About the FCA
The Fairbanks Concert Association's mission:
To present, promote and sponsor artistically and culturally diverse performing arts events and educational opportunities of the highest quality from stages around the world.
History
Early Organizational Structure
Community Outreach
FCA Archives
Evolution of the FCA:
In October of 1947, a piano concert was presented here in Fairbanks. That concert, while not earth-shattering, was the seed that grew to become the longest running concert presenting organization in all of Alaska. At a time when Fairbanks was not quite 50 years old, and Alaska wasn’t even yet a state, residents recognized the importance of arts and culture. In the late 40’s there were roughly 20,000 people in the entire area. The commitment of these pioneers in those very early days and their belief that the arts were an important part of building a community ensured that Fairbanksans would be able to enjoy first-class events from around the world, year after year, a privilege we still enjoy today.
Classical music was a primary focus of those who established the Fairbanks Concert Association. At the time, many of the artists who came to Fairbanks were stars who could be seen and heard on radio and television or in movies.
Today, Fairbanks Concert Association has the most diverse and exciting seasons in Fairbanks. The artists we bring can still be seen in movies or on TV or heard on the radio. Jazz, folk, and classical music; tap, ballet, ethnic and modern dance; comedy and spoken word, acrobats, circuses and family programs; symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles and virtuoso soloists; Celtic, African, and Latin music—you name it and FCA has presented it at some point in the last 64 seasons. No other arts and cultural organization, whether for profit or nonprofit, is as broadly diverse in what it presents. FCA seasons can be full of familiar art forms and at the same time can have lesser-known treasures that become magical discoveries. Because FCA is a community organization supported by its members and business partners through donations, we work hard to find artists that appeal to a wide range of interests and ages.
FCA is also committed to education. When visiting artists come to Fairbanks, FCA partners with local groups for educational presentations, workshops, lectures, and master classes. FCA works with the University of Alaska, local dance groups, the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, and other organizations to share the experience of professional artists with our own musicians, dancers and actors, which in turn enhances the arts and cultural landscape of our community. Last season, 7,800 students were able to see performers like Calo Flamenco, Baka Beyond, Cherish the Ladies, Lazer Vaudeville and the Yuval Ron Ensemble.
As Fairbanks has grown and artistic and cultural opportunities have become more diverse, FCA has grown and changed as well. And as our community continues to grow, FCA will be here making Fairbanks a more vibrant and exciting place to live and ensuring that Fairbanksans are enriched and entertained during the cold fall, winter and spring months.
The First Concert
Russian-born pianist Max Schapiro on October 19, 1947, was the first of hundreds of programs that have been presented to audiences over the years by the Fairbanks Concert Association.
Early Organizational Structure
The local chapter of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority sponsored the first performance, and the following year this group was joined by Soroptimists International and the American Association of University Women in forming the Fairbanks Concert Association. Three programs made up the 1948-49 Season, and in the years that followed, Fairbanksans were treated to the sights and sounds of dozens of classical musicians and a variety of dancers. Programs of the 1950s featured performers of the Alaska Music Trail, and in 1958 a reorganization effort led to the establishment of the Fairbanks Community Concert Association and an annual season ticket sales campaign to provide the ongoing financial support needed to bring several artists or groups to perform each year. Volunteer board members generated the manpower necessary to present performances, and the association’s operations were conducted from private homes.
Today, Alaska’s oldest performing arts presenter organization has grown in membership and audience support. In addition to a volunteer board of directors, FCA has two paid staff persons, operates out of a permanent office, and has added jazz, theater, comedy, speakers, and family entertainment to its programming. A typical season now features an average of ten performances attended by a mix of season ticket holders and individual ticket buyers. Thousands of children attend school programs provided each year, and local artists regularly benefit from master classes and residencies. FCA collaborates with the Anchorage Concert Association and other presenters around the state to bring a variety of internationally known artists to Alaskan stages, and is working with its neighbors to bring performers to smaller communities in the interior.
