Manhattan School of Music Biennial Report FY22 & FY23

BIENNIAL REPORT FY22 & FY23

Message from the Board Chair and President

Dear Friends,

This report documents an exciting two fiscal years at Manhattan School of Music. We hope that you share our pride in all that the School has accomplished: the hundreds of classical, jazz, and musical theatre performances our gifted students brought to thrilling life; the achievements of our alumni who won seats in major orchestras, made a Broadway debut, were awarded Grammys and even the Pulitzer Prize; and the esteemed artist teachers who joined our faculty. Among notable achievements, enrollment in our College and Precollege divisions reached record levels, a powerful indicator of institutional strength. Immensely talented young musicians came to this beacon of music education from nearly every U.S. state and more than 50 countries across the globe. During the past two performance seasons, we celebrated the work of underrepresented creators, and we continued to value diversity, equity, and inclusion as central to the School. We expanded our curriculum, including the Global Conservatoire, a partnership with four prestigious European conservatories. And importantly, we operated within our means and with sound fiscal management.

As MSM’s founder Dr. Janet Daniels Schenck wrote in her 1960 memoir: “No one knows better than I do that our School, or any school, is more than the efforts of any one person — it grows from the devotion and vision and hard work of a group of dedicated people.” Now in the early years of MSM’s second century, these words still ring true. None of the work summarized in this Biennial Report would have been possible without the steadfast commitment of our Board of Trustees, our generous donors, the dedicated faculty, and hard-working staff who share our unshakable belief in the transformative power of music. We salute all of those highlighted in these pages who have helped MSM to thrive and to carry out the deeply gratifying work of preparing young musicians to be accomplished performers and leaders in the arts and society.

We have entered our second century with a renewed dedication to our students, redoubling our resolve to enhance the work and impact of this esteemed institution and, in doing so, extending MSM’s positive influence on countless lives around the globe.

Lorraine Gallard James Gandre Chair President

College Highlights

MSM students (totaling 980 in FY22 and 1,050 in FY23) participated in over 700 concerts, master classes, and performances each year as part of the curriculum and were often joined by esteemed faculty and distinguished guest artists, including Simon Estes, Sergio Assad, and Sir James Galway. These annual offerings, whether in person or online, are woven into the artistic fabric of our Morningside Heights neighborhood, New York City, the U.S., and the world.

Vocal Arts

MSM Vocal Arts students were thrilled to return to live performances in the 2021–22 season. MSM Opera Theatre presented Offenbach’s 19th-century operetta Orpheus in the Underworld (December 9–12, 2021) and two Mozart masterpieces: Le nozze di Figaro (April 18–May 1, 2022) and The Magic Flute (May 7, 2022). In addition to multiple opera scenes programs, students participated in a chamber opera workshop and presentation of Seven Sisters, a new opera with music by Justine Chen and libretto by Stephanie Fleischmann, conducted by Kelly Kuo (MM ’98). It concluded with a talkback with the creators (April 8, 2022).

The 2022–23 season featured La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina (November 1920, 2022) by Francesca Caccini; a French triple bill: Massenet’s Le portrait de Manon, Ibert's Angélique, and Fauré's melodious Pavane as an interlude (December 8–11, 2022); an Opera in Concert with the MSM Symphony Orchestra conducted by George Manahan (BM ’73, MM ’76) performing Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortlilèges (January 26–27, 2023); Svadba, an a cappella opera by Serbian-Canadian composer Ana Sokolović (March 31–April 1, 2023); Janáček’s woodland fantasy, The Cunning Little Vixen (April 27–30, 2023), and Monteverdi's classic L’incoronazione di Poppea, produced as a reality TV show (May 5–6, 2023).

The National Opera Association honored MSM in 2023 with a Division VIII First Place award for The Cunning Little Vixen, citing “A beautiful production, beautifully staged and sung. I was extremely impressed with the musical preparation and comfort shown by these young artists… The attention to detail was tremendous… Clever concept and beautifully executed on many levels. This is a production worth being proud of—Congratulations!” In 2022, the Association awarded La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina second place honors in Division VII, and Le nozze di Figaro earned second place in Division VIII.

Choral performances included the MSM Symphonic Chorus & Orchestra (conducted by Kent Tritle) in concerts on November 22, 2021, and March 30, 2022, featuring Fauré's Requiem, José Maurício Nunes Garcia's Stabat Mater, and Mozart’s Requiem. Dr. Malcolm J. Merriweather (DMA ’15) conducted MSM Chamber Choir and MSM Chorale performances on November 30, 2022, and April 15, 2023, featuring music by Vincente Lusitano, Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, Samuel Coleridge -Taylor, George Walker, and selections from Considering Matthew Shepard by Craig Hella Johnson. Master classes led by Isabel Leonard (PC ’98, HonDMA ’21), Melissa Wegner (MM ’05), Michael Heaston, Donald Palumbo, Stephanie Blythe, Simon Estés, Daniel Belcher, and Beth Clayton (MM '94) inspired students to dig deeper and to challenge themselves at the highest levels.

From top : MSM Opera Theatre presented The Cunning Little Vixen in NeidorffKarpati Hall from April 27–30, 2023. The production was honored by the National Opera Association. MSM trustee emerita Joan T. Ades (HonDMA ’14) with the winners of the 2022 Ades Vocal Competition (left to right): Rosario Armas (BM ’20, MM ’22), third place; Dr. Ades; Jouelle Roberson (PS ’22), first place; and Jasmine Ismail (MM ’21, PS ’22), second place. Tamara Vučić , First Lady of the Republic of Serbia, attended the opening night of MSM Opera Theatre’s 2023 production of Svadba, by SerbianCanadian composer Ana Sokolović .

Jazz Arts

The MSM Jazz Orchestra presented well-received concerts paying tribute to such important artists as Roy Hargrove, conducted by Matt Holman (MM ’10, DMA ’18) featuring Artistic Director and special guest MSM faculty Member Marc Cary (September 23, 2021); Count Basie, conducted by Jon Faddis (October 12, 2021); and Charles Mingus, conducted by Jack Walrath (April 12, 2022). Additional programs were led by Dennis Mackrel (September 28, 2022), Darcy James Argue (November 18, 2022), and Jim McNeely (February 7, 2023), a celebrated jazz pianist, composer, and recently retired MSM faculty member. The Venus Project (November 18, 2021) featured compositions by women with electric bassist and conductor Sherisse Rogers and trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, who was appointed Dean of Jazz Arts in Fall 2022. The annual Jazz ComboFest series featured a variety of smaller ensemble programs over several days, including MiNiGaJuRa, directed by Kendrick Scott (April 25, 2022); the Damien Sneed Gospel Ensemble (April 27, 2022); Intermittence, directed by Jaleel Shaw (April 28, 2022); The Music of Abbey Lincoln, directed by Marc Cary (April 11, 2023); The Music of Art Blakey, directed by Vincent Herring (April 12, 2023); The Music of Joe Henderson, directed by Jeremy Manasia (April 12, 2023); John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme by Kabelo Mokhatla (BM ’24) (April 14, 2023); an Afro-Cuban Ensemble, directed by Elio Villafranca (April 14, 2023); and Calamity: The Art of Soul and Hip Hop, directed by Michael Olatuja (April 18, 2023).

MSM’s Jazz Arts students performed with Dean Jensen at the 2023 Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference, which took place in Orlando, Florida , from January 4–7. This annual conference brings together jazz beginners and experts, hosting thousands of people from around the globe. MSM students who performed included the Masekela Scholars African Ensemble. With music ranging from hard-hitting, complex metered jazz forms to deep triplet-based grooves and the spoken word, the Hugh Masekela Heritage Scholars communicated the deep musical influences of South Africa on the global jazz community. “I can't say enough how important this program was to both the students involved at MSM and the greater jazz/music community.” said MSM Dean of Jazz Arts Ingrid Jensen.

“I enjoy the creativity and skill possessed by my classmates, the rigor of the curriculum, the highly competent and accomplished faculty, and the truly amazing library. There are few music programs in the world which would allow you to investigate these kinds of academic and musical resources.”

Will Lyle (MM ’22) Bass, Jazz Arts

MSM’s South African students are “truly brilliant vessels of music-making magic,” says Dean of Jazz Arts Ingrid Jensen, “and every Jazz program in the country, if not the world, would benefit from a regular support system that brings such richness of culture, character, and high musical standards to their classrooms and stages.”

