A place to hear. A place to learn.
The organization began in 1991 as the Oregon Festival of American Music. It expanded beyond its summer festival roots, adding a community music institute in 1995 and year-round programming in 1997.
In 2002, it moved into downtown Eugene’s former First Baptist Church. The new home brought performance spaces, classrooms and gathering places together, and the organization adopted The Shedd Institute name in 2004.
Today, its mix of concerts and music education gives the building a life beyond the stage. A listener can encounter a visiting artist, revisit a musical tradition, or begin making music themselves.
A DETAIL TO NOTICE
Think beyond a concert ticket: the teaching spaces are as central to this story as the performance halls.
- 1991Oregon Festival of American Music is founded
- 2002Moves into the former First Baptist Church
- 2004Adopts The Shedd Institute name
History: Lane County Music History Project · Shedd Institute. Checked October 12, 2026.
Original AI line illustration simplified from venue photography; selected details animate gently within the drawing. Photo reference ↗