Posters for various shows in the Friends of the College concert series at Reynolds Coliseum over the years
With its subscription-only model, NC State’s Friends of the College concert series created demand for the arts in Raleigh and surrounding communities.
Beginning with a budget of less than $10,000 — but with wide support among university and local leadership — the concert series quickly grew into the largest in the country.
And here’s why: a lineup that included the top performers, musicians, conductors, dance companies and folk artists in the world, all eager to perform in cavernous Reynolds Coliseum in front of large audiences.
Student fees were used to pay for operational costs, so every NC State student was admitted with a guest without charge.
In all there were more than 230 performers and more than 400 shows in the 34-year run, most of them appearing on multiple dates.
Friends of the College Performances
1959-60 ($6 membership)
Oct. 13, 1959: Philharmonia Hungarica; Antal Dorati, conductor.
Nov. 12, 1959: Vincent Price, presenting “Three American Voices,” reading selections from Walt Whitman, James A. McNeill and Tennessee Williams.
March 21, 1960: Jose Greco and The Spanish Dance Group.
1960-61 ($5 membership)
Oct. 5, 1960: Branko Krsmanovich Chorus of Yugoslavia; Bogdan Babich, conductor.
Feb. 16, 1961: The Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Paul Paray, conductor.
April 9, 1961: Broadway Theatre Alliance, performing Pulitzer Prize-winner play “J.B.,” by Archibald MacLeish, with John Carradine, Shepperd Strudwick and Frederic Worlock (two shows).
April 16, 1961: New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, conductor.
1961-62 ($10 membership)
Oct. 23, 24 and 25, 1961: The New York City Ballet, performing “Swan Lake” in its first North Carolina appearance.
Nov. 21, 1961: Roger Wagner Chorale.
Dec. 1, 1961: Bayanihan, The Philippine Dance Company.
Dec. 6 and 7, 1961: Mazowsze Polish Song and Dance Company of Warsaw.
Feb. 17, 1962: New York Little Orchestra, performing Strauss’ “Ariadne Auf Naxos.”
Feb. 20, 1962: National Symphony Orchestra of Washington, featuring Birgit Nilsson, soprano.
March 31, 1962: Boston Pops Touring Orchestra; Arthur Fiedler, conductor.
1962-63 ($7 membership)
Oct. 16, 1962: French National Orchestra; Charles Munch, conductor.
Oct. 29 and 30, 1962: Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra.
Nov. 7, 1962: Royal Scots Greys and Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
April 23, 1963: Hague Philharmonic; Willem van Otterloo, conductor.
1963-64 ($7 membership)
Oct. 8, 1963: Van Cliburn, pianist.
Oct. 23, 1963: The Royal Philharmonic of London; Andre Previn, conductor.
Nov. 14, 1963: Schola Cantorum of New York with collegiate choir and Duke orchestra.
Dec. 10 and 11, 1963: National Dance Company of Mexico, in Ballet Folklorico.
Jan. 15, 1964: The Chicago Opera Ballet, performing “The Merry Widow.”
Feb. 9, 1964: The Philharmonia Hungarica; Tossy Spivakovsky, violin.
Feb. 27, 1964: The Houston Symphony; Leonard Rose, cello.
March 16, 1964: Roberta Peters, soprano, and Jan Peerce, tenor.
1964-65 ($7 membership)
Oct. 10 and 11, 1964: The London Symphony Orchestra.
Oct. 22 and 23, 1964: The Japan Philharmonic with Isaac Stern, violin.
Nov. 10, 11 and 12, 1964: The New York City Ballet.
Dec. 8, 1964: Robert Merrill, baritone, and Richard Tucker, tenor.
Jan. 10, 11 and 12, 1965: Coro de Brasil.
Feb. 1 and 2, 1965: Arthur Rubinstein, pianist.
Feb. 15 and 16, 1965: The Berlin Philharmonic; Eugen Jochum, conductor.
1965-66 ($7 membership)
Oct. 22 and 23, 1965: Esterhazy Orchestra with Phyllis Curtin, soprano.
Nov. 11 and 12, 1965: The Majestic Czech Philharmonic, for the first time in the United States.
Dec. 4 and 5, 1965: Royal Marines Tattoo.
Feb. 4 and 5, 1966: Hungarian National Ballet and Folk Ensemble.
