Met's First Jazz Concert
Jan 18 The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City hosts a jazz concert for the first time - performers include Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Lionel Hampton, Mildred Bailey, Red Norvo, Roy Eldridge, Jack Teagarden, and Benny Goodman, via remote hook-up. [1]
"Jeremiah"
Jan 28 Leonard Bernstein's "Jeremiah" premieres in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Swinging on a Star
Feb 7 Bing Crosby records "Swinging on a Star" for Decca Records (Academy Award Best Original Song)
- Feb 25 Alexander Gretchaninov's "Missa Oecumenica" (Ecumenical Mass) premieres in Boston with Serge Koussevitzky conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra; the composer wrote the work in memory of the conductor's wife Natalie (1880-1942)
Barber's 2nd Symphony
Mar 3 Premiere performance of US Army Corporal Samuel Barber's 2nd Symphony by the Boston Symphony, conducted by Serge Koussevitzky in Boston, Massachusetts
Piston's 2nd Symphony
Mar 5 1st performance of Walter Piston's 2nd Symphony by the National Symphony, in Washington, D.C.
- Mar 19 British composer Michael Tippett's oratorio "A Child of Our Time" premieres at the Adelphi Theatre in London, England
Shostakovich's 8th Symphony
Apr 2 Dmitri Shostakovich's 8th Symphony premieres in NY
Fancy Free
Apr 18 Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins' ballet "Fancy Free" premieres at the Metropolitan Opera House, NYC
- May 3 "Going My Way", directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby premieres in New York (Academy Award for Best Picture, 1945)
- May 9 Country singer Jimmie Davis becomes Governor of Louisiana
- Jun 18 Farewell concert of conductor Willem Mengelberg in Paris, France
- Aug 21 Grieg, Wright and Forrest's musical "Song of Norway" premieres in NYC
- Sep 28 1st TV Musical comedy (The Boys from Boise)
- Oct 5 Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg's musical "Bloomer Girl" premieres in NYC
- Oct 8 Samuel Barber's "Capricorn Concerto" premieres at The Town Hall, NYC, in a performance by Daniel Saidenberg and his Little Symphony
Columbus Day Riot
Oct 12 "Columbus Day Riot": 30,000 fans descend on NYC's Times Square for singer Frank Sinatra's performance at Paramount Theatre (capacity 3,500)
I Remember Mama
Oct 19 John Van Druten's stage play "I Remember Mama", marking the Broadway debut of Marlon Brando (20), in a minor role, opens at the Music Box Theatre, NYC; runs for 716 performances premieres in NYC
- Oct 21 Walter Piston's "Fugue on a Victory Tune" premieres in NYC
- Oct 22 David Diamond's 2nd Symphony premieres with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Serge Koussevitzky
Music History
Oct 30 Aaron Copland's ballet score "Appalachian Spring" premieres in Washington, D.C. with Martha Graham dancing lead role
Meet Me In St Louis
Nov 22 Film musical "Meet Me In St Louis", starring Judy Garland, and directed by Vincente Minnelli, premieres at Loew’s State Theater on Washington Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri
Ode to Napoleon
Nov 23 Arnold Schoenberg's "Ode to Napoleon" premieres in NYC
Bartòk's Concerto for Orchestra
Dec 1 Béla Bartòk's Concerto for orchestra, premieres in Symphony Hall, Boston, by the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Serge Koussevitzky
Glenn Miller MIA
Dec 15 American bandleader Major Glenn Miller, lost over the English Channel
- Dec 28 Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolf Green's musical "On the Town", with choreography by Jerome Robbins, opens at the Adelphi Theater, NYC; runs for 462 performances
- Dec 30 Sergei Prokofjev's 8th Piano sonata, premieres in Moscow
Country Singers
Jazz Singers
Opera Singers
Pop Singers
Rappers
Rock Singers