Contemporary Performance Program

MSM has seen several world premieres of classical concert works since 2021, including Tzirklshpitz by Elliot Roman (BM ’21, MM ’23) on January 27, 2022, performed by the MSM Philharmonia led by George Manahan (BM ’73, MM ’76) (the score had won Roman a 2021 BMI Student Composer Award); Ludwig:sein:Seine, also by Roman, commissioned by the American String Quartet and presented on February 13, 2022; and Louis Karchin’s Quintet for Winds, programmed by MSM Camerata Nova on February 23, 2022. In addition, twice each year works for symphony orchestra by MSM composition students are presented in concert and given their first public hearing. Students in the School’s graduate program in Contemporary Performance (CPP) performed regularly with the ensemble Tactus, which premiered Bye-Standers by Euna Joh (MM ’22), winner of the 2021 Tactus Commission Prize (April 11, 2022); and eight solo work premieres curated by CPP faculty member Lucy Shelton, in a collaboration with the 2022 CPP graduating students (April 20, 2022). CPP Co-chair, saxophonist Erin Rogers, also organized a concert on April 28, 2022, featuring premieres of four solo works written in collaboration with CPP graduates. MSM Head of Composition Reiko Füting (DMA ’00) coordinated a special concert given on February 1, 2023, performed by MSM doctoral candidates celebrating the works of the late Ursula Mamlok (BM ’57, MM ’59).

Master Classes

Each year, MSM brings the world’s most distinguished musicians as visiting guests to share their expertise and knowledge with our students and an interested public.

Vocal Arts master classes were given by Stephanie Blythe (March 18, 2022); Lise Davidsen (April 17, 2023); Simon Estes (October 19, 2022); Warren Jones (April 13, 2022); Isabel Leonard (PC ’98, HonDMA ’21) (January 19, 2022); Donald Palumbo (February 23, 2022); and Melissa Wegner (MM ’05) (October 27, 2021). Musical Theatre majors interacted with such important industry figures as Broadway star Donna McKechnie (April 4, 2023) and casting directors Merri Sugarman (November 20, 2022), Rachel Hoffman (December 4, 2022), and Gayle Samuels (October 17, 2021). Instrumental classes included such international artists as violinists David Kim (October 28, 2022); Dmitry Sitkovetsky (January 23, 2023); and Christian Altenberger (February 10, 2023); cellist Martti Rousi (March 23, 2023); bassoonist Adrian Morejon (October 25, 2022); harpist Marie-Pierre Langlamet (November 10, 2022); pianists Dr. Josu de Solaun from Musical Arts Madrid (BM ’03, MM ’05, DMA ’11) (October 22, 2021); Dr. Gabor Farkas from the Liszt Academy of Music (October 4, 2022); HaeSun Paik from New England Conservatory (December 2, 2022); Michelle Cann from Curtis Institute of Music (March 20, 2023) and Philippe Raskin from the Royal Conservatory in Brussels (April 11, 2023); and guitarists João Luiz Rezende Lopes (DMA ’16) (October 20, 2021); Manuel Barrueco (February 22, 2023); Raphaella Smits (March 30, 2022); and Sérgio Assad, who gave a three-part series in The Augustine Foundation Virtual Master Class Residency (March 2023). Students in the Orchestral Performance Program benefited from the expertise of key players from the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Met Opera Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, among others.

Distinguished artists who gave master classes at MSM included Principal flutist of the Berlin Philharmonic Sébastian Jacot, bass-baritone Simon Estes, soprano Lise Davidsen, and guitarist Manuel Barrueco.

Musical Theatre

MSM’s Musical Theatre Program — the only stand-alone conservatory program in New York City — mounted thrilling mainstage productions that included Dave Malloy and Krista Knight’s Don’t Stop Me (February 18–20, 2022); Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Sunday in the Park With George (March 25–27, 2022); Howard Marren and Douglas J. Cohen’s Valentino’s Tango (October 28–30, 2022); Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick’s She Loves Me (November 11–13, 2022); Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis’s Urinetown (February 17–19, 2023); and the world premiere of Jim Wann and Vince Vawter’s Paperboy (March 24–26, 2023).

The Lab Series enables MSM students to work with musical theatre creators on musicals-indevelopment, introducing them to professional creative teams and the process of working on new material; this series enhances student’s college experience by increasing performance, industry networking, and artistic opportunities through six to eight workshops a year. Two of the Lab Series went on to become MSM’s mainstage productions Valentino’s Tango and Paperboy In 2022, MSM began a unique collaboration with Disney Theatrical Group, which gave students audition feedback and experience working with commercial theatre casting professionals. In Sitzprobe rehearsals of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Mary Poppins, MSM students had opportunities to be seen by Broadway music and casting directors.

With support from the Fred Ebb Foundation, MT workshopped One Way (May 11–13, 2022), a musical in development written by Ben Bonnema and Christopher Staskel, who won the 16th annual Fred Ebb Award. In April 2023, MT produced Jack Viertel’s musical adaptation of his book, The Secret Life of the American Musical (April 25–27, 2023).

“The fabulous facilities, supportive faculty, excellent location, and performance opportunities led me to choose Manhattan School of Music.

I am always working on something exciting, rehearsing for a choreography showcase, seeing my teachers perform on Broadway, or singing a new piece with my exceptional peers.”

Meaghan Sheridan Almon (BM ’24)

Top to bottom: MSM Musical Theatre presented Sunday in the Park with George from March 22–27, 2022; Musical Theatre students Kolter Erikson and Yoyo Zhou in the 2023 world premiere of the new musical Paperboy, based on the acclaimed award-winning autobiographical novel by Vince Vawter; MSM students participating in a Disney Theatrical Group workshop in the Ades Performance Space.

“Being at MSM has given me more fulfillment than I ever expected. I have been granted amazing opportunities and made lifelong friends. I’m excited to see how the School will help propel me forward into becoming the musician and human being I want to be.”

Jacob Ogbu (BM ’25) Tenor Trombone

Instrumental Studies and Orchestral Performance

On July 1, 2022, esteemed cultural and academic leader JT Kane joined the School to lead its newly created Instrumental Studies and Orchestral Performance Division. He came to this new role from the New World Symphony, where he had served as Vice President for Musician Advancement and Dean of Orchestra. As the inaugural dean of this major new division, Mr. Kane oversees 10 areas of study: piano, strings, winds, brass, percussion, guitar, conducting, chamber music, the Contemporary Performance Program, and the prestigious Graduate Program in Orchestral Performance. This newly created division — the largest at MSM, with more than 100 faculty and an enrollment of approximately 500 students — provides a cohesive pedagogical and performance framework.

In FY22 and FY23, conductors George Manahan (BM ’73, MM ’76), Director of Orchestral Activities at MSM, and Perry So led several diverse programs by the School’s Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonia, with additional smaller ensembles prepared by Kyle Ritenauer (BM ’11, MM ’15) and Earl Lee (MM ’13). Maestro Manahan led the MSM Symphony in a special event on October 10, 2021, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Graduate Program in Orchestral Performance — a seminal course of study established to provide students intensive preparation in the orchestral repertoire and to produce polished musicians of the highest artistic caliber who are readied for careers as symphonic players. The program’s co-founding faculty member and former chair, Glenn Dicterow and members of the OP faculty performed alongside current students in a fanfare by Adolphus Hailstork (BM ’65, MM ’66, HonDMA ’19) and works by Arensky, Stravinsky, and Ravel.

On July 1, 2022, esteemed violinist and longtime concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra David Chan became Head of the Orchestral Performance Program, assuming the mantle from Dicterow. “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome David to MSM to steer the incredibly successful OP program into its next 30 years,” said MSM President James Gandre

“Everything I have done and continue to do in my musical life has led me to this unique program at Manhattan School of Music,” said Mr. Chan. “I am so incredibly proud to take on the role that Glenn Dicterow has inhabited so fully for the past three decades. MSM’s Graduate Program in Orchestral Performance, with its 30 years of success and its track record of preparing so many wonderful musicians for a life in music, is distinctive in the world of conservatory education. I celebrate its past successes and look forward to what I know will be a wonderful future.”

Leonard Slatkin (HonDMA ’13, MSM trustee), Distinguished Visiting Artist in Conducting and Orchestral Studies at MSM, curated four exciting concerts: works by Julia Perry and Prokofiev that bookended Slatkin’s own arrangements of music by Brahms (October 1, 2021); contemporary works by Toshio Hosokawa, Benjamin Lees, and Witold Lutosławski (February 11, 2022); George Walker’s lament Lyric for Strings paired with Shostakovich’s monumental Symphony No. 5 (February 10, 2023); and, finally, a performance of Stravinsky’s iconic The Rite of Spring by MSM’s OPUS130 orchestra, with Cindy McTee’s Timepiece and Frank Martin’s Concerto for 7 Winds (April 14, 2023).

Top: On February 1, 2023, MSM Orchestral Performance Program faculty members joined students in a concert conducted by David Chan , Head of the Orchestral Performance Program. Left: New faculty members David Chan and JT Kane , Dean of Instrumental Studies and Orchestral Performance, spoke with MSM patrons in a special event at the University Club on October 9, 2022.

