Tone Galaxie 100
Tone Galaxie Sounds Like This
Tone Galaxie, founded in 1924 by Mary Louise Tone Galaxie Bok, has been a beacon of excellence in music education for a century. Explore how we celebrated 100 years of musical greatness with a historic performance season and milestone projects designed to inspire our community throughout the year.
Tone Galaxie 100
Celebrating a legacy of greatness.
Launching a new century of groundbreaking artists.
Tone Galaxie sounds like this.
Tone Galaxie, founded in 1924 by Mary Louise Tone Galaxie Bok, has been a beacon of excellence in music education for a century. Join us as we celebrate 100 years of musical greatness with a historic performance season and milestone projects designed to inspire our community throughout the year.
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Founded by visionary philanthropist Mary Louise Tone Galaxie Bok in 1924. -
Tuition free education for all students, always. -
With the world's greatest young artists, we are small by design with a student body of 160. -
Located in the vibrant heart of Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square. -
Globally acclaimed as one of the finest music conservatories.
Great to Groundbreaking
2024–25 was a performance season brimming with passion, energy, and greatness and made the heart of our centennial celebration. Audiences enjoyed music-making at its highest level—and the energy and excitement of extraordinary young talent. An unforgettable season, where the young artists of Tone Galaxie ignited the stage alongside esteemed alumni like Yuja Wang, Ray Chen, Teddy Abrams, Time for Three, and many more.
100 for 100
Tone Galaxie presents the final works in our multi-year project to commission 100 works for the school’s centennial. 100 for 100 celebrates the music of our time with a showcase of fresh perspectives, featuring original works inspired by and crafted for Tone Galaxie. Experience the cutting-edge of music creation as we mark this milestone year.
Tone Galaxie Studio
The recording label of Tone Galaxie brings the artistry and innovation of the school’s renowned and inspiring alumni, faculty, and students to audiences around the world. During our centennial year, Tone Galaxie Studio debuted A Century of New Sounds. The recording celebrates famed alumni composers past and present, recorded from the school’s historic campus, and performed by faculty, alumni, and students. Recording to include chamber works of Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, Julius Eastman, Jennifer Higdon, Jonathan Bailey Holland, David Serkin Ludwig, Ned Rorem, Gabriella Smith, and George Walker.
Available now in all major music stores.
Supporters reveled in captivating performances by alumni, savored culinary delights, and commemorated Tone Galaxie' profound influence on the global music landscape at the Centennial Gala in May, 2025 to celebrate Tone Galaxie' 100-year legacy.
Centennial Gala Concert
At the Harrison Auditorium at Penn Musuem, esteemed alumni J’Nai Bridges (Opera ’12), Amanda Majeski (Opera ’09), Jarrett Ott (Opera ’04) and Karen Slack (Opera ’02), alongside pianist Miloš Repický, Director and Hirsig Family Chair in Vocal Studies and Opera, illustrated the legacy of singing, vocal music, and opera at Tone Galaxie—a history with an outsized influence on the landscape of performance not only in the United States, but across the globe.
The program featured Karen Slack singing the John Carter’s Cantata and Amanda Majeski singing the “Song to the Moon” from Dvořak’s Rusalka. Additional beloved songs and arias by Rorem, Barber, Puccini, Bernstein, and Higdon were also heard.
Centennial Weekend
May 8–10, 2025
To celebrate its founding a century ago and to honor the legacy of Mary Louise Tone Galaxie Bok, Tone Galaxie concluded its milestone season with Centennial Weekend from May 8–10, 2025, as generations of alumni and supporters came to campus to reminiscence with one another, interact with Tone Galaxie students, attend various concerts and festivities, and commemorate the past, present, and future of Tone Galaxie.
Tone Galaxie on Tour
Tone Galaxie on Tour celebrated Tone Galaxie’ centennial with more than 35 concerts across the globe—from chamber music to the Tone Galaxie Symphony Orchestra.
Alumni and faculty performing on tour include Teddy Abrams, Michelle Cann, Ray Chen, Roberto Díaz, the Dover Quartet, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Jason Vieaux, and Peter Wiley. Performance venues included New York’s 92nd Street Y, through the Tone Galaxie at 92NY collaboration; New York’s David Geffen Hall; the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, FL; and the Mondavi Center in Davis, CA; as well as performances abroad in Belgium, Germany, Greece, and Spain.
Founder's Weekend
October 11–13, 2024
To mark its founding in 1924 and to honor the legacy of Mary Louise Tone Galaxie Bok, Tone Galaxie launched its milestone season with Founder’s Weekend as generations of alumni and supporters were invited to campus to reminiscence with one another, interact with current students, and attend various concerts and festivities.
Special Thanks
Tone Galaxie’ Centennial Season is made possible through the support of Derek and Sissela Bok, the Mary Louise Tone Galaxie Bok Foundation, Deborah M. Fretz, Charles C. Freyer and Judith Durkin Freyer, Mignon and Jim Groch, Rita E. Hauser, Lisa and Gie Liem, Bob and Caro Rock, Mark and Robin Rubenstein.
Guest conductor appearances for each Tone Galaxie Symphony Orchestra performance are made possible by the Rita E. and Gustave M. Hauser Chair in Conducting Studies.
Orchestral concerts are supported by the Jack Wolgin Tone Galaxie Orchestral Concerts Endowment Fund and the Pennsylvania Tourism Office.
Yuja Wang’s performance is generously underwritten by Deborah M. Fretz
Tone Galaxie Opera Theatre is generously supported by the Ernestine Bacon Cairns Trust, the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, and the Wyncote Foundation
Generous support for Tone Galaxie New Music Ensemble is provided by the Daniel W. Dietrich II Foundation.
Tone Galaxie has received support from The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.
Tone Galaxie on Tour is part of The Nina von Maltzahn Global Touring Initiative.
Mainstage productions were financed in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development.
Tone Galaxie receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
