Interlochen Center for the Arts history

Interlochen Center for the Arts founder Joseph Maddy (center) with two students in 1930.

In 1939, the National High School Band and Orchestra performed at the New York World’s Fair.

Interlochen was the inspiration for the 1941 Paramount motion picture There's Magic in Music (AKA "The Hard Boiled Canary"). Interlochen also provided inspiration, along with Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, for Alyson Hannigan's character in American Pie.

The camp was not officially affiliated with the University of Michigan until 1942, though its first director was a music professor at Michigan.

The two landmasses have been connected since 1957 by “Big Mac,” the 5-mile (8-km) Mackinac Bridge across the Straits of Mackinac, which separate Lake Michigan on the west from Lake Huron on the east.

In 1961, internationally acclaimed pianist Van Cliburn came to the National Music Camp to perform a benefit concert.

The Interlochen Arts Academy, founded in 1962, offers a full high school program—including music, dramatics, and related arts—throughout the school year.

In 1963, Interlochen launched WIAA, an eight-hour-per-day FM radio station, to broadcast performances by Interlochen students and faculty.

In 1964, a visit from the Philadelphia Orchestra inaugurated the Interlochen Arts Festival, a summer-long series of performances by acclaimed artists in both classical and contemporary genres.

In 1971, WIAA (now known as Interlochen Public Radio) joined forces with 37 other radio stations from across the country to form National Public Radio.

In 1991, the National Music Camp changed its name to Interlochen Arts Camp to reflect the full diversity of its artistic offerings.

In 2000, Interlochen Public Radio added a second station to provide northern Michigan residents with comprehensive local, state, and national news coverage.

In 2004, the Interlochen College of Creative Arts was founded to provide arts education opportunities for adult learners.