Faculty Appointments

Gregg August Contemporary Performance Program (bass) Bassist and Grammy-nominated composer

Demian Austin Brass (trombone) Principal Trombonist, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Ashkan Behzadi Composition 2021-22 Guggenheim Fellow in Music Composition

John Benitez (BM ’04) Jazz Arts (bass) Grammy Award winner, Best Latin Jazz Album

Michelle Cann Piano Grammy Award winner, Best Orchestral Performance

David Chan Head of the Orchestral Performance Program Concertmaster, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Nicole Glover Jazz Arts (tenor saxophone) Grammy-nominated saxophonist, bandleader, composer

Myra Huang (MM ’01) Collaborative Piano Grammy-nominated pianist Head of Music, Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, The Metropolitan Opera

Billy Ray Hunter Brass (trumpet) Principal Trumpet, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Chloé Kiffer (MM ’14, PS ’15) Strings (violin) Violin Faculty, Heifetz International Music Institute, Beijing International Music Festival and Academy, MusicFest Perugia, and MusicAlps

Deborah King Vocal Arts (MSM Chorale) Conductor, Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival

Thomas Lausmann (PS ’00) Collaborative Piano Director of Music Administration, The Metropolitan Opera

Michael Olatuja Jazz Arts (bass) Award-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader

Sidney Outlaw Vocal Arts Grammy-nominated baritone, Metropolitan Opera Artist

Angela Owens Musical Theatre Award-winning soprano

Sophia Pedatella Humanities Lead Teaching Fellow, Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning

Dimitri Pittas Vocal Arts Metropolitan Opera Artist

Aaron Ricciardi Musical Theatre Award-winning playwright

Valerie Coleman Chamber Music, Contemporary Performance Program, Woodwinds Grammy-nominated flutist

Maddie Corman Musical Theatre (Acting) Award-winning Broadway, film, and television actress

Evan Epifanio Woodwinds (bassoon) Principal Bassoon, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Liz Geisewite Conducting Director of Choral Education, Brooklyn Youth Chorus

Donna Gill Vocal Arts World-renowned vocal coach

Isabel Leonard (PC ’98, HonDMA ’21) Vocal Arts Three-time Grammy Award winner, Best Classical Compendium and Best Opera Recording Metropolitan Opera Artist

Coco Leung (DMA ’23) Music History/Keyboard Skills Award-winning soloist and recitalist

Jiayin Li (DMA ’23) Piano Award-winning soloist and recitalist

Jessica Meyer Strings (viola) Award-winning violist and composer

Christòpheren Nomura Vocal Arts Grammy-nominated baritone

Sasha Romero Brass (trombone) Principal Trombone, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Mark Schnaible Vocal Arts Voice Teacher, Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program

Bryan Wagorn (DMA ’13) Collaborative Piano Assistant Conductor, The Metropolitan Opera

Xiao Wang (BM ’13, MM ’15, AD ’16) Strings (violin) Award-winning violin soloist and chamber musician

Steven White (MM ’17) Percussion Percussionist and Assistant Timpanist, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

The Orto Center

The Orto Center, home to MSM's groundbreaking Distance Learning and Recording Arts program, showcases collaborative videoconference master classes, programs, and coachings that expand access to world-class artists and teachers for the MSM Community.

In FY22, MSM received a $50,000 grant from the New York State Council on the Arts, which allowed the Orto Center to upgrade recording and livestreaming equipment in four of the School’s major venues with a new digital mixing and broadcast console and six new 4K remote-controlled PTZ cameras. Additional capital improvements for the Center also converted Myers Recital Hall into its primary Distance Learning studio with additional HD cameras, audio equipment, TV monitors, and broadcast lighting. In FY23, capital funding allowed the Orto Center to convert an old office space into a fourth recording studio control room, allowing for better support of simultaneous events that occur in various spaces. Additionally, funding was allocated to outfit Ades Performance Space with multiple 4K remotecontrolled PTZ cameras so that events in the heavily used space could be added to MSM’s livestream calendar.

Center control room

a Jazz Arts video recording session in Neidorff-Karpati Hall.

The Center livestreamed 355 events in FY22 and 402 in FY23 (including MSM student ensemble performances; student and faculty recitals; master classes; and special events). These received a total of 138,459 plays, reaching a global audience in 126 countries throughout 2021–22 and 134 countries in 2022–23. Distance learning events in FY22 and FY23 totaled 166 K-12 programs (a combination of thematic programming, private lessons, and group coachings) and 55 Higher Ed master classes reaching an audience of 4,140 students worldwide.

The Orto Center continued to partner with the nonprofit Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration to promote Music Bridges, standards-based music and interdisciplinary programs, to K-12 schools and lifelong learners nationally and internationally. In the 2022–23 academic year, approximately 850 students from 24 primary and secondary schools in eight U.S. states and three Canadian provinces participated in Music Bridges. This included schools in the Canadian territory of Nunavut through an ongoing partnership with Connected North, which provides live, interactive virtual learning and access to educational resources for students and teachers in remote communities.

Top: MSM Jazz Arts faculty member Miguel Zenón (above right) works with students at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (above left); Daniel Bowling, Gatsby Chair of Musical Theatre at the Royal Academy of Music in London (below left), works with Musical Theatre students at MSM (below right). Bottom: Behind the scenes in an Orto

during

The Global Conservatoire

This pioneering digital learning environment, launched in 2021, creates a “global college town” by bringing together five partner institutions: Manhattan School of Music, the Royal College of Music in London, the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, and the program’s newest partner (as of April 2023), the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.

In collaboration with other prominent international conservatories, the Global Conservatoire brings MSM faculty and students into asynchronous online classrooms, cultivating an international exchange of ideas and allowing students from five conservatories in three different time zones to work at their own pace, completing courses around busy rehearsal and practice schedules. By consolidating its partners’ collective experience in the challenges of music distance learning and each institution’s strengths and expertise, the Global Conservatoire becomes a groundbreaking flagship program that transcends borders, connecting students into a virtual, academic hub.

In September 2022, MSM hosted the third transnational Global Conservatoire gathering, with 20 participants meeting in New York from the four schools (the Conservatorium van Amsterdam had not yet joined the partnership). The convening began with an overview presentation to the MSM Board of Trustees, with GC faculty and staff meeting over the following two days to discuss elements related to best practices for teaching and engaging students in an online format. “There was a strong sense of community and enthusiasm that seemed to grow from session to session,” observes MSM Executive Vice President and Provost Joyce Griggs . “The opportunity to continue conversations over an extended period of time was tremendously valuable, allowing for a rich exchange of ideas between faculty and staff on supporting student learning.”

Founder’s Day

Dr. Janet Daniels Schenck (1883-1976) developed a community music school at the Union Settlement House on East 104th Street between 1913 and 1917, which became an independent endeavor by 1918. Known as the Neighborhood Music School, it became Manhattan School of Music in 1938. Schenck brought Pablo Casals and Harold Bauer onboard as advisors and rallied donors to raise funds. MSM became a college in the 1940s; received full accreditation in the 1950s; and then outgrew its original home to relocate to the School's current campus on Claremont Avenue in the 1960s. On November 22, 2022, MSM celebrated the inaugural “Founder’s Day” to remember this visionary who led the School for over four decades. The date coincided with the 139-year anniversary of her birth. “Dr. Schenck’s legacy is evident in everything we do,” observed MSM President James Gandre. The new tradition highlighted Dr. Schenck’s life and career with an exhibit in the Peter Jay Sharp Library; a social media blitz; and the premiere of a mini-documentary about MSM’s founding and early years. The MSM Community was encouraged to mark this special day with acts of community support.

Center for Career Readiness & Community Impact

The CCRCI — which grew out of MSM’s previous Center for Music Entrepreneurship and Community Partnerships program — supports students’ educational and professional growth as they pursue personally meaningful career paths.

Throughout FY22 and FY23, the Center offered undergraduate and graduate students coursework and professional workshops to help prepare them for multifaceted careers in the arts. CCRCI resources for students and alumni include the Hire A Musician referral service, the Private Teacher Directory, an Online Opportunities Board, which shared thousands of long-term employment opportunities, and One-on-One Career Advising.

The CCRCI brought a range of music professionals and entrepreneurs to MSM to give workshops and presentations in its dynamic Setting the Stage series on career development. These included a live interactive video conference workshop about the life of an orchestral musician, “Orchestral Life: A Discussion with Maestro Alexander Shelley ” (October 14, 2021), led by Shelley from Canada’s National Arts Centre; “Tenure in a New Era” (December 2, 2021) featuring flutist, coach, and artist advocate Elizabeth Rowe, Principal Flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, who discussed advocacy for gender equity in the performing arts; “Global Perspectives on Classical Music: A View from Asia” (October 11, 2022), presented by cellist, composer, and intercultural music researcher Jon Silpayamanant; and “Creating Inspirational Opportunities for Musicians with Disabilities” (April 3, 2023) with David Stanley, UK Government Disability and Access Ambassador for Arts and Culture, who shared his professional and personal journey of creating inspirational opportunities for musicians with disabilities. In addition to the above, the CCRCI continued to oversee a Music Education & Performance Pathway Program with Teachers College Columbia University, as well as a robust internship program that offers an array of real-world experiential learning opportunities to enhance students’ education.

