This is an historical account of the death of the music education program at Oberlin Conservatory. This research was a historical bounded system case study of the music teacher education program (1901 - 2017) at Oberlin Conservatory. The purpose of the study was to identify the factors that gave rise to and sustained music education in the earlier half of the 20th century, but also the causes of its decline and death, to provide an in-depth understanding of what might cause the termination of a music teacher education program. Data sources for this study included detailed analyses of primary sources from Oberlin College archives from the institution’s inception in 1833 to the present: course catalogs, yearbooks, reports to the board of trustees, departmental communications, and employee files. A detailed review of the literature provided broader context, and often validation for the events at Oberlin specifically. The influence of Mendelssohn’s Leipzig Conservatory on early U.S. conservatories is necessary to understand the relationship between performance and music teacher education. Leipzig was a particularly musically conservative institution whose alumni influenced early American conservatories, and Oberlin was founded by Leipzig alumni. Throughout the history of Oberlin’s music teacher education program, largely attributable to the persistence and dedication of Karl Gehrkens, the pursuit of the highest levels of performing artistry constantly ran counter to the often more egalitarian philosophies of music education, particularly as practiced in schools and in the community. This philosophical difference was perhaps the most significant factor in the ultimate loss of the music teacher education program. Another major factor was a push for higher performance standards to remain competitive with other music schools in the mid-1960s which started a notable decline in Oberlin’s music education program. Attempts to stimulate higher enrollment in music education from the 1970s through the early 2000s bore no fruit. These factors combined with Oberlin being a small private school with very high tuition rates led conservatory administrators to conclude that Oberlin was unable to sustain a music teacher education program worthy of the institution’s reputation. Due to low enrollment, the program was reduced to a graduate only-program in 2007, retiring faculty were not replaced, and the last student graduated with a music education degree in 2017. These findings reinforce the importance of a strong, well-articulated philosophical position for all music educators and institutions, and that music educators must always consider the balance between relevance and excellence.