Feb. 10, 11 and 12, 1966: Metropolitan Opera National Company, performing Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly.”
Feb. 24 and 25, 1966: Rudolf Serkin, pianist.
March 20 and 21, 1966: Monte Carlo National Orchestra with Netania Davrath, soprano, and Michel Block, pianist.
1966-67 ($7 membership)
Oct. 4 and 5, 1966: National Orchestra of Belgium; Andre Cluytens, conductor.
Oct. 17, 18, and 19, 1966: American Ballet Theatre
Nov. 3 and 4, 1966: Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia with Erica Morini.
Nov. 20 and 22, 1966: Soprano Anna Moffo with Richard Tucker.
Jan. 9 and 10, 1967: Jose Greco and his Spanish Dance Company.
Feb. 5 and 6, 1967: Arthur Fiedler with the New Orleans Philharmonic Orchestra in a Pops concert.
Feb. 27, 1967: Van Cliburn, pianist.
April 22 and 23, 1967: Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam.
1967-68 ($7 membership)
Sept. 28 and 29, 1967: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; Karl Boehm, conductor.
Nov. 1, 2 and 3, 1967: Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, performing “Carmina Burana.”
Nov. 15, 16 and 17, 1967: The Welsh Guards and Scots Guards, performing the Ceremony of the Keys.
Dec. 8 and 9, 1967: Claudio Arrau, pianist.
Jan. 29 and 30, 1968: Compagnie Nationale De Dances Francaises.
March 1 and 2, 1968: Metropolitan Opera’s Birgit Nilsson, soprano, and Sandor Konya, tenor.
March 21 and 22, 1968: Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra; Antal Dorati, conductor (North America debut).
1968-69 ($7 membership)
Oct. 9, 10 and 11, 1968: Fiesta Mexicana.
Oct. 22 and 25, 1968: Leontyne Price, soprano.
Nov. 2 and 3, 1968: Orchestre de Paris; Charles Munch, conductor.
Nov. 8, 1968: Simon Estes, baritone, and Joy Davidson, mezzo-soprano, performing with the NC State University Symphony, the Varsity Men’s Glee Club and the Meredith College Chorus (10th anniversary bonus concert).
Nov. 18 and 19, 1968: Yehudi Menuhin, violin, and Hephzibah Menuhin, piano.
Feb. 13, 14 and 15, 1969: American Ballet Theatre, performing “Swan Lake” and “Giselle.”
March 10 and 11, 1969: The Boston Symphony Orchestra; Erich Leinsdorf, conductor.
March 20 and 21, 1969: Arthur Fiedler and the Washington National Symphony in a Pops concert.
1969-70 ($7 membership)
Oct. 13, 14 and 15, 1969: British Tournament and Tattoo with the Royal Scot Greys, the Gordon Highlanders and the Parachute Regiment Tattoo.
Oct. 27, 28 and 29, 1969: National Ballet of Canada; Eskil Hemberg, director.
Nov. 10 and 12, 1969: Opera quartet with Richard Tucker, tenor; Beverly Wolff, mezzo-soprano; Phyllis Curtin, soprano; Frank Guarrera, baritone.
Dec. 2 and 3, 1969: Stockholm University Chorus.
Jan. 16 and 17, 1970: London Symphony Orchestra; Andre Previn, conductor.
Feb. 14 and 15, 1970: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; William Steinberg, conductor.
March 16, 1970: Andre Watts, pianist.
March 21 and 22, 1970: The Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, for the first time in the United States.
1970-71 ($7 membership)
Sept. 16 and 17, 1970: New York Philharmonic; Seiji Ozawa, conductor.
Oct. 24 and 25, 1970: Bayanihan Philippine Dancers.
Nov. 9 and 10, 1970: Zagreb Philharmonic; Milan Horvat, conductor.
Nov. 20 and 21, 1970: Special program. Massed choruses, orchestra and soloists.
Jan. 19, 20 and 21, 1971: American Ballet Theatre.
Feb. 1 and 2, 1971: Van Cliburn, pianist.
April 19 and 20, 1971: London Bach Society; Paul Steinitz, conductor.
1971-72 ($7 membership)
Oct. 1 and 2, 1971: Operatic quartet of John Alexander, Pilar Lorenga, Mildred Miller and William Walker.
