different categories, including pianists, singers, organists, composers and others who met on a regular basis to study and to listen to their own performances. Additionally, during this period, Miss Gretchen Hood, the opera singer, bequeathed money in her will to assist promising young musicians in their concert careers. This was the beginning of The Friday Morning Music Club Foundation, which was incorporated March 22, 1948, to help aspiring musical students.
In 1970, Foundation Director Willa Mae Koehn moved to change the name of the National Auditions to the Washington International Competition (WIC), and the first competition under this name was held for singers on April 23 and 24, 1971. Over the years, notable winners have included: Jessye Norman, Gwendolyn Bradley, Jane Coop, (who is also a judge of the competition), Sofya Gulyak, and Jie Chen.
The Foundation continues to hold annual competitions alternating among pianists, singers, string players and composers, and grants awards. It draws its applicants from all over the world. The most recent Washington International Competition, for piano, was held in May 2024 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The competition for strings and composition will be held in 2025, and voice in 2026. The Foundation also holds the Johansen International Competition for Young String Players (JIC) every three years; contestants are ages 13-17. The next JIC will be held in 2025.
References
- Koehn, Willa Mae (1968) . "The Friday Morning Music Club of Washington". Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C. 66/68. Historical Society of Washington, D.C.: 191–204. JSTOR 40067255.
- "The Friday Morning Music Club Incorporated and The Friday Morning Music Club Foundation, Incorporated of Washington, DC Certificates of Incorporation and Bylaws – 1974." DC Archives
- "Sopranos Win Laurels" The Washington Post and Times-Herald (1959-1973); Apr 26, 1971; B3.
- Bryan N.S. Gooch; Florence Hayes; Nancy McGregor; Betty Nygaard King. "Coop, Jane". Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. Archived from the original on September 10, 2004. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
- "Jie Chen, piano recital (July 25, 2007)". Chicago Classical Music. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
- "Washington International Competition Overview". Friday Morning Music Club Foundation Competitions. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
- "2024 Washington International Competition for Piano". Friday Morning Music Club Competitions. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
- "FMMC Foundation International Music Competitions". Friday Morning Music Club Foundation Competitions. Retrieved 2022-09-07.
- "Johansen International Competition Overview". Friday Morning Music Club Foundation Competitions.