Kerr Cultural Center

Once home to artistic legend, Louise Lincoln Kerr, Arizona State University’s Kerr Cultural Center continues to carry on a community based musical legacy in her honor. Kerr was a composer, violist and patron of the arts. Often called “The Grand Lady of Arizona Music,” she was inducted into the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame in 2004.

Kerr’s mother taught her to play the piano at age 6 and violin at age 7. In 1910, she attended Barnard College in New York, where she studied music composition. Then, she joined the early Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, one of the first two women to join the orchestra. Kerr composed more than 100 musical pieces including vocal, string, piano, violin and ballet. She also helped to organize several local music organizations including the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Phoenix Chamber Music Society, Arizona Cello Society, and more.

Before her death in 1977, Kerr left her home and land to ASU’s College of Fine Arts. For nearly 50 years, this house has served as a place where musicians and other artists can come together to perform, work, talk, listen and learn.

Today, the Kerr Center offers a wide variety of performances that are open to the public, tickets can be purchased at the box office as well as through Macy’s, Frye’s and Ticketmaster. A regularly scheduled tradition is “Coffee at Kerr”—an informal series of free performances and discussions featuring Kerr’s Guest and Special Invited Artists. For a complete listing of events, show times and for ticket information visit the Kerr Cultural Center website.
 

- by Jennifer Pruett, Phoenix Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Jennifer Pruett

A self proclaimed “queen of everything," Jennifer is a writer, planner and passionate lover of making exciting events extra special. As a creative mother of two she loves art, music, family, friends, exotic cuisine and exploring new areas of self improvement. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies from the University of Oklahoma and has been writing restaurant and attraction reviews in the Phoenix Metro area since January, 2009.