Nov. 5, 6 and 7, 1971: Washington National Ballet, performing “Cinderella.”
Nov. 12, 13 and 14, 1971: Tyrolerfest.
Jan. 25 and 26, 1972: Roger Wagner and the Westminster Choir.
Feb. 10 and 11, 1972: London Symphony Orchestra; Andre Previn, conductor.
March 17 and 18, 1972: Joan Sutherland, soprano.
March 24 and 25, 1972: Vienna Symphony; Josef Krips, conductor.
1972-73 ($7 membership)
Oct. 6 and 7, 1972: Cleveland Orchestra; Claudio Abbado, conductor.
Oct. 20 and 21, 1972: Bach Aria Group; William H. Scheide, director.
Nov. 17, 18 and 19, 1972: Beryozka Dance Company, state choreographic ensemble of the USSR.
March 16, 17 and 18, 1973: The National Ballet of Washington, performing “Sleeping Beauty.”
April 7 and 8, 1973: Philadelphia Orchestra; Eugene Ormandy, conductor.
1973-74 ($7 membership)
Oct. 5, 6 and 7, 1973: Agnes de Mille’s Heritage Dance Theatre.
Nov. 16, 17 and 18, 1973: Budapest Symphony; Gyorgy Lehel, conductor.
Feb. 8 and 9, 1974: Operatic quartet of Robert Merrill, baritone; Anna Moffo, soprano; Beverly Wolff, mezzo-soprano; Jose Carreras, tenor.
March 24 and 25, 1974: Orchestre de Paris; Georg Solti, conductor.
1974-75 ($7 membership)
Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 and 2, 1974: Soviet Georgian Dancers and Tbilisi Polyphonic Choir.
Nov. 18 and 19, 1974: Boston Symphony Orchestra; Seiji Ozawa, conductor.
Feb. 6, 7 and 8, 1975: Alvin Ailey City Center Dance Theatre.
March 20 and 22, 1975: Marilyn Horne, soprano.
March 30 and 31, 1975: National Ballet Company, performing “Giselle.”
April 17 and 18, 1975: Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra; Edo de Waart, conductor.
1975-76 ($10 membership)
Oct. 7 and 8, 1975: Chinese Folk Dancers and Acrobats of Taiwan.
Nov. 3 and 4, 1975: Goldovsky Grand Opera Theatre, performing Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”; Boris Goldovsky, director.
Nov. 15, 1975: Moscow State Symphony; Evgeny Svetlanov, conductor.
Feb. 28 and 29, 1976: North Carolina Symphony Orchestra; Aaron Copland, guest conductor.
March 16 and 17, 1976: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, performing “Romeo and Juliet.”
March 28, 1976: London Symphony Orchestra; Andre Previn, conductor.
April 10, 1976: Whittemore and Lowe, pianists.
1976-77 ($10 membership)
Oct. 8 and 9, 1976: North Carolina Folk Festival.
Oct. 22 and 23, 1976: Orchestre de Paris.
Nov. 4 and 5, 1976: Victor Herbert’s operetta “Naughty Marietta.”
Jan. 21 and 22, 1977: Osipov Balalaika Orchestra with stars of the Bolshoi Ballet and Opera.
Feb. 5 and 6, 1977: St. Hedwig’s Cathedral Choir of Berlin.
March 24, 25 and 26, 1977: Houston Ballet; Ben Stevenson, director.
April 1 and 2, 1977: Czech State Orchestra; Jiri Belohlavek, conductor.
April 22 and 23, 1977: Monte Carlo National Orchestra; Andre-Michael Shaub, pianist.
1977-78 ($10 membership)
Oct. 22 and 23, 1977: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
Nov. 4 and 5, 1977: Robert Merrill, Faye Robinson and Lorna Myers.
Nov. 18 and 19, 1977: Grenadier Guards and Scots Guards.
Dec. 10 and 11, 1977: Jose Molina Bailes Espanoles.
Feb. 3 and 4, 1978: Columbus Boychoir.
Feb. 25 and 26, 1978: Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.
March 17 and 18, 1978: Pittsburgh Ballet, performing “Swan Lake.”
March 31, 1978: Gustav Mahler’s Eighth Symphony.
1978-79 ($10 membership)
Oct. 20 and 21, 1978: Trinidad Folk Festival.
