For more than 40 years the festival was traditionally held between Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays at the station and at concert venues around the city. A few notes on past festivals for your edification:

February 1951: The 12th WNYC American Music Festival was to feature avant-garde composer Edgar Varese's, "Ionization."  The work called for the use of a siren "as a singing voice among some forty percussion instruments."  But WNYC had to rule it out with regrets since the New York City Civil Defense Office banned all sirens except those used for air-raid warnings.

February 1944: The 5th WNYC American Music Festival presented 30 radio premieres. Included were: Aaron Copland's "Violin Sonata," played by Ruth Posselt with the composer at the piano; "Synthetic Waltzes," by Virgil Thomson, played by Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale, duo pianists; and "Five Anniversaries," by Leonard Bernstein, played by the composer.

February 1941: The 2nd WNYC American Music Festival opening concert drew an audience of 3,000 to Hunter College's new auditorium.  Another 2,000 were turned away for a lack of space. The music was provided by an orchestra of 100 musicians drawn from the WNYC Concert Orchestra and The New York Civic Orchestra of the WPA Music Project. Among the composer-led works was 'Station WGZBX,' a satirical suite by Philip James, and the world premiere of Morton Gould's 'Spiritual for String, Choir and Orchestra.' Deems Taylor conducted his composition 'The Highwayman' with Richard Hale singing baritone.
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