Kappa Gamma Psi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kappa Gamma Psi (ΚΓΨ) was a performing arts fraternity in the United States from 1913 until 2008.^{[citation needed]} Its membership was originally restricted to males, but became coeducational in the 1970s due to the enactment of Title IX.

1 Founding
2 Chapters
3 Composition contest and commissioned works
4 Notable members
- 4.1 Notable honorary members
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Founding

Kappa Gamma Psi was founded on December 11, 1913 by twelve faculty members at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.

[edit] Chapters

The fraternity originally had chapters at 13 universities throughout the United States (the New England Conservatory, the University of Michigan, Ithaca College, the Boston Conservatory, the University of Utah, Pennsylvania State University, Boston University, the University of Alabama, Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tech University, the Chicago Musical College, the Cincinnati School of Music, and DePaul University). Iota Chapter, at Ithaca College in upstate New York (founded in 1929), the last active chapter, went inactive in 2008.^{[citation needed]} Although the fraternity is no longer active, members of several former chapters remain in contact and gather periodically.

[edit] Composition contest and commissioned works

Kappa Gamma Psi formerly sponsored a competition for new compositions.^[1] The widely performed band composition The Leaves Are Falling, by the American composer Warren Benson, was commissioned by Kappa Gamma Psi in 1963.^[2] Deux Preludes, a work for flute, clarinet, and bassoon by the Czech-born composer Karel Husa, was commissioned by the Iota chapter in 1966.^[3] Elie Siegmeister's Sextet for Brass and Percussion was commissioned in 1966.^[4] In 1974, the Iota chapter commissioned Alfred Reed's Double Wind Quintet.^[5]