Top to bottom: MSM students at a Community Impact program at Atria Riverdale on February 16, 2023. Students from P.S. 36 arrive at MSM (above) for a dress rehearsal of MSM Opera Theatre’s The Cunning Little Vixen and an enthusiastic Q&A on April 26, 2023.

Through the Center’s Community Impact program, MSM students brought the transformative power of music to K-12 schoolchildren and to adults in senior living residences and memory care facilities. A highlight was a dress rehearsal of MSM Opera Theatre’s The Cunning Little Vixen, presented for local K-12 schools on April 26, 2023, in Neidorff-Karpati Hall. The performance was introduced with a pre-curtain talk by Carleen Graham, Dean of Vocal Arts, and Rebecca Charnow, Dean of Youth Education and Community-Career Connections. Before the performance, teachers received illustrated handouts that introduced basic opera vocabulary and concepts to make the art form more accessible to school audiences. Post-performance surveys were distributed to K-12 teachers. P.S. 36 5th grade teachers Mrs. Garcia, Ms. Gulley, and Ms. Charles wrote: “We so much enjoyed every aspect of your production from the amazing costumes to the beautiful orchestral music, to the INCREDIBLY TALENTED singers, and the amazing set designs. Everything was more than we could have ever anticipated, and we are excited to see more productions at MSM.”

Student Affairs

MSM’s Student Affairs division, consisting of Residence Life, Student Engagement, and Campus Health and Wellness, expanded in FY22 to include a new initiative, the Student Success Center, as well as MSM’s English as a Second Language Department.

Launched in Fall 2021, the Student Success Center supports students with disabilities by providing academic accommodations and coaching to struggling students, to help them develop study strategies and habits that improve academic outcomes. The Student Success Center also supports other vulnerable groups of students by proactively looking for barriers to success such as housing or food insecurity or mental health struggles. The Center also sponsors educational programming for MSM students on topics of concern.

In 2022, the Center secured funding from the New York State Education Department’s Office of Postsecondary Access, Support, and Success to create programming to ease the transition of students with disabilities from high school to college. Various workshops support students who struggle with performance anxiety, and the Center has collaborated with New York Therapy Animals to support anxious students before juries and finals. Finally, the Center offers tutoring in a variety of courses, from its most popular Musical Theatre Dance tutoring program to Jazz Theory and Academic Writing.

MSM continued to offer its long-standing Summer English Study (SES) program to give extra English language support to select international students. The School used commercially available measurement tools to measure the success of the program, which seeks to increase participants' English language skills, while making sure they also have fun while getting to know New York City.

Nearly half of MSM College students live in Andersen Hall, benefiting from the continuous support of Residence Life staff to create a positive, hospitable living environment.

Top: President James Gandre and Dean of Students Monica Christensen with students on the 2023 sunset cruise around New York Harbor, an annual highlight of MSM’s eight-day Orientation for new students. Right: Dr. Eduardo Pereira PT, DPT-RAC (top) treating a student’s musculoskeletal pain from a performancerelated injury as part of MSM’s recently expanded Physical Therapy program. MSM’s mascots (middle) welcoming students to Summer English Study. A Campus Health and Wellness poster (bottom) targeting vulnerable students in an outreach campaign to ameliorate mental health crises.

Precollege & MSM Summer

MSM Precollege is a training program for talented young musicians aged 5 to 18, held on Saturdays during the school year. With enrollment between 472 (Fall 2021) and 501 (Fall 2022), students receive professional instruction and multiple performing opportunities in a supportive environment. A busy schedule produced 670 classes in FY22 and 736 classes in FY23.

MSM Summer provides instruction and performance experience in a dynamic conservatory setting for students ages 8 to 17, who develop their musical skills and join a vibrant community of young musicians.

MSM Summer participants enjoy a range of musical and social activities. Each student has six hours of instruction daily, including lessons in music theory, ear-training, and music history and a variety of electives, including composition, improvisation, songwriting, and audition techniques. The faculty includes 33 teaching artists, all of whom are experienced performers. MSM Summer students also receive a weekly 45-minute private lesson. The program concludes with a series of live performances, including the MSM Summer Orchestra, jazz and chamber music ensembles, and two fully staged and costumed musical theatre productions. In 2022, MSM Summer held its first Summer Concerto Competition.

MSM Summer’s enrollment was 130 students in 2022 and reached 138 in 2023.

Cultural Inclusion

MSM believes that cultural inclusion is essential to an educational institution and is committed to fostering an inclusive environment in every way possible for our students. The aim of the School’s Cultural Inclusion Initiative is to assure that students develop an understanding of the various identities and differences—including race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, gender, able-ness, and sexual orientation—of people who constitute our community. It also requires the study and performance of works by a diverse range of creators.

MSM’s Cultural Inclusion policy was adopted in 2021 and appears in every syllabus from classroom to studio lessons and ensembles. This policy requires that students study or perform a work by an underrepresented creator in every course and concert given at the school, with the students and faculty in each area of study deciding what constitutes an underrepresented creator. For auditions, juries, and recitals, faculty and their department chairs identify requirements for student performances of works from these underrepresented categories. “We developed a policy that also includes vocabulary and clear definitions as well as language regarding on-going assessment of our endeavor to be more inclusive within the curriculum,” explains MSM Executive Vice President and Provost Joyce Griggs. “With a holistic approach, we require that creators from multiple backgrounds and identities be studied and presented in settings ranging from the classroom to the concert hall, including master classes, workshops, and forums.”

Top: The Black History Month concert (left) produced by MSM's Black Student Union (February 15, 2023); The 16th Annual International Student concert (right) (April 19, 2022); MSM alumnus baritone Daniel Rich (MM ’19) (above), won an emerging artist award in the inaugural Duncan Williams Voice Competition, one of 18 finalists with exceptional singing talent. Hosted by alumna J’Nai Bridges (BM ’09), the competition finals and awards ceremony took place in Neidorff-Karpati Hall on February 3, 2023. This new competition for emerging Black and Latinx singers, a partnership between MSM and New York City Opera, was conceived and organized by alumna Alexa Smith (MM ’10) who received a $97,500 grant from the Sphinx Organization’s Sphinx Venture Fund to launch the competition named in memory of Todd Duncan and Camilla Williams, the first two Black singers to appear at New York City Opera in the 1940s.

MSM’s Peter Jay Sharp Library built resources for our faculty and students, including e-subscriptions to provide digital access to works still under copyright, which at this time are more inclusive than works readily available in the public domain. The artistic planning process formally brought together academic deans and department chairs to consider programs for the upcoming academic year. This clarity of vision and expectation led to a significant expansion of the works of underrepresented creators in staged and orchestral performances. Performances of orchestral and staged works by underrepresented creators increased from 38% in FY19 to 55% in FY23.

New academic courses included an African American Music History course that focuses not only on the delta blues and deep South, but also the music of our neighborhood in Harlem; a first-of-its kind piano literature course exploring works by Asian composers; and another music history course titled “The Underrepresented in Opera,” which was created in 2023. MSM Student Affairs and Residence Life promoted cultural inclusion to create a sense of community and belonging; as with the CII Policy that appears in every syllabus, our Residence Life programming now has explicit learning outcomes, reinforcing an approach that is both within and outside of the curriculum.

In May 2023, President James Gandre announced the appointment of Nicolas Gonzalez as Assistant Vice President for Strategic Innovation and Special Initiatives. In this position, he leads MSM’s CII work. Nicolas wrote: “I am excited to join the Manhattan School of Music family, and I look forward to advancing the School’s Cultural Inclusion Initiative and a variety of important short- and long-term initiatives that will propel the School ever-forward for and on behalf of our students.” Nicolas is a member of the Sphinx LEAD Program and is the Board Chair of Sound Mind Musician, an organization which aims to end the stigma surrounding mental health in the classical music field.

Commencement 2022 & 2023

The School’s Commencement ceremonies were held on May 19, 2022, and May 18, 2023, at The Riverside Church.

