History
Music followed a unique path in its affiliation with Western, evolving into a Faculty in 1968. Today, it is one of the top schools of musical excellence in Canada.
The journey began in 1903 with the formation of the Conservatory of London. In 1919, the Institute of Musical Art opened to teach “the art and science of music, voice, culture, and expression.” The institute operated under the auspices of the University of Toronto and Toronto Conservatory.
Summer classes in music were offered by Western in 1934; in that same year, the Institute was incorporated as the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music.
The Sunday Nine O’Clock Series was launched the following year, generating interest in music education at the university.
In 1938, the principal of the four-year-old Western Ontario Conservatory of Music was appointed Director of Music for the University. When the McIntosh Gallery opened in 1942, the conservatory offices were moved into the building. During the 1943-44 academic year, 12 students were allowed to take a music course for academic credit.
The Music Teacher’s College was set up in 1945 and three levels of instruction were established: the Department of Music in University College; Music Teachers’ College at the collegiate level; ad secondary level instruction at the Western Conservatory.
Music continued at the McIntosh Gallery, but space became increasingly cramped. In 1957, when the Business School moved, the Music Teachers’ College relocated to “Goodholme,” later known as the Silverwood Building.
The name of the college was changed to College of Music in 1961 when it became part of the Faculty of Arts and Science.
On July 1, 1968, the College of Music became a separate faculty as a result of the reorganization of the Faculty of Arts and Science. This also marked the beginning of a period of great expansion that led to the construction of the Music Building on campus in 1971.
The name became the Don Wright Faculty of Music in October 2002 following a generous donation by alumnus, musician and philanthropist Dr. Donald J. Wright.
Renovations to Talbot Theatre were completed in August 2009 and the hall was renamed in honour of retiring university president Paul Davenport.
Today, with approximately 650 undergraduate and graduate students, Western’s Don Wright Faculty of Music is one of the largest in the country and is experiencing another phase of growth. The new Music Building construction and renovation project - which began in 2013 and involved a four phase process - was celebrated at the official Music Building Grand Opening during Homecoming Weekend on Saturday October 20, 2018
Legacy of Leadership
Harvey Robb
Principal 1950-1957
Clifford Poole
Principal 1957-1959
Clifford von Kuster
MusBac LRCT
Principal and Dean
College and Faculty of Music
1960-1973
Hugh John McLean
MA, Mus B, FRSC, FRCO, ARCM
Dean 1973-1980
Jack Behrens
BSc, MSc, PhD
Dean 1980-1986
Jeffrey L. Stokes
BMus, MA, PhD
Dean 1986-2000
Robert William Wood
MusBac, MusM, BEd, PhD
Acting Dean 1994, 2000-2001
Dean 2001-2011
Betty Anne Younker
BMus, MEd, PhD
Dean 2011-2021
Michael Kim
Dean 2021-
