mo-06.5 Metropolitan Opera of the Upper Midwest Records, 1963-86 Finding aid created by Leslie Czechowski University of Minnesota Libraries 11 Apr 2003
University of Minnesota Libraries Minneapolis, MN 55455
EAD encoding by Leslie Czechowski, 11 Apr 2003 English Metropolitan Opera of the Upper Midwest Staff Metropolitan Opera of the Upper Midwest Records 1963-86 University of Minnesota Libraries. Performing Arts Archives, Manuscripts Division [paa] 6 boxes (2.3 linear feet) Contains records of the annual appearance of the Metropolitan Opera in Minneapolis at Northrop Auditorium, the University of Minnesota. Members of the Minnesota Orchestra served as staff for the Opera. The collection contains office records that document the artistic planning, publicity, operations, and box office activities. PA 12, Series 6.5 English Zone B, R6, D4, S15 Restrictions on Access

Materials are open to research without restriction except for portions designated as restricted, confidential, or sealed. For the latter material, prior permission in writing from the President of the Minnesota Orchestral Association is required.

Permission to examine this collection will be granted to any qualified researcher upon completion of an application form. The original documents do not circulate and may only be used in the Reading Room of the Manuscripts Division.

 Restrictions on Use

Photoreproduction and audio reproduction of any materials in which the Minnesota Orchestral Association holds copyright, shall be performed only with the written permission of the MOA except for photoreproduction of any published materials of the Association in the public domain.

 Preferred Citation

Metropolitan Opera of the Upper Midwest Records (PA 12, Series 6.5), Minnesota Orchestra Archives, Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis.

 Acquisition

Transferred to the archives in 1975.

 Accruals

Additional materials were transferred to the archives in September, 1992.

Processing Information

The collection was processed and the finding aid written by Leslie Czechowski in September 2001 and revised in September 2002.

 Organization of the Collection

The collection is organized chronologically. Box 6 contains Met programs from 1948-86

1963-76 (Box 1) 1976-78 (Box 2) 1979-80 (Box 3) 1981-83 (Box 4) 1984-86 (Box 5) Historical Note

The tours of Metropolitan Opera productions started in 1945. The operas were performed in Northrop Auditorium on the University of Minnesota campus. Staff of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra/ Minnesota Orchestra served as administrative staff for the Opera season (notably Richard Cisek and Mary Ann Feldman) along with University of Minnesota staff, James S. Lombard and Ross Smith.

Scope and Content Note

These files may have been combined at some point from the offices of Richard Cisek, Charles Fullmer, and the President’s Office. Also included are files from Mary Ann Feldman and Lynn Palrud. They include correspondence, planning memos, meeting minutes, and publicity materials for the Met’s annual spring performances and the social events surrounding the week. The 1964 folder contains a Summary of Attendance and Receipts from 1945-64. The materials also contain information about the Guarantors for the Opera, those individuals and corporations who provided financial support and signed to pledges to guaranty additional financial support, should it be necessary.

 Related Material

See also scrapbooks in Series 9.1 for clippings about the Metropolitan Opera appearances and Series 11.5 for photographs of performers and productions.

The Manuscripts Division also has a collection of photographs and programs in PA 40.

Papers of the Metropolitan Opera of the Upper Midwest, 1945-86, are located in the University of Minnesota Archives (collection #1075).

 Index Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Metropolitan Opera ( New York, N.Y.) Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra Minnesota Orchestra University of Minnesota Opera--Minnesota Cisek, Richard Fullmer, Charles Feldman, Mary Ann Lombard, James S. Smith, Ross