The Class of 2022 totaled 343 graduating students (including those who completed their requirements in December 2021): 118 received a Bachelor of Music (BM) degree; 174 received a Master of Music (MM) degree; 16 received a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree; and 35 received Professional Studies (PS) Certificates. They hailed from 27 countries and 30 U.S. states. Students’ academic accomplishments in all divisions were recognized with 22 commencement awards, named in honor of distinguished faculty, donors, and figures in music (with a special event held on May 17 to honor the award recipients). Honorary doctorates were conferred upon countertenor and MSM trustee Anthony Roth Costanzo (MM ’08), choreographer/stage director Graciela Daniele, and pianist Hyung-ki Joo (BM ’93, MM ’99). Retiring faculty and staff members Ron Carter (MM ’61, HonDMA ’98), Glenn Dicterow, Karen Dreyfus, John Hagen, Marjorie Merryman, Mark Oswald, Maitland Peters, Melrose Phillips, Neil Rosenshein, Nina Svetlanova, and Janet Weaver were recognized; and the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service was conferred upon Monica Coen Christensen, Marion Feldman, David Loud, Carol Matos, and John Riley (MM ’85). Shimon Gambourg (MM ’22) was the student speaker and composer Adolphus Hailstork (BM ’62, MM ’65, HonDMA ’19) gave the Commencement address.

The Class of 2023 totaled 379 graduating students (including December 2022 grads): 106 received a Bachelor of Music (BM) degree; 218 received a Master of Music (MM) degree; 11 received a Professional Performance Diploma (PPD); 15 received a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree; 28 received Professional Studies (PS) Certificates; and one received an Artist Diploma (AD). They hailed from 35 countries and 29 U.S. states. Students’ academic accomplishments in all divisions were recognized with 24 commencement awards, named in honor of distinguished faculty, donors, and figures in music (with a special event held on May 17 to honor the award recipients). Honorary doctorates were conferred upon arts administrator Wayne S. Brown, MSM trustees Marcia Clay Hamilton and Edward Lowenthal, jazz legend Herbie Hancock (’62), and Los Angeles Philharmonic violinist Bing Wang (MM ’91). Retiring faculty and staff members Arkady Aronov, David Finlayson, Carolyn Marlow, John Pagano, and Richard Sussman (MM ’85) were recognized; and the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service was conferred upon Peter Caleb, Jeffrey Cohen, and Lucie Robert Jaydon T. Beleford (BM ’23) was the student speaker and Melissa Wegner (MM ’05), Executive Director of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and Laffont Competition, gave the Commencement address.

(1) 2023 Honorary doctorate recipients (first row, left to right) Bing Wang (MM ’91), Herbie Hancock (’62), and Wayne S. Brown; (2) 2022 Honorary doctorate recipient Hyung-ki Joo (BM ’93, MM ’99); (3) President James Gandre congratulates a graduating student at the 2022 Commencement; (4) MSM trustee and 2023 Honorary doctorate recipient Marcia Clay Hamilton; (5) 2023 Commencement speaker Melissa Wegner (MM ’05); (6) 2022 Honorary doctorate recipient Graciela Daniele with President Gandre; (7) MSM alumnus and trustee Bernie Williams (BM ’16) at the 2023 Commencement; (8) 2022 Commencement speaker Adolphus Hailstork (BM ’62, MM ’65, HonDMA ’19); (9) MSM trustee and Honorary doctorate recipient Edward Lowenthal (HonDMA ’23); (10) MSM alumnus and 2022 Honorary doctorate recipient Anthony Roth Costanzo (MM ’08).

Grammy Award-winning jazz musician Ron Carter (MM ’61, HonDMA ’98) the most recorded jazz bassist of all time with over 2,200 individual recording credits—was saluted in an 85th-birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall on May 10, 2022.

Award-winning violinist I-Jung Huang (PS ’20) was appointed to the New York Philharmonic in the 2022–23 season, one of the first appointments since the pandemic resulted in two years of disruption for the orchestra.

One of the most in-demand composers of her generation, lauded by the New York Times for her “uncommon gifts,” Anna Clyne (MM ’05) was named Featured Composer for the Philharmonia Orchestra of London’s 2022–23 season.

Esteemed pianist, composer, conductor, and educator Arturo O’Farrill (PC ’75) won the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Ensemble Album, with the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra for Fandango at the Wall in New York

Alumni Highlights

The success of our graduates attests to the quality of the music education MSM provides. MSM’s accomplished and award-winning alumni are active in every aspect of contemporary musical life, working at the highest levels of musical, educational, and cultural institutions. Many are among the most distinguished artists performing in concert halls, opera houses, and on jazz stages throughout the world today, while others have gone on to successful careers in education, law, television, government, information technology, and medicine. Here are just a select few from the past two years.

Award-winning novelist Joshua Cohen (BM ’01), who studied jazz composition as an MSM undergraduate, won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel The Netanyahus, which was also named a Wall Street Journal Best Book of 2021.

Acclaimed jazz bassist Linda May Han Oh (MM ’08) won a 2022 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for New Standards, Vol. 1, and was named 2022 Bassist of the Year in JazzTimes

Celebrated countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo (MM ’08, HonDMA ’22) won the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for his title role in Philip Glass’s Akhnaten with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

Shortly after receiving her Bachelor of Music degree in Musical Theatre, Alysia Velez (BM ’22) made her Broadway debut as Rapunzel in the acclaimed revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods

Dr. Cynthia Boxrud, MD (BM ’78) and her husband Dr. Scott Powell hosted MSM alumni at a dinner at their elegant home in Venice, California on April 20, 2023. Los Angeles area alumni also gathered for a reception at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica on April 21st, hosted by President Gande and MSM alumnae Charlene Huang (BM ’03), Vice President of Music Production, Netflix Animation, and Crystal Lofing Esq. (MM ’02), Partner Allen Matkins.

Fundraising Highlights

In FY22, MSM raised more than $6.6 million from individuals, foundations, and government agencies. Significant gifts included a $1-million commitment from alumnus Flavio Varani (BM ’68, MM ’70) to name the Grand Staircase and Foyer, to be fulfilled during his lifetime and through an irrevocable bequest, and a $750,000 gift from trustee emerita Joan Taub Ades (HonDMA ’14) to endow a scholarship for musical theatre and classical voice students. Giving to the Annual Fund increased by 11% in FY23 and total contributed income was $4.75 million. Gifts of note included a $750,000 commitment from an anonymous donor to endow a Precollege scholarship and a $200,000 bequest from Catherine Arms Prince. In each year, grants from more than 50 foundations totaled just over $1 million.

In FY22 and FY23, several generous donors established endowed scholarships with gifts totaling more than $5.5 million. These included the Luisa Buchanan Scholarship in Graduate Piano, Marcia and Donald Hamilton Classical Flute Scholarship, Phillip Kawin Memorial Scholarship, Frank and Joseph Lotrario Precollege Scholarship, and the Jan Moreel Classical Music Precollege Scholarship.

After two years of virtual galas necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, MSM’s Annual Gala returned to the iconic Rainbow Room on May 18, 2022. Hosted by Isabel Leonard (PC ’98, HonDMA ’21, Voice Faculty), the evening celebrated the 30th anniversary of MSM’s Orchestral Performance Program and honored trustee Emerita Carla Bossi-Comelli, longtime Chair of the International Advisory Board, for her unwavering commitment to gifted young musicians from around the world. The gala featured performances by several distinguished alumni and remarks by alumnus Howard Herring (PC ’98, HonDMA ’15), President and CEO, New World Symphony. Michael (HonDMA ’17) and Noémi K. Neidorff (BM ’70, MM ’72, HonDMA ’17) and the Centene Charitable Foundation were Platinum Sponsors.

The 2023 gala, which took place on May 17th, honored longtime trustees Marcia Clay Hamiliton (HonDMA ’23) and Edward Lowenthal (HonDMA ’23) who were saluted for their lifelong devotion to music and music education. The evening celebrated the School’s acclaimed Opera Studies Program and was hosted by Melissa Wegner (MM ’05), Executive Director of the Met Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and Laffont Competition, and Richard Gaddes (HonDMA ’17), former General Director of the Santa Fe Opera and Founding General Director of Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Distinguished

alumni performers included Grammy Award-winner, mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges (BM ’09) and Le Bu, a Met Opera Lindemann Young Artist and Laffont Competition winner. A platinum sponsorship was once again generously provided by Mrs. Neidorff. After the School’s Centennial Gala in 2019, the 2022 and 2023 galas were the School’s highest netting galas over the past two decades.

Donor stewardship events to encourage and acknowledge the generous support of MSM patrons took place throughout FY22 and FY23. Highlights included a talk by Dean of Musical Theatre Liza Gennaro on her new book Making Broadway Dance, followed by a book signing (December 3, 2021); a reception to honor Gary Ginstling , new Executive Director of the New York Philharmonic (December 5, 2022); a conversation with Tony Award-winning actress/singer Kelli O’Hara (HonDMA ’20) and alumnus and trustee Anthony Roth Costanzo (MM ’08, HonDMA ‘22) on their genre-spanning careers, moderated by Jeff Breithaupt, Vice President for Media and Communications (December 12, 2022); and an evening with alumnus Joshua Cohen (BM ’01) who spoke with Dr. Delano Copprue, Chair of MSM’s Humanities department, about his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Netanyahus Additionally, two alumni engagement events took place in Los Angeles in April 2023: an intimate dinner hosted by alumnus Dr. Cynthia Boxrud (BM ’78) and her husband Dr. Scott Powell at their beautiful home in Venice on April 20th and a cocktail reception at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica on April 21st.

