History

Past Performances

In 1968, Dr. Alvin E. Edgar, head of the Iowa State University Music Department, was responsible for bringing musical events to the University and the Ames community. In anticipation of the September 1969 opening of C.Y. Stephens Auditorium, the first building of the Iowa State Center complex, Edgar approached Columbia Artists Management (CAMI) in New York for ideas.

Edgar’s first choice was the New York Metropolitan Opera, however when R. Douglas Sheldon, then a young CAMI vice-president, told him that the New York Philharmonic would be finishing their 1969 U.S. tour in Los Angeles in early September, Edgar immediately asked if it would be possible to engage this internationally admired orchestra for the Stephens Auditorium’s grand opening. After months of planning and discussion, it became a reality. On September 13, 1969, the New York Philharmonic presented the first of five performances in a “Festival of Concerts” in Ames, Iowa at Stephens Auditorium. The Los Angeles Times called the 1969 concerts the “cultural coup of the year.”

Residents joined together to offer the visiting orchestra hospitality, including daily deliveries of the New York Times to their motel rooms. The warm welcome and community support of the orchestra planted the seed that grew into the Festival Association and the Festival Guild, later called the Ames International Orchestra Festival Association (AIOFA).

This group of visionary Ames music lovers was convinced that an annual festival of orchestra concerts should continue. In 1971, the AIOFA Board of Directors was established to assist in selecting orchestras for the future festivals, organizing accompanying hospitality and to facilitate a membership campaign to provide financial backing for the Association.

By 1974, AIOFA had 1,137 members in Iowa and other Midwestern states. AIOFA’s legacy proceeded to grow with the establishment of scholarships for ISU music students, orchestra workshops and master classes. By 1976, AIOFA was firmly established as one of the most outstanding regional festival associations of its kind in the country.

In AIOFA’s first decade, most major world orchestras performed in Ames. The first time a local chorus, of ISU students and area singers, performed with a visiting orchestra was in 1972 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The Boston Symphony’s five performances were attended by a total of 25,000 people.

Hospitality was a driving force of AIOFA. Some of the early programs consisted of a local concierge service specifically for the orchestra, including shopping trips; the use of bicycles and sporting equipment; invitations for lunches and dinners at the homes of Ames residents; ISU campus and farm tours; school visits, and tours to other area communities such as Pella or the Amana Colonies. The orchestra members loved the personal touch that AIOFA provided.
AIOFA was also very active in social fundraising events, including “Festival Dinners” held at member’s homes and events such as “Petals, Patios and Pools,” “Casino Nights,” and wine and food samplings held onstage at Stephens.

A very successful docent program began in 1989. To enhance the future of orchestral music, members of AIOFA presented educational programs in area schools in conjunction with a student daytime orchestra performance. By 1990, these activities prompted the AIOFA Board to hire an executive director to oversee its daily operations. Robert Maxham held the position until April 1997.

In the mid 1990s, AIOFA faced a number of challenges due to rapidly increasing costs associated with presenting world-class orchestras, and declining attendance. Even with ticket sales and generous contributions of time and money from AIOFA members, it was hard to balance the budget. It became increasingly apparent that AIOFA needed to initiate discussions regarding the organization’s future.

In February 1997, the board considered voluntarily dissolving AIOFA. The membership present at that meeting opposed the dissolution. The board spent subsequent months discussing how AIOFA might continue successfully with Iowa State University. In August 1997, the board approved a new direction for AIOFA – as a partner with the Iowa State Center and the Season at Stephens.

As a volunteer support organization, AIOFA and the board of directors concentrates its efforts on enhancing and supporting orchestral and educational programming planned through the Iowa State Center. AIOFA’s partnership with the Iowa State Center ensures that orchestras from around the world will continue to play concerts in Ames. This, coupled with a community that values orchestral performances, is brightening AIOFA’s future.