[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 59 (Wednesday, April 5, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         THE BOSTON CONSERVATORY AT BERKLEE'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

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                        HON. MICHAEL E. CAPUANO

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 5, 2017

  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Boston 
Conservatory at Berklee on the occasion of its 150th Anniversary. The 
Boston Conservatory, founded by violinist and composer Julius Eichberg 
in 1867, has a long and rich history of educating undergraduate and 
graduate students in music, dance and theater. The school has always 
set itself apart by the strength of its instructors and its 
distinctive, multidisciplinary structure. Indeed, the Conservatory has 
trained generations of talented performing artists. Today, the school's 
highly sought-after instructors are distinguished artists and leading 
practitioners in their fields, holding positions with the Boston 
Symphony and Boston Pops orchestras, the Boston Lyric Opera, Boston 
Ballet and a host of other prominent local and national companies.
  Founder Julius Eichberg was a former Conservatoire of Geneva 
professor who immigrated to the United States from Germany, who founded 
the Boston Conservatory as a professional training academy and a 
community music school. It was one of the first conservatories to admit 
African-Americans and women, and featured in 1873 an opera performance 
by the first African-American opera company in the U.S., as well as the 
establishment of the first professional female string quartet in 1878. 
The Conservatory's commitment to equal opportunity continues through 
our times: the Conservatory earned the 2015 Commonwealth Award, 
Massachusetts' highest honor in arts, humanities and sciences in 
recognition of the school's music programs for students on the autism 
spectrum and with special needs.
  The Boston Conservatory is the oldest performing arts conservatory of 
its kind in the United States. Its recent merger with the world 
renowned Berklee College of Music, which fosters unparalleled access to 
a broad range of academic and creative opportunities for students in 
both schools, is a final example of the forward looking, progressive 
approach that the Conservatory has always taken.
  I thank the Boston Conservatory at Berklee's faculty, students, 
administration and alumni for their dedication, commitment and positive 
impact they have had on American performing arts. I also congratulate 
the school on 150 years of service and wish them well as they continue 
their fine traditions.

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