Top: Longtime Manhattan School of Music trustees Marcia Clay Hamilton (HonDMA ’23) and Edward Lowenthal (HonDMA ’23), pictured with MSM President James Gandre, were honored at the Annual Gala on May 17, 2023. MSM alumni Joseph Trapanese (BM ’06), Shalini Vijayan (BM ’95, MM ’97), and Philip R. O’Connor (MM ’96) at a reception for MSM alumni and newly admitted families at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica on April 21, 2023.

(1) Metropolitan Opera Chair Ann Ziff with MSM alumna, mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges (BM ’09) at MSM’s 2023 Annual Gala; (2) MSM President James Gandre with 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning alumnus Joshua Cohen (BM ’01) and Dr. Delano Copprue, MSM Humanities Chair, at a Virtuoso Society event on January 23, 2023; (3) Precollege parents Nikhil Iyengar and Meera Mani at MSM’s 2022 Annual Gala; (4) MSM alumna Dr. Cynthia Boxrud (BM ’78) and her husband Dr. Scott Powell host MSM alumni at a dinner in their Los Angeles home on April 20, 2023. (5) trustee emerita Joan Taub Ades (HonDMA ’14) before a performance of Sunday in the Park with George in her honor on March 25, 2022; (6) actors Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Nicole Ari Parker during the filming of an episode of HBO’s And Just Like That at MSM in summer 2021; (7) MSM Chair Lorraine Gallard with alumnus Flavio Varani (BM ’68, MM ’70), trustee emerita and International Advisory Board Chair Carla Bossi-Comelli (HonDMA ’20), and President Gandre at the dedication of the Flavio Varani Grand Staircase and Foyer on November 11, 2022; (8) Kelli O’Hara (HonDMA ’20) and Anthony Roth Constanzo (MM ’08, HonDMA ’22) at a President’s Circle event on December 12, 2022; (9) Dean of Musical Theatre Liza Gennaro at a signing for her new book Making Broadway Dance on December 3, 2021; (10) MSM trustee Bill O’Connor and his wife Patricia with conductor George Manahan (BM ’73, MM ’76) and students in the MSM Symphony Orchestra, September 22, 2022.

Donor Spotlight: In Memoriam

Michael F. Neidorff (HonDMA ’17)

Michael F. Neidorff (1942–2022) was a loving, devoted, and extraordinarily accomplished man who envisioned the possible where others often could not; he “saw” everyone around him, had a great sense of humor, and helped and cared for so many each day of his life. Along with his beloved wife Noémi (BM ’70, MM ’72, HonDMA ’17), an alumna and trustee of Manhattan School of Music, he became a transformative force at MSM over the past decade and a half. Michael and Noémi were a consistent presence in and around the School for annual galas, special events, competitions, and performances, support which Noémi continues to this day. Their warmth and steadfastness have lifted MSM during times of both triumph and challenge.

Among the Neidorffs’ many generous contributions to the School was a gift – the largest in the School’s history – that made possible the sweeping renovation of MSM’s principal performance space, Neidorff-Karpati Hall (renamed in their honor), and the hall’s Art Deco lounge, crowning achievements of the School’s Centennial celebrations.

Michael was CEO of the Centene Corporation for more than 25 years and his remarkable business acumen and quiet drive, combined with a commitment to providing affordable, high-quality health care to the most vulnerable people, positively impacted lives here in the U.S. and across the globe. Named Citizen of the Year by the St. Louis Post Dispatch in 2017, Michael was a revered member of his community, having made diversity and inclusion a central focus of his leadership at Centene – Fortune magazine ranked the company as the #2 company in the U.S. for diversity and inclusion – and having extended deep philanthropic support to hundreds of not-for-profit organizations. Among his many commitments, he served as chairman of the board for the National Urban League and served on the board of directors for the Greater St. Louis Boy Scouts of America and for the Concordance Academy. He was chairman of the board for his alma mater, Trinity University, where in 2021 the institution named its business school in his honor. Michael supported the blossoming of music and the arts across our nation. As exhibited by his work with MSM, Michael had a love for the arts and served as chairman of the board of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (where he was appointed as a life trustee), as Treasurer of the Kennedy Center’s board, and as a trustee for the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.

MSM’s 2022–23 concert season was dedicated to Michael’s memory.

16, 2018.

Top right: Michael F. Neidorff (HonDMA ’17) with his wife Noémi K. Neidorff (BM ’70, MM ’72, HonDMA ’17) at the grand opening of Neidorff-Karpati Hall on November 17, 2018, and with (above, left to right) MSM trustee Dr. David G. Knott, trustee Edward Lowenthal (HonDMA ’23), and MSM President James Gandre at a dinner to celebrate the opening of Neidorff-Karpati Hall on November

Phillip Kawin (BM ’82, MM ’85)

Beloved teacher and pianist Phillip Kawin (1956–2021) was a Manhattan School of Music alumnus and longtime faculty member, honored by the School with the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service in 2018. He studied at MSM with Dora Zaslavsky Koch (Diploma ’24, HonDMA ’86) and was appointed to the Precollege faculty in 1986 and the College faculty in 1989. A much sought-after artist teacher, Phillip Kawin developed a highly individual pedagogical approach, presenting the principles of technique and musicianship in a detailed analytical approach, yet not ignoring the intuitive aspect of music-making. Phillip worked with a select studio of advanced, gifted pupils from diverse corners of the globe, who have won top honors in numerous competitions and are esteemed performers and teachers in their own right.

Phillip was in constant demand at international conferences and festivals, having given his renowned lectures and insightful master classes in Russia, Hong Kong, Israel, China, Korea, Taiwan, the U.S., and throughout Australia. He was in residence for more than 20 years at the International Festival-Institute PianoSummer at New Paltz and taught regularly at the Summit Music Festival and the Beijing International Music Festival & Academy. More recent master classes were given at both the DMZ and the Busan international festivals in South Korea; the Harvard Club in New York; and for the Sibelius Academy in Finland. His teaching is captured on five DVDs for Excellence in Music, Inc., recorded live at the World Piano Pedagogy Conferences.

A Steinway Artist, Phillip received critical acclaim for his performances in venues all over the world — from Sydney’s Angel Place Recital Hall to Beijing’s Forbidden City Concert Hall. Phillip’s performances can be heard on the Master Performers Distinguished Artists Label. Of his recording with Gerard Schwarz conducting the Russian National Orchestra, a critic for Fanfare magazine raved: “Recordings of Beethoven’s Third Concerto are almost as numerous as Carl Sagan’s ‘billions and billions of stars,’ but Kawin’s shines among them as one of the brighter ones in the firmament.”

At MSM, Phillip served as a faculty representative for the Board of Trustees (2008–2011) and as Chair of the College Faculty Council, a position he held consecutively for 16 years.

A memorial concert in his honor was held at MSM on September 30, 2022. Pianists Ted Rosenthal* (BM ’81, MM ’83), Jeffrey Cohen,* Vladimir Feltsman, and Yefim Bronfman* (HonDMA ’22); violinists Lucie Robert* and Cho-Liang Lin; and the American String Quartet* performed.

Faculty

Top right: Phillip Kawin (BM ’82, MM ’85) with Precollege students at a recital in Greenfield Hall. Kawin’s 2021 recording (above) on the Master Performers label was lauded as “a superb addition to the Beethoven discography” by Fanfare.

FY22 & FY23 Financial Information

Statement of Financial Position

The Statement of Financial Position includes MSM’s assets, liabilities, and net assets as of the last day of the fiscal year. An asset is a resource with present service capacity that MSM controls. A liability is a present obligation to sacrifice resources that MSM has little or no discretion to avoid. Net assets are the residual of all other elements presented in the Statement of Financial Position.

June 30, 2023

*Source: Audited Financial Statements

Endowment

*Source: Audited Financial Statements

MSM's endowment increased 100% since June 30, 2011; the endowment balance at June 30, 2011, through June 30, 2023, follows:

$35,000,000

Source: Audited Financial Statements

Improving Our Campus

MSM made significant strides with energy efficiency measures reducing usage in FY23 by about $140,000 worth of energy. These savings came about through a new partnership with Con Edison which subsidized half of the $1-million investment required to bring the project to fruition.