Nov. 3, 4 and 5, 1978: Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
Nov. 17 and 18, 1978: The Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig.
Feb. 2 and 3, 1979: Festival of Russian Dance.
Feb. 13 and 15, 1979: Beverly Sills, final North Carolina performance before retirement.
March 23 and 24, 1979: The Philadelphia Orchestra.
1979-80 ($10 membership)
Oct. 12 and 13, 1979: Black Watch of Scotland, featuring band, pipes, drums and dancers.
Oct. 26 and 27, 1979: Moscow State Symphony; Evgeny Svetlanov, conductor.
Nov. 16 and 17, 1979: Norman Luboff Choir.
Jan. 25 and 26, 1980: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; Walter Susskind, conductor.
Feb. 29 and March 1, 1980: Operatic quartet of Mignon Dunn, mezzo-soprano; Leona Mitchell,soprano; James McCracken,tenor; and Cornell MacNeil,baritone.
March 13, 14 and 15, 1980: Ballet West.
1980-81 ($10 membership)
Oct. 8 and 9, 1980: Philharmonia Orchestra of London; Riccardo Muti, conductor.
Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, 1980: Festival of Brass Band Music by National Band of New Zealand with Maori Cultural Group.
Nov. 21, 22 and 23, 1980: Houston Ballet and Orchestra.
Dec. 3 and 4, 1980: Andre Watts, piano, and Charles Treger, violin.
Feb. 6 and 7, 1981: Westminster Choir.
March 18 and 19, 1981: Aman Festival of Dance.
March 27 and 28, 1981: Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.
1981-82 ($10 membership)
Oct. 9 and 10, 1981: Coldstream and Royal Dragoon Guards.
Oct. 23 and 24, 1981: Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra.
Nov. 19, 20 and 21, 1981: Pennsylvania Ballet and Orchestra.
Feb. 4 and 6, 1982: Shirley Verrett, soprano.
Feb. 18 and 19, 1982: The Philly Pops; Peter Nero, conductor.
March 25 and 26, 1982: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Robert Shaw, conductor.
1982-83 ($15 membership)
Oct. 21, 22, 23, 1982: San Francisco Western Opera, performing Verdi’s “Rigoletto.”
Nov. 5 and 6, 1982: Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig.
Nov. 19 and 20, 1982: Ballet Folklorico Mexicano with Jose Greco, Nina Lorca and Jorge Tyler.
Jan. 17 and 18, 1983: Itzhak Perlman, violinist.
Jan. 28 and 29, 1983: Vienna Boys Choir.
Feb. 24, 25 and 26, 1983: Hartford Ballet.
March 25 and 26, 1983: Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem” with massed choruses, symphonies and soloists.
Jan. 24 and 25, 1985: Mazowsze Polish Dance Company.
Feb. 23 and 24, 1985: Rotterdam Philharmonic; James Conlon, conductor.
March 18, 19 and 20, 1985: Marilyn Horne, mezzo-soprano.
1985-86 ($23 membership)
Oct. 11 and 12, 1985: Her Majesty’s Royal Marines and The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
Oct. 24, 25 and 26, 1985: New York City Opera National Company, performing Charles Gounod’s “Faust.”
Nov. 8 and 9, 1985: Burl Ives, folk singer.
Dec. 6 and 7, 1985: Andre Watts, pianist.
Feb. 16 and 17, 1986: Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig; Kurt Masur, conductor.
March 19 and 20, 1986: Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal; Yefim Bronfman, piano; Charles Dutoit, conductor.
April 11 and 12, 1986: Bonus performance of North Carolina Dance Theatre.
1986-87 ($23 membership)
Oct. 10 and 12, 1986: Leontyne Price, soprano.
Nov. 7 and 8, 1986: The Philadelphia Orchestra; Riccardo Muti, conductor.
Nov. 20, 21 and 22, 1986: Martha Graham Dance Company.
Dec. 5 and 6, 1986: The Canadian Brass.
Jan. 23 and 24, 1987: Tamburitzans of Duquesne University.
March 13 and 14, 1987: The Cleveland Orchestra; Vladimir Ashkenazy, guest conductor.
April 4, 1987: Requiem Mass of Hector Berlioz; Gerhardt Zimmermann, conductor.
