Birmingham Conservatory of Music
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The Birmingham Conservatory of Music, founded by Benjamin Guckenberger in 1895, was a notable music school with a full time faculty in several specialties. It was located at 1816 2nd Avenue North.
William Gussen became the director in 1903, and was succeeded by his wife, Edna Gockel Gussen, who was also the conservatory's first graduate. A branch of the conservatory operated in Florence (Lauderdale County).
In 1953 the school's programs were absorbed into the Music Department of Birmingham-Southern College as the Birmingham-Southern College Conservatory of Fine and Performing Arts.
Notable faculty
- Ottokar Cadek
- Joe Gauggel
- Carolyn Pfau
- Hugh Thomas
- Albert Urbach
- Dorsey Whittington
- Frances Whittington
Notable students
- Billie Anderton
- Ollie Backus
- Amos Hudson
- Hugh Martin
- Ruth Matthews
- Madelyn Poole
- Ray Reach
- Ezra Sims
- LaDonna Smith
- Ben Summerford
References
- Musical Alabama (1925) Montgomery: Alabama Federation of Music Clubs/Paragon Press.