January 20 in Washington: University of Nebraska–Lincoln choir performs during the 60th presidential inauguration ceremonies

A January 20 milestone connects presidential transitions and a Nebraska campus ensemble

January 20 holds a distinctive place on the U.S. civic calendar: it is the modern, constitutionally established date for presidential inaugurations, adopted to shorten the transition period between election and the start of a new administration. The first inauguration held on January 20 under this framework occurred in 1937, when Franklin D. Roosevelt began his second term.

UNL students’ role in the 2025 inaugural program

On January 20, 2025, a combined choir from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the 60th presidential inauguration ceremonies. The ensemble included more than 120 students and performed inside the U.S. Capitol, in the Rotunda, as part of the formal proceedings. The choir opened the program with the piece “One Voice,” appearing alongside “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, the military ensemble that traditionally provides music for presidential events and inaugural programming.

• Location: U.S. Capitol Rotunda, Washington, D.C.
• Participants: University of Nebraska–Lincoln combined choir (more than 120 students) and the United States Marine Band
• Selection: The choir was formally invited to take part through congressional inauguration planning channels

Why the ceremony moved indoors

The 2025 inauguration activities at the Capitol were shifted indoors amid frigid conditions in the region. The use of the Rotunda for the swearing-in ceremony and associated program elements follows an established contingency approach for severe weather. The decision placed 2025 among the rare inaugurations conducted indoors because of extreme cold, a circumstance last seen in 1985 during Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration, when public safety concerns and subfreezing temperatures forced a similar change in plans.

The Rotunda serves as the inclement-weather alternative for presidential inauguration ceremonies when conditions require moving the program inside.

A civic tradition that includes public institutions and performing arts

While inaugurations are foremost constitutional events centered on the transfer of executive power, the ceremonies have long incorporated musical performance as part of their public character. UNL’s participation reflected that tradition by placing a large student ensemble within one of the federal government’s most symbolic spaces at a moment of national transition. For the students, the trip also included time in the capital beyond the ceremony itself, with scheduled activities that accompanied rehearsals and performance commitments.

In the span of a single date, January 20 again linked institutional continuity in Washington with the presence of a university-based ensemble—underscoring how inaugurations routinely draw on both federal ceremonial units and civilian performers to mark the start of a presidential term.