Overview

The MacPhail School of Music reflects the growth of music and dramatic arts education in Minneapolis. 

• Location: 1128 La Salle Avenue South
• Neighborhood: Downtown West

Historic profile

The MacPhail School of Music reflects the growth of music and dramatic arts education in Minneapolis.

The Collegiate Gothic style building was designed by local architecture firm Magney and Tusler. They designed several prominent buildings in Minneapolis. These include the Foshay Tower, Minneapolis Post Office, and the Young-Quinlan Building. Their firm was known for their mastery in traditional architectural forms.

William MacPhail founded the school in 1907 as a violin program in two rented classrooms. He had studied violin as a public school student growing up in Minneapolis. He joined the city's symphony orchestra and continued his studies internationally. By the 1900s, there was a significant demand for arts education in Minneapolis. The construction of this school responded to that demand. 

The four-story building was completed in 1923. The first two stories have smooth limestone and granite cladding. The main entrance is recessed on the east elevation. It has an archway with an elaborate stone cartouche and swag with fruit and festoons. The first story has large multi-bay storefront windows and was used by retail tenants originally. Stone pilasters rise from the top of the first story to the top of the roofline. The third and fourth story are clad in cream and tan brick. The parapet wall at the top of the building features gray terra cotta panels with a quatrefoil motif. A steel fire escape is located on the north end, and a modern stair tower was added to the southwest corner. The interior had approximately 75 studios and a 250-seat auditorium on the top floor.

The school was renamed the MacPhail Center for Music in 2003. It relocated to a new building at 501 2nd Street South in 2008.