Irene Haupt, a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo, has been documenting the Buffalo arts scene through her photography since 1976. During that time she has worked for, or with, some of the most notable institutions in Buffalo, including the Irish Classical Theatre, Studio Arena Theater, the Kavinoky Theatre, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Theatre of Youth, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, and the State University of New York at Buffalo. In addition to her specialty of theater photography, Irene Haupt has also devoted much of her career to the photography of musicians and musical events. Most notable is her documentation of the contemporary music scene in Buffalo, including coverage of the University at Buffalo's June in Buffalo festival of new music, 1982-1987, and 2000 to the present. Over the course of those years, she has created a visual record that contains images of some of the most significant composers and performers of the last quarter century. The list of names is impressive: Aaron Copland, Morton Feldman, Leo Smit, Virgil Thomson, Steve Reich, Ralph Shapey, Henry Brant, Earle Brown, Ursula Oppens, Jan Williams, Lukas Foss, Philip Glass, Otto Luening, Conlon Nancarrow, Ernst Krenek, Larry Austin, Lejaren Hiller, Elliott Carter, Milton Babbitt, John Cage, Charles Wuorinen, Jacob Druckman, and Yvar Mikhashoff, among others.

The June in Buffalo festival of contemporary music was begun at the University at Buffalo in 1975 by composer Morton Feldman. He directed the festival 1975-1978 and in 1980. The festival was dormant from 1981 through 1985. David Felder revived the festival in 1986 and has been its director since that time.