Symposium on Historic American Music
Save the Date: Oct. 21–23, 2027
Symposium on Historic American Music: Diverse Sounds for a Young Nation
The symposium includes performances and workshops by leading professional musicians and lectures and presentations by renowned scholars.
Diverse Sounds for a Young Nation celebrates and explores American music from 1860 to 1920, featuring spirituals, brass bands, popular songs, ragtime, banjo and string bands, “jass” and more, spanning vernacular and classical traditions.
The 60 years between 1860 and 1920 saw an extraordinary explosion of new musical styles in America. Theaters brought us the distinctive sounds of minstrelsy, melodrama, vaudeville, operetta, musical comedy and revue. Ballrooms introduced novel dance music, while bandstands and parlor pianos gave rise to popular songs and uniquely American forms like ragtime, blues and early “jass.” Susquehanna University’s symposium Diverse Sounds for a Young Nation offers an engaging two-and-a-half-day exploration of these foundational influences on our nation’s musical and cultural development.
Thursday, Oct. 21, 2027
A full schedule will be announced at a later date.
Friday, Oct. 22, 2027
A full schedule will be announced at a later date.
Saturday, Oct. 23, 2027
A full schedule will be announced at a later date.
Featured Concert | Oct. 17, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
PARAGON RAGTIME ORCHESTRA
Enjoy a performance of Paragon Ragtime Orchestra’s Meet Me At The Fair: Sights & Sounds From the Great World’s Fairs, a spectacular multi-media celebration of America’s world’s fairs; including the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair and the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition.
Tickets are required and may be purchased online, in person at the Degenstein Center Box Office or by phone at 570-372-ARTS. Will call is available at the Box Office, located in the Degenstein Center Theater lobby.
Symposium Information
Directions & Parking
Venue address: Susquehanna University, 514 University Ave., Selinsgrove, PA 17870
For over 165 years, Susquehanna University has been a rich cultural resource for creative expression and intellectual discussion in the Susquehanna River Valley. From innovative human expression in theatre, music and dance to global art and artifacts in exhibitions — and much more in between — the variety of programs offers world-class art, performances and lectures.
Parking indicated on the map. All venues are wheelchair-accessible.
Wi-Fi access
Free Wi-Fi will be available throughout the venue. Details for accessing Wi-Fi will be provided upon check-in.
Selinsgrove Area
- Comfort Inn Routes 11 & 15, Selinsgrove (570) 374-8880
- Econo Lodge Routes 11 & 15, Shamokin Dam (570) 743-1111
- Fairfield Inn & Suites Susquehanna Valley Mall Drive, Selinsgrove (570) 884-8301
- Hampton Inn Routes 11 & 15, Shamokin Dam (570) 743-2223
- Holiday Inn Express Routes 11 & 15, Selinsgrove (570) 743-9275
- Quality Inn Selinsgrove 613 N. Susquehanna Trail, Selinsgrove (570) 374-8880
- Selinsgrove Inn Market Street, Selinsgrove (570) 374-4100
- Fox Boro Bed & Breakfast 93 Church Road, Selinsgrove (570) 374-8750
Sunbury Area
- The Stained Glass Inn 152 Market St., Sunbury (570) 259-1264
Lewisburg Area
(13 miles north of Selinsgrove)
- Aderi Hotel 313 N Derr Dr, Lewisburg (570) 523-1171
- Best Western 7701 W Branch Hwy, Lewisburg (570) 524-5500
- Country Inn & Suites 134 Walter Drive, Lewisburg (570) 524-6600
- Comfort Suites 4775 W Branch Hwy, Lewisburg (570) 524-8000
- Fairfield Inn & Suites 70 Hardwood Drive, Lewisburg (570) 523-0095
- Hampton Inn Lewisburg Route 15, Lewisburg (570) 522-8500
- Holiday Inn Express Route 15 & I-80, New Columbia (570) 568-1100
- Lewisburg Hotel 136 Market St., Lewisburg (570) 523-7800
- Quality Inn Route 15 & I-80, New Columbia (570) 568-8000
- The Barn at Pheasant Ridge 376 Pheasant Ridge Rd., Lewisburg (570) 939-0024
- The Pineapple Inn 439 Market St., Lewisburg (570) 524-6200
- The Tawsty Flower 106 S. 4th St., Lewisburg (570) 522-6600
Thank you
With Gratitude
The Symposium on Historic American Music has been made possible by the generous support of Martha “Marty” Barker ’70 Blessing.
Special thanks to the symposium’s organizational team: Sara Adams, Leslie Cullen, Pat Long and Eric Hinton, led by Rick Benjamin.
