The Sitka Summer Music Festival was founded in 1972 by violinist Paul Rosenthal, who had recently completed his studies at the University of Southern California under the legendary Jascha Heifetz. A native New Yorker, Rosenthal began playing violin at age three and studied with Dorothy DeLay, Ivan Galamian, and Josef Gingold before working with Heifetz.

Rosenthal first visited Sitka while on tour with the Arctic Chamber Orchestra and immediately recognized its potential as the perfect setting for a chamber music festival. Drawing on his connections from the renowned Piatigorsky/Heifetz Master Classes, he invited colleagues to join him for the inaugural Sitka Summer Music Festival in June 1972. That first year, a small group of Alaskans pooled resources to fund the musicians' one-way tickets to Sitka, and concert proceeds covered their return flights. In a remarkable tradition of generosity and dedication, summer musicians performed without fees for 53 years, through the summer of 2024. To keep costs low, Rosenthal partnered with Sheldon Jackson College, allowing musicians and their families to stay on campus, often in Stevenson Hall. Since its founding, the Festival has welcomed over 250 distinguished classical musicians.

In 2011, after nearly four decades as Artistic Director, Rosenthal retired, leaving behind a legacy of enthusiastic audiences, enduring friendships, and dedicated supporters. He carefully selected cellist Zuill Bailey as his successor, ensuring that the Festival would continue to bring world-class classical music to Alaska for generations to come.

For decades, Stevenson Hall served as a home for the Sitka Music Festival, providing lodging for world-class musicians who traveled to Sitka each June to perform. Located on the historic Sheldon Jackson College campus, Stevenson Hall was an essential part of the Festival’s operations—until 2007, when the college closed. This sudden loss forced SMF to find alternative housing for its artists, often at great expense during Sitka’s busy summer visitor season. Without a permanent home, the Festival faced significant logistical and financial challenges that strained its ability to focus on its core mission: bringing top-caliber chamber music and education to Alaskans.

A Vision for a Permanent Home

In 2010, Stevenson Hall was put up for sale. At the time, the Festival was not in a position to purchase the building, but thanks to a generous friend of the Festival, it was secured and held until SMF could raise the necessary funds. By early 2015, after years of dedicated fundraising, the Festival officially took ownership of Stevenson Hall, setting the stage for a transformational renovation that would ensure its future as a home for chamber music, artist residencies, and education.

Restoring and Revitalizing Stevenson Hall

When SMF acquired Stevenson Hall, the building had been sitting vacant for eight years and required extensive repairs. It lacked insulation, reliable heating and electricity, and essential soundproofing—all critical to creating a functional space for musicians who often rehearse simultaneously.

The Festival launched a multi-year, $5 million renovation, beginning with urgent structural repairs. In 2015, the foundation was stabilized, followed by a full roof replacement in 2017. The final phase, which began in late 2019, transformed the interior while preserving the building’s historic character. In May 2021, just in time for SMF’s 50th Anniversary Season, the Festival moved back into the fully renovated building, rededicating it as the Miner Music Center at Stevenson Hall.

A Home for the Future

Owning and restoring Stevenson Hall has allowed SMF to expand its impact beyond Sitka, strengthening its ability to serve communities across Alaska. The Miner Music Center is now a year-round hub for chamber music, supporting artist residencies, student mentorship, and training programs. The Festival can now host more artists, develop new educational initiatives, and explore digital programming to ensure even remote communities have access to world-class music.

With a home base firmly in place, SMF has deepened its commitment to serving Alaska’s communities. The Festival’s reach now extends beyond Sitka to Anchorage, Kotzebue, Bethel, Unalaska, Juneau, Talkeetna, Ketchikan, Wasilla, and more than 30 additional communities—bringing performances, music education, and outreach to audiences across the state.

The Miner Music Center at Stevenson Hall represents more than just a building—it is a cultural anchor, a space for mentorship, and a place where music brings people together. As SMF looks to the future, Stevenson Hall will continue to be a place where artists and audiences connect, learn, and share the transformative power of musicacross Alaska.