Initiatives focused on the installation of LED lighting and occupancy sensors in all parts of the School, as well as upgrades to HVAC and condenser systems. The energy saved (700,000 kilowatt hours) is equivalent to the amount it would take to power 96 homes for a year.

“Even smaller projects can reap really great benefits,” explains MSM Associate Vice President for Facilities and Campus Safety Bryan Greaney, “if it’s not a situation where you can do it all at once.” Future plans include reducing the reliance on natural gas and installing new heat pumps, changes that will make it easier for MSM to increase its energy efficiency and transition towards a cleaner energy future.

CBS News highlighted MSM’s dramatically effective energysaving partnership with Con Edison, interviewing project manager Bryan Greaney, MSM’s Associate Vice President for Facilities and Campus Safety.

Statement

of Revenues, Expenses, and Changes in Net Assets

June 30, 2022 (Rounded 000s*) June 30, 2023 (Rounded 000s*)

Operating Activities

Revenues

Operating Activities Revenues

47,081,000

Where Do MSM’s Operating Revenues Come From?

fig. 1a & 1b

College and precollege tuition and fees are net of scholarship. Auxiliary Services are primary residence hall room and board fees. Investment return is based on MSM spending policy of approprating for distribution each year five percent of the endowment fund.

Where Do MSM's Expenses Get Incurred?

figs. 2a & 2b

Instruction – Activities dealing directly with the teaching of students such as labor, services, equipment, materials, and supplies.

Academic support – Activities designed to provide support services for MSM's primary mission of instruction. Includes performance operations, production, library, distance learning, community partnerships, and piano technology.

Operating Revenues 2022

Student services – Provides assistance in the areas of admission, financial aid, registrar, international advising, student affairs, scheduling, house staff, recording studio, and alumni affairs.

Management and general – Includes expenditures for adminstrative activities that support the entire institution. Examples include administrative offices, information technology, media and communications, campus store, and the box office.

Auxiliary services – Building maintenance activity costs that are necessary to keep the physical facilities open and ready for use.

Fundraising – Includes expenditure to raise funds including labor and costs of fundraising events.

MSM monitors its efficiency in terms of what percentage of its operating expenses are allocated to both management and general overhead and fundraising. At 18% and 2% for FY22 and 20% and 3% for FY23, respectively, MSM is efficient according to benchmarked standards.

Operating Expenses 2022

Operating Revenues 2023

Operating Expenses 2023

Manhattan School of Music Donors

FY22 (July 1, 2021–June 30, 2022)

$1 million and above

Estate of Phillip Kawin (BM ’82, MM ’85)

Flavio Varani (BM ’68, MM ’70)

$250,000 to $999,999

Joan Taub Ades (HonDMA ’14)

Lorraine Gallard and Richard H. Levy

Gart Family Foundation

Michael F. Neidorff (HonDMA ’17)* and Noémi K. Neidorff (BM ’70, MM ’72, HonDMA ’17) / Centene Charitable Foundation

Bill and Patricia O’Connor

$100,000 to $249,999

Estate of Maurice Eisenstadt

William Goldstein (BM ’65)

Eric Gronningsater

David G. Knott and Françoise Girard / McKinsey & Company

New York State Council on the Arts

PwC Charitable Foundation

Paul and Joanne Schnell / Skadden

$50,000 to $99,999

Estate of Elizabeth G. Beinecke

Anna Bulgari Revocable Trust

Carol Lieberman

Frank Lotrario (BM ’63, MM ’65)

Solomon Mikowsky

The Arthur and Mae Orvis Foundation

The Rubin-Ladd Foundation

Estate of Harold Schonberg

Dorothy Strelsin Foundation

$25,000 to $49,999

Arts and Letters Foundation

Augustine Foundation

Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation

Carla Bossi-Comelli (HonDMA ’20)

Fred J. Brotherton Charitable Foundation

Luisa G. Buchanan (BM ’63)

The Chisholm Foundation

Edith H. Friedheim (MM ’72) / Eric Friedheim Foundation

Carol B. Grossman

Marcia and Don Hamilton

Lori and Alan Harris

Nancy Freund Heller and Jeffrey Heller

Han Jo Kim

Edward Lowenthal

Susan Rochlis / The Rochlis Family Foundation

Lois Roman

The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation

Twiford Foundation

Maria and Guillermo Vogel

Rosalie J. Coe Weir Foundation

Bernie Williams (BM ’16)

$10,000 to $24,999

An Anonymous Family Foundation

Alfredo and Mita Aparicio

Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation

The Theodore H. Barth Foundation

Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation

Allen H. and Selma W. Berkman

Charitable Trust

Botti Family Fund

Alejandro Cordero

The Enoch Foundation

The Eric and Margaret Friedberg Foundation

Karey and Javier Gonzalez

Jane A. Gross

Elinor and Andrew Hoover

J.C.C. Fund

Dominique Laffont

Margot Alberti de Mazzeri

Margot Patron

Saul D. Raw and Constance E. Nickel

Maria Elvira Salgar

Carl and Aviva Saphier

Chiona Xanthopoulou-Schwarz

Mari and Kenneth Share

Family Gift Fund

Epp Sonin (MM ’70)

Mónica and Angel Sosa

Stephen and Elaine Stamas Scholarship Fund

Michael G. Stewart

Michelle Deal Winfield and Claude L. Winfield

Frank and Jean Zhang / Jin Hua Foundation

$5,000 to $9,999

The ASCAP Foundation

Annunziato Family Charitable Gift Fund

Alex Assoian Music Project

The Hilaria and Alec Baldwin Foundation

Tony Bechara

Matt and Andrea Bergeron

Bond Schoeneck & King

Delin and Abelardo Bru

Veronica Bulgari

Chartwells Dining Services

Jeffrey Cohen† and Lucie Robert†

EALgreen

M.P. & J.G. Epstein Philanthropic Fund

Richard Gaddes (HonDMA ’70)*

Raul M. and Magdalena Gutierrez

Sylvia Hemingway / The Hemingway Foundation

Howard Herring (MM ’74, HonDMA ’15)

J & J Flooring

Max Kade Foundation

Nancy M. Kissinger (’54)

The Elaine Kligerman Charitable Fund

Samuel M. Levy Family Foundation

Marquis George MacDonald Foundation

Clement Meadmore Foundation

Jason Moran (BM ’97) and Alicia Moran (BM ’00)

New York City Council

HaeSun Paik

Steven Palladino

RIK Electric Corporation

Hyon and Jeffrey Schneider

Beverly and Arthur T. Shorin Foundation

The Shoshanna Foundation

Ted Smith (BM ’80)

Jane Steele (MM ’80) and William Sussman

The Tang Fund

$2,500 to $4,999

An Anonymous Donor

Terry L. Allison and Sylvain Hétu

Averick Philanthropic Foundation

Carl Baron (MM ’11)

Joel Bell

Justin H. Bischof (BM ’90, MM ’92, DMA ’98)

Noreen and Ken Buckfire

Teresa Bulgheroni

Mick and Michelle Burke

Eagan Family Foundation

Susan Ennis and Owen Lewis

Evco Mechanical Corporation

James Gandre† and Boris Thomas

General Plumbing Corporation

Peter L. Horvath (BM ’64, MM ’65)

Israel Discount Bank of New York

Chloé Kiffer†

Patricia Kopec† and Jay E. Selman

The Arthur Loeb Foundation

Ann M. McKinney (MM ’81)

Barbara and Dermot O’Reilly

Jim Petercsak (BM ’66, MM ’68)

The Presser Foundation

Proclean Maintenance Systems

Rahm Family Fund

Alfred and Jane Ross Foundation

Sir Cesare L. Santeramo KCSJ

Anthony Scelba

The Thomas P. and Cynthia D. Sculco Foundation

Irene Schultz

Steinway & Sons

Henry Sung

Howard and Yvonne Tsao

Voya Financial

The Widder Foundation

Alexis Zhu (DMA ’17) and Michael Rose

$1,000 to $2,499

Anonymous Donors (2)

Richard Elder Adams (MM ’61)

JJ and Ralph Allen

Ellen Babbitt

Gabrielle Bamberger

Michael A. Bamberger

Karen Bedrosian-Richardson

Bellet Construction

Bentley Meeker Lighting and Staging

Cynthia A. Boxrud (BM ’78)

Frederick Braverman (BM ’54, MM ’55)

George Braverman

Bright Power, Inc.

