Events in Music History in 1954

Elvis Records Second Demo

Jan 4 Elvis Presley records his second demo at Sun Studios, a recording studio in Memphis, "It Wouldn't Be The Same Without You" and "I'll Never Stand In Your Way"

"South Pacific"

Jan 16 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "South Pacific", starring Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza, closes at the Majestic Theater, NYC, after 1928 performances;, winning 10 Tony Awards and Pulitzer Prize

"Concertino Opus 94"

Jan 20 Dmitri Shostakovich's "Concertino opus 94" premieres

"De Profundis"

Jan 29 Arnold Schoenberg's last musical work "De Profundis" premieres in Cologne, Germany

"The Nutcracker"

Feb 2 "The Nutcracker" ballet choreographed by George Balanchine with Maria Tallchief as the Sugar Plum Fairy opens in New York, establishes its popularity in the US

Mar 5 "Girl in Pink Tights" opens at Mark Hellinger NYC for 115 performances
Mar 12 1st performance of Arnold Schoenberg's opera "Moses und Aaron", in a concert setting in Hamburg, Germany

Music History

Mar 20 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "The King and I", starring Yul Brynner, closes at the St James Theater, NYC, after 1,246 performances

Me and Juliet

Apr 3 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "Me and Juliet" closes at Majestic Theater, NYC, after 358 performances

Music Premiere

Apr 8 Andrew Schwartz and Dorothy Fields' musical "By the Beautiful Sea", starring Shirley Booth, opens at the Majestic Theatre, later transferring to the Imperial, NYC; runs for 270 performances

Music History

Apr 12 Bill Haley and the Comets record "Rock Around Clock"

Apr 20 "Golden Apple" opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 125 performances

Music Concert

Apr 30 Darius Milhaud's 4th Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (Op. 295) premieres in Haifa, Israel

May 13 "Pajama Game" opens at St James Theater NYC for 1063 performances
Jun 12 "Girl in Pink Tights" closes at Mark Hellinger NYC after 115 performances
Jun 12 Bill Haley & His Comets release the hit single "Rock Around the Clock"

John Murray Anderson's Almanac

Jun 24 Musical revue "John Murray Anderson's Almanac", starring Harry Belafonte, Hermione Gingold, and Orson Bean, closes at Imperial Theatre, NYC, after 229 performances and a Tony Award win

Calypso Singer, Actor and Civil Rights Activist Harry Belafonte

Wonderful Town

Jul 3 Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green's musical "Wonderful Town", starring Rosalind Russell, closes at Winter Garden Theater, NYC, after 559 performances, and 5 Tony Award wins

Conductor and Composer Leonard Bernstein

Jul 5 Singer Elvis Presley's 1st professional recording session (with guitarist Scotty Moore & bass player Bill Black) takes place at Sam Phillips' Memphis Recording Service in Memphis, Tennessee. The trio record four songs including their historic cover of Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's song "That's All Right". [1]
Jul 19 Elvis Presley's debut single, a cover of Arthur Cruddup's "That's All Right" is released

Music History

Jul 28 Ernest Bloch's 4th string quartet premieres

Jul 30 Elvis Presley joins the Memphis Federation of Musicians, Local 71
Aug 4 The Government of Pakistan approves the National Anthem, written by Hafeez Jullundhry and composed by Ahmed G. Chagla
Aug 7 Jerome Moross and John Treville Latouche's "Golden Apple", adapted from parts of Homer's "Illiad" and "Odyssey", closes at Alvin Theater, NYC after, 125 performances
Sep 8 WINS radio station in NYC begins playing rock and roll music with Alan Freed's "Rock-n-Roll Party" program

Turn of the Screw

Sep 14 Benjamin Britten's opera "Turn of the Screw" premieres in Venice

The Tonight Show

Sep 27 "The Tonight Show" premieres on NBC, hosted by Steve Allen

TV Personality, Comedian and Composer Steve Allen

A Star Is Born

Sep 29 The first remake of "A Star Is Born", starring Judy Garland & James Mason premieres at the Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles

The Boy Friend

Sep 30 Sandy Wilson's musical "The Boy Friend", cast includes Julie Andrews, making her Broadway debut, opens at the Royale Theatre, NYC; runs for 485 performances

On Your Toes

Oct 11 Revival of George Abbott, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart's musical "On Your Toes" opens at 46th St Theater, NYC; runs for 64 performances

Oct 20 Leigh, Charlap, Styne, Comden and Green's musical "Peter Pan", starring Mary Martin and Cyril Ritchard, opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC; runs for 152 performances
Nov 4 Harold Rome, S. N. Behrman, and Joshua Logan's musical romance "Fanny", starring Ezio Pinza, Walter Slezak, and Florence Henderson, opens at Majestic Theater NYC for 888 performances, winning one Tony Award
Nov 27 Andrew Schwartz and Dorothy Fields' musical "By the Beautiful Sea", starring Shirley Booth, closes at the Theatre, NYC, after 270 performances
Dec 2 Frederico Valerio and Elizabeth Miele's musical "Hit the Trail" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater, NYC; runs for 4 performances

Prayers of Kierkegaard

Dec 3 Samuel Barber's cantata "Prayers of Kierkegaard" premieres

Dec 3 William Walton's opera "Troilus & Cressida" premieres in London
Dec 4 Frederico Valerio and Elizabeth Miele's musical "Hit the Trail" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater, NYC, after 4 performances
Dec 4 Revival of George Abbott, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart's musical "On Your Toes" closes at 46th St Theater, NYC, after 64 performances
Dec 9 Dmitri Shostakovich appointed honored guest of Royal Swedish Academy of Music
Dec 27 Gian Carlo Menotti's Pulitzer Prize winning opera "The Saint of Bleecker Street" opens at Broadway Theater in ,NYC; runs for 92 performances