1987-88 ($25 membership)
Oct. 2 and 3, 1987: Royal Philharmonic of London; Andre Previn, conductor.
Oct. 16 and 17, 1987: Gordon Highlanders and Grenadier Guards.
Nov. 13 and 14, 1987: Westminster Choir; Joseph Flummerfelt, conductor.
Jan. 16 and 17, 1988: The Belgrade State Folk Ensemble.
Jan. 27 and 28, 1988: St. Louis Symphony Orchestra with Midori, violin; Wynton Marsalis, soloist; Leonard Slatkin, conductor.
Feb. 26 and 27, 1988: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.
March 25 and 26, 1988: Peking Acrobats.
1988-89 ($23 membership)
Oct. 7 and 8, 1988: Music By 3 with Daniel McKelway, clarinet; Rina Dokshinsky, piano; Christopher Costanza, cello.
Oct. 28 and 29, 1988: Roberta Peters of the New York Metropolitan Opera, A Tribute to Irving Berlin.
Nov. 12 and 13, 1988: Royal Ballet of Flanders.
Dec. 2 and 3, 1988: Canadian Brass.
Jan. 27 and 28, 1989: New York City Opera National Company, performing Verdi’s “La Traviata.”
Feb. 17 and 18, 1989: Osipov Balalaika Orchestra with The Babkina Folk Ensemble of the Bolshoi Opera.
March 3 and 4, 1989: North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, performing Mahler’s Eighth Symphony; Gerhardt Zimmermann, conductor.
April 7 and 8, 1989: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; James Galway, flute; David Zinman, conductor.
1989-90 ($30 membership)
Oct. 13 and 14, 1989: The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; Hugh Wolff, principal conductor.
Nov. 10 and 11, 1989: Victor Borge, pianist.
Jan. 12 and 13, 1990: San Francisco Girls Chorus.
Feb. 23 and 24, 1990: Shalom: We Are Here.
March 23 and 24, 1990: Vladimir Feltsman.
March 30 and 31, 1990: Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra of the USSR with Vladimir Viardo, pianist; Dmitri Kitaenko, conductor.
April 20 and 22, 1990: Sherrill Milnes, operatic baritone.
1990-91 ($30 membership)
Sept. 29 and 30, 1990: Shanghai Acrobats and the Imperial Warriors of the Peking Opera.
Oct. 5 and 6, 1990: BBC Radio 2’s Battle of Britain 50th Anniversary with BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Singers, Central Band of the Royal Air Force; Kenneth Alwyn, conductor.
Nov. 9 and 10, 1990: Ballet Francais de Nancy.
Jan. 25 and 26, 1991: The New York City Opera National Company, performing “The Marriage of Figaro.”
Feb. 15 and 16, 1991: Duke Ellington Orchestra; Mercer Ellington, director.
April 5 and 6, 1991: The New World Symphony, America’s National Training Orchestra; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor.
April 14 and 15, 1991: The Jerusalem Symphony with Misha Dichter, pianist; Lawrence Foster, conductor.
April 19 and 20, 1991: The Budapest Symphony Orchestra; Gyorgy Lehel, conductor.
1991-92 ($30 membership)
Oct. 11 and 12, 1991: Coldstream Guards and Queen’s Own Highlanders.
Oct. 26 and 27, 1991: Canadian Brass.
Jan. 23 and 24, 1992: New York City Opera National Company, performing Puccini’s “Tosca.”
Feb. 7 and 8, 1992: Philharmonia Hungarica with pianists Ralph Markham and Kenneth Broadway; Yehudi Menuhin, conductor.
1992-93 ($35 membership; $15 individual tickets)
Sept. 26 and 27, 1992: The Incomparable Red Stars.
Nov. 6 and 7, 1992: Bobby McFerrin and the Raleigh Civic Symphony.
Jan. 15 and 16, 1993: Isaac Stern, violinist.
Feb. 26 and 27, 1993: Doc Severinsen and the North Carolina Symphony.
April 23 and 24, 1993: Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra with Bella Davidovich, pianist.
1993-94 ($35 membership; $15 individual tickets)
Dec. 6, 1993: Royal Regiments on Parade. Tickets: $5 students, $15 general public.
April 24, 1994: Staatskapelle Dresden Orchestra; Giuseppe Sinopoli, conductor. Tickets: $15.