Elizabeth A. Browne

Catherine T. Chan

Xilun Chen

Linda Chesis†

Aiden Hyun, Jung Sun Chung, and Byung Ju Hyun

Shirley Close†

Tony Converse

Donna Daley

Sharon E. Daley Johnson (BM ’88, MM ’89)

Raymond DesRoches (BM ’61, MM ’62) and Joan DesRoches

Paul and Delight Dodyk

Daniel L. Dolgin* and Loraine F. Gardner

Michael R. Douglas Charitable Fund

Emerson Reid

Gale Epstein

Patti Eylar and Charles Gardner

Georgyn G. Fest (MM ’71)

Dianne Flagello (BM’ 52, MM ’52, HonDMA ’99)

Donis G. Flagello

Janet F. Frank (’65)

John L. Gerlach

Hans Gesell

Karen and Phil Glick

Carol Gold

Ilse Gordon-Shapiro

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Gottschalk

Joanne Greenspun

Jerald and Madelon Grobman

William Grubb

Adolphus C. Hailstork (BM ’62, MM ’65, HonDMA ’19)

Hansoree

William A. Haseltine

Stephen A. and Anne B. Hoffman Fund

Cecile Jim (MM ’74)

Caron Johnson

Masahito and Hiromi Kagawa

Michael A. Kaplan (’91)

Susan and Robert Kaplan

Jack Katz (BM ’63) and Helga Katz

Michael Keller (BM ’71)

Judith Klotz

Amy Knight

Michael J. Kokola

Jeffrey Langford† and Joanne Polk (DMA ’90)†

Alan Lurie

The Madon Family

The Marc and Alta Malberg Foundation

Susan Olsen Maren (BM ’68, MM ’72)

Michael M. McClellan (MM ’81)

The McDougal Family

Michelle and John Morris

Michelle Nam (AD ’13)

Marjorie Neuwirth

Dr. and Mrs. Bennett Pologe

Jonathan Raskin

Regina J. Rheinstein (MM ’79)

Mary S. Riebold

Patrick and Marti Ritto

The Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation

Sabian

Annabel Samimy and Jason Krantz

Yolanda Santos

Claire and John Sarno

Antoine Schetritt

Shafiroff Foundation

Helen Shepherd

Marc Silverman (MM ’77, DMA ’83)†

Katie Song and Mike Joo

Daisy Soros

Annaliese Soros

The Melvin Stecher & Norman Horowitz Foundation

Richard Stewart

John Sweeney (BM ’78, MM ’85)

Thomas Trynin

Dace Udris

Nils Vigeland

Reynold Weidenaar

Ronald Weiner

Daniel E. Weiss

Keith Wiggs (BM ’84)

David J. Wolfsohn (DMA ’84)

Allen and Laura Yang

We also gratefully recognize the 681 donors of gifts under $1,000.

FY23 (July 1, 2022–June 30, 2023)

$250,000 to $999,999

An Anonymous Donor

Catherine Prince Trust Arts and Letters Foundation

Estate of Cathleen A. Ryan

$100,000 to $249,999

Kishore Ballal and Maithli Rao

Luisa G. Buchanan (BM ’63)

Estate of Maurice Eisenstadt

Eric Gronningsater

Marcia Clay Hamilton (HonDMA ’23) and Don Hamilton

Noémi K. Neidorff (BM ’70, MM ’72, HonDMA ’17)

Elizabeth and Walt Sayre (BM ’74, MM ’79)

$50,000 to $99,999

Joan Taub Ades (HonDMA ’14)

Estate of Elizabeth G. Beinecke

Susan Ennis and Owen Lewis

Lorraine Gallard and Richard H. Levy

David G. Knott and Françoise Girard / McKinsey & Company

Frank Lotrario (BM ’63, MM ’65)

Edward Lowenthal (HonDMA ’23)

Peter Luerssen

Bill and Patricia O’Connor

Arthur and Mae Orvis Foundation

The Rubin-Ladd Foundation

Paul and Joanne Schnell / Skadden Arps

Harold and Helene Schonberg Trust

$25,000 to $49,999

Augustine Foundation

Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation

Carla Bossi-Comelli (HonDMA ’20)

Fred J. Brotherton Charitable Foundation

Elizabeth De Cuevas*

The Enoch Foundation

Clark R. Green Charitable Foundation

Carol B. Grossman

Nancy Freund Heller and Jeffrey Heller

Han Jo Kim

New York State Council on the Arts

Susan Rochlis / Rochlis Family Foundation

Lois Roman

Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation

Theodore E. Somerville (’78)

Yvonne and Howard Tsao

Twiford Foundation

Maria and Guillermo Vogel

Rosalie J. Coe Weir Foundation

Bernie Williams (BM ’16)

Nanar and Tony Yoseloff

$10,000 to $24,999

Two Anonymous Donors

Joyce Aboussie

The MCJ Amelior Foundation

Alfredo and Mita Aparicio

Louis Armstrong

Educational Foundation

The Theodore H. Barth Foundation

Bellet Construction

Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation

Delin and Abelardo Bru

Dr. Andre H. Clavel Charitable Foundation

Jane Frank

Edith H. Friedheim (MM ’72) / Eric Friedheim Foundation

Karey and Javier Gonzalez

Jane A. Gross

Raul M. and Magdalena Gutierrez

Joseph Handleman / I Believe In You Trust Foundation

The J.C.C. Fund

Jephson Educational Trusts

The Joel Foundation

Max Kade Foundation

Michael A. Kaplan (’91)

Ruth M. Knight Foundation

Dominique Laffont

Samuel M. Levy Family Foundation

The Walter W. Naumburg Foundation

Margot Patron

Saul D. Raw and Constance E. Nickel

Carl and Aviva Saphier

Mari and Kenneth Share

Epp Sonin (MM ’70)

Mónica and Angel Sosa

Michael G. Stewart

Flavio Varani (BM ’68, MM ’70)

Michelle Deal Winfield and Claude L. Winfield

Allen and Laura Yang

Frank and Jean Zhang / Jin Hua Foundation

$5,000 to $9,999

The ASCAP Foundation

Annunziato Family Charitable Gift Fund

The Barker Welfare Foundation

Beekman Housing Ventures

Bond Schoeneck & King

Virginia Brody

Noreen and Ken Buckfire

Chartwells Dining Services

Jeffrey Cohen† and Lucie Robert†

Complete Mechanical Solutions

Katherine Deans and William Conger

Catherine and Michael Diefenbach

Shirley Brumbaugh Dillard (MM ’77)

EALgreen

Evco Mechanical Corporation

Richard Gaddes (HonDMA ’17)*

Ilse Gordon

David Goodman

Howard Herring (MM ’78, HonDMA ’15)

Harriet Holtzman

J & J Flooring

Dan and Gloria Kearney

Nancy M. Kissinger (’54)*

Elaine Kligerman (’54)*

Amy and Edward Knight

Dana Leifer and Anne Toker

Marquis George MacDonald Foundation

Alta T. Malberg (BM ’69) and Marc I. Malberg

The McDougal Family

The Clement Meadmore Foundation

New York City Council, Shaun Abreu, Council Member

Barbara O’Reilly (PC ’89) and Dermot O’Reilly

Steven Palladino

Susan and David Rahm (HonDMA ’07)

Arthur T. and Beverly Shorin

Spotts Family Trust

Ian D. Wilson

$2,500 to $4,999

Two Anonymous Donors

JJ and Ralph Allen

Approved Oil of Brooklyn

Averick Philanthropic Foundation

Carl Baron (MM ’11)

Lea Ciavarra

Susan Elizabeth Deaver†

Eagan Family Foundation

Emerson Reid

Janet F. Frank

Thomas A. and Barbara Gottschalk

Sylvia Hemingway /

The Hemingway Foundation

Peter L. Horvath (BM ’64, MM ’65)

Israel Discount Bank of New York

Tianyue Jiang /

Les Yeaux Art Foundation

Guan-Kooi and Cecile Jim

Chloé Kiffer (MM ’14, PS ’15)† and Alexandre Moutouzkine (MM ’03, PS ’05, AD ’06)†

Gail R Levine and Robert Fried

The Arthur Loeb Foundation

Meera Mani and Nikhil Iyengar

Julie Newdoll

Alan and Lynn Pearce

James J. Petercsak

(BM ’66, MM ’68)

The Presser Foundation

RIK Electric Corporation

Mary and Morris Rossabi

Alfred and Jane Ross Foundation

Bette and Richard Saltzman

Sir Cesare L. Santeramo KCSJ

Antoine Schetritt and Amanda Brotman

Irene Schultz

Cynthia and Tom Sculco

Alexandra M. Smith (MM ’10)

Gianluigi and Adrienne Vittadini

Voya Financial

The Widder Foundation

Keith L. Wiggs (BM ’84)

$1,000 to $2,499

An Anonymous Donor

Richard E. Adams

Louis Alexander (MM ’79)

Roslyn Allison and Bert Lewen

Gabrielle Bamberger

Michael A. Bamberger

Stephen and Elisa Baroni

Karen Bedrosian-Richardson

Therese Bernbach

Justin Bischof (BM ’90, MM ’92, DMA ’98)

Bright Power

Elizabeth A. Browne

Laurie J. Carney†

