The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, the state’s largest and oldest community music school, and Milwaukee Children’s Choir, a longstanding choral music education organization, are merging.
The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music’s proven fiscal sustainability is expected to allow for the continuation of the Milwaukee Children’s Choir in a challenging funding landscape, conservatory President and CEO Eric Tillich said. Wisconsin ranks last in the nation for arts support, according to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.
“This merger will build and enhance the excellence in music education that both organizations are known for,” Tillich said. “All of us at WCM are excited to support the amazing students of Milwaukee Children’s Choir and eager to increase access to choral programming for children and their families.”
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Under Tillich’s leadership, the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music has had eight consecutive years of balanced budgets or surpluses, and the organization has grown its endowment from $750,000 to $8.5 million, according to a spokesman.
The decision by the organizations’ respective boards of directors was unanimous in support of a merger, the conservatory announced on Thursday.
“We are grateful to WCM for clearing a path to the continued programming and mission that generations of MCC families have known and loved,” choir Board President Austyn Alt said. “This merger ensures further artistic blossoming and musical achievement for Milwaukee’s children.
Wisconsin Conservatory of Music’s existing administrative structure, which supports more than 1,000 individual students, is expected to provide resources that will allow greater freedom for the artistic staff associated with the children’s choir programming to focus on these students’ educational and musical experiences, according to leaders of the conservatory, which has a 2024-25 financial aid budget of $300,000.
Expansion opportunities will be examined for the children’s choir, which currently has rehearsal locations at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center on the East Side and in Brookfield. An additional rehearsal site is being sought to serve students who face greater obstacles to participation, such as cost and transportation, according to the conservatory.
Wisconsin Conservatory of Music’s faculty consists of more than 90 teaching artists, led by John Bragle, the former director of choral activities at the Interlochen Arts Academy and Camp in Michigan. Bragle has more than 20 years of experience leading choirs, including time spent with Michigan State University Children’s Choir, a Grammy Award-winning ensemble.
The conservatory, founded 125 years ago, serves students through private instruction, early childhood music classes and group settings in three locations – the McIntosh Goodrich mansion on the East Side, Sharon Lynne Wilson Center in Brookfield, and Audubon Court in Bayside. It also provides music education to nearly 10,000 students through community partnerships in schools, senior centers and day care facilities across Southeastern Wisconsin.
The Milwaukee Children’s Choir was founded in 1994 by Emily Crocker, an internationally renowned choral director, educator, composer and music publisher. Since its launch, the choir has offered choral music education and performance experiences to area children, including collaborative concerts with esteemed music groups, both locally and globally.
As a part of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, Milwaukee Children’s Choir stated that it will remain dedicated to serving underserved neighborhoods and fostering inclusivity in the arts.
The conservatory plans to form a parent advisory council for the Milwaukee Children’s Choir programs to ensure that students and their family members remain informed and involved with key decisions moving forward.
Decisions regarding staffing for children’s choir programming are in process. The Milwaukee Children’s Choir board has been dissolved as a result of the merger.
The Milwaukee Children’s Choir name will remain post-merger, but how the name will be incorporated into the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music has not yet been decided, a spokesman said.
