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Milton Stevens papers

 Collection 0098-SCPA

Milton Lewis Stevens Jr. (1942-2007) was an American trombonist who spent the majority of his professional career in the Washington, DC region. He earned a B.M. from Oberlin College, M.M. from the University of Illinois, and a D.M.A. from Boston University. Stevens joined the National Symphony Orchestra in 1978 and held the principal trombone chair for 29 years. In 1993, he co-founded the Washington Symphonic Brass. He was also an educator teaching at Catholic University of America and the University of Maryland. The collection consists of personal and professional papers including published and unpublished writings, clippings, articles, programs, correspondence, date books, photographs, scores, and recordings related to Stevens’s work as a musician and educator. A browsable listing of scores in the collection can be found at the SCPA Scores Database.

Dates

  • Creation: 1901-2010
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1980-2007

Use and Access to Collection

There are no restricted files in this collection.

Duplication and Copyright Information

Materials from this collection must be used in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library's Irving and Margery Morgan Lowens Special Collections Room, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Contact the curator for an appointment: http://www.lib.umd.edu/scpa/contact

Extent

169.50 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Scope and Content of Collection

The Milton Stevens Collection covers the period from 1901 to 2010; the bulk of the materials date from 1980-2007. The collection consists of both personal and professional papers including published and unpublished writings, clippings, articles, programs, correspondence, date books, photographs, scores, and recordings related to Stevens's work as a musician and educator, including his work with the Catholic University of America, the University of Maryland, International Trombone Association, Interservice Trombone Choir, National Symphony Orchestra, and the Washington Symphonic Brass, for which he was a co-founder.

Biography

Milton Lewis Stevens Jr. was born in 1942, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He began playing the trombone when he was twelve and continued playing through his attendance at Searles High School in Great Barrington. He graduated from the music conservatory of Oberlin College in Ohio in 1964 (B.M.). In 1966, he received his M.M from the University of Illinois and in 1975 he earned his D.M.A. from Boston University.

In 1978, Stevens joined the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C. and was named principal trombonist, a chair he held for the next 29 years. In 1993, he co-founded the Washington Symphonic Brass, a brass ensemble that performs throughout the Washington D.C. area. Dr. Stevens also founded the Interservice Trombone Choir, a group of volunteer trombonists from various military bands in and around Washington.

In addition to performing with and conducting various music groups, Dr. Stevens also taught at the University of Maryland and the Catholic University of America. He also gave classes at many trombone and brass workshops such as Summit Brass. Dr. Stevens died while traveling in Denver, Colorado on July 30, 2007.

Arrangement

This collection is organized into seventeen series:

  1. University of Maryland
  2. Private Teaching Files
  3. Educational Materials
  4. Washington Symphonic Brass
  5. National Symphony Orchestra
  6. Trombone Events and Groups
  7. Manuscripts
  8. Personal Documents
  9. Programs and Flyers
  10. Yearbooks
  11. Photographs
  12. Scores
  13. Recordings
  14. Realia
  15. Date Books
  16. Scrapbooks
  17. Books

Custodial History and Acquisition Information

Gift of Mrs. Priscilla Stevens (Milt Stevens' wife) in December 2010.

Title
Milton Stevens papers
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by David Brenneman, Janet Peterson, June 2012
Date
2012-06-29
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English

Library Details

Part of the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library

Contact:
University of Maryland Libraries
8270 Alumni Drive
College Park MD 20742 United States