SUNY Cortland’s concert history takes center stage

05/22/2026

Legendary acts from Billy Joel to Earth, Wind and Fire made musical memories across a golden age of campus concerts at SUNY Cortland.

Soon, that rich history will be on display June 5 as part of C ortland Arts Connect's First Friday event.

The Musical Legacy Sculpture and Memorabilia Display will reveal more about the concerts on campus between 1960 and 1990. Those acts include 33 Grammy Award winners and 23 future Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.

Hosted by SUNY Cortland's Musical Legacy Committee, t he free event takes place on the first floor of Corey Union on campus. Parking is free on Neubig Road and in the Prospect Terrace Parking Lot. Refreshments will be offered.

Community members can see the university's Musical Legacy Project - and share their own Cortland concert memories - before it's placed in temporary storage for a 2 ½-year renovation of Corey Union.

Highlights for the June 5 event include:

• 5 to 8 p.m. : The Musical Legacy Commemorative Project Committee hosts a reception open to all guests. Committee members will share their roles in producing many of the concerts.
  

• 5 to 8 p.m. : Scott Oldfield, director of SUNY Cortland's Dowd Gallery and the artist who created the interactive musical legacy sculpture "Unlimited Improv," will share his artwork.
  

• 5:45 and 6:45 p.m. : SUNY Cortland's Billy Joel piano, a historic Steinway grand piano , will be displayed on the stage of the Corey Union Function Room. Joel played the instrument during campus concerts in 1972 and 1974.

• 6 p.m. : Oldfield and Kevin Pristash, committee member and director of Corey Union, will speak. Guests can view memorabilia and other concert items.

Oldfield said the sculpture, which debuted in 2019, continues to evolve and includes items modeled from actual performances at Cortland, including Ronnie James Dio's microphone and Judy Collins' guitar.

"There are some areas (of the sculpture) where there's actual sheet music from some of the performances," Oldfield said. "There are parts and pieces of memorabilia from different artists that have been here."

A special website highlighting the committee's work and a concert history timeline can be viewed at sites.cortland.edu/musiclegacy.