Notable Guest Artists
- Isaac Stern
- The Chicago Symphony
- The Vienna Symphony Orchestra
- Chamber Orchestra Kremlin
- Van Cliburn
- Jean-Pierre Rampal
- The Juilliard String Quartet
- The Dave Brubeck Quartet
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Wynton Marsalis,
- The Paul Taylor Dance Company
- The Martha Graham Dance Company
- The Alvin Ailey II Dance Company
- Pilobolous
- The Chieftains
- Ladysmith Black Mambazo,
- Eileen Ivers
- Bonnie Rideout
- Riders in the Sky
- Garrison Keillor
- David Sedaris
- Chicago City Limits
- The Capitol Steps
- The Peking Acrobats
- Imago Theater
Organizations Supported by FCA with tickets:
- Access Alaska
- Adult Learning Programs of Alaska
- Alaska Camerata
- Alaska Dog Mushers' Association
- Alaska Trappers Association
- Alaska Women's Lobby
- Alpha Kappa
- Armed Services YMCA of Alaska
- Big Brothers Big Sisters
- Boys & Girls Club
- Breast Cancer Detection Center
- Dance Theatre Fairbanks
- Denali Education Center
- Eielson Air Force Base Break-Up Beach Party
- Fairbanks Counseling & Adoption
- Fairbanks Food Bank
- Fairbanks Montessori School
- Fairbanks Native Association
- Fairbanks Rescue Mission
- Fairbanks Symphony Association
- Family Centered Services of Alaska
- FNSB Parks & Recreation
- Graf Rheeneerhaan
- Habitat for Humanity
- Hospice of the Tanana Valley
- Interior Alaska Center for Non-violent Living
- KUAC
- Lathrop High School
- Literacy Council of Alaska
- Monroe Foundation
- Muscular Dystrophy Association
- National Association of Social Workers, Alaska Chapter
- North Star Council on Aging
- Northern Alaska Environmental Center
- Northland Youth Choir
- Oil & Gas Alliance
- Presbyterian Hospitality House
- Randy Smith Middle School
- Resource Center for Parents and Children
- Ryan Middle School
- Santa's Seniors
- Tanana Middle School
- Tri-Valley Community Library
- UAF New Student Orientation
- United Way
- Upward Bound
- West Valley High School
- Yukon Quest International
FCA community partnerships for 2010-11 include:
- Alaska Presenter's Consortium
- Annex Gallery
- Arctic Light School on Fort Wainwright
- Artisan's Courtyard
- Blue Loon
- Dance Theater Fairbanks
- Delta Junction Library
- Denali Arts and Humanities Alliance
- Denali Center
- Fairbanks Arts Association
- Fairbanks Arts Culture and Education Committee
- Fairbanks Funny Fest
- Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre
- Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival
- Kids in Motion
- KUAC's Alaska Live
- Lathrop High School
- North Star Community Foundation
- Pioneer Home
- UA Museum of the North
- UAF Music Dept.
- UAF Office of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity
- UAF Pub
- Unitarian Universalist of Fairbanks
- West Valley High School
Passing the Hat Project:
Passing the Hat began in 2008 when FCA participated in the Breast Cancer Detection Center's Paint the Town Pink campaign and then solicited for a different social service organization at every concert.
In 2009 FCA formed a consortium of 32 local NPOs who wanted to participate, receiving a matching grant from the North Star Community Foundation, who matched contributions made through the program and giving FCA a donation as well.
In 2010, FCA passed the hat to NSCF and is currently working with them to create a new, highly sophisticated website with plans to launch a big community-wide project when it is completed.
Passing the Hat participants:
- Access Alaska
- Alaska Bird Observatory
- Big Brothers-Big Sisters Greater Fairbanks Area
- Boys and Girls Club
- Breast Cancer Detection Center of Alaska and Charitable Corp.
- Calypso Farm & Ecology Center
- Carol H. Brice Family CenterDance Theatre Fairbanks
- Fairbanks Arts Association
- Fairbanks Community Food Bank
- Fairbanks Light Opera Theatre
- Fairbanks Native Association
- Fairbanks Resource Agency
- Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre
- Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival
- Fairbanks Sweet Adelines
- Fairbanks Symphony Association
- Farthest North Girl Scout Council
- Friends of Creamer's Field
- Goldstream Valley Lions Club
- Hospice of Tanana Valley
- Interior Aids Association
- NAMI of Fairbanks Alaska
- North Star Dance Foundation
- North Star Imagination Library
- Northern Alaska Environmental Center
- Opera Fairbanks
- PFLAG
- Yukon Quest International
Read more about our highly successful Passing the Hat project.
Brochures:
Programs:
Newsletters:
Print Ads and Mailers:
Preservation Hall Jazz Band Print Ad
Preservation Hall Jazz Band Mailer
Reduced Shakespeare Company Print Ad
Reduced Shakespeare Company Mailer
FCA Documents:
FCA Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
The Fairbanks Concert Association was incorporated in 1949.
The Fairbanks Concert Assocation 501 (c) 3 certification is active as of December, 1969 and continues to be in effect.
The mission statement of the Fairbanks Concert Association is to present, promote, and sponsor artistically and culturally diverse performing arts events and educational opportunities of the highest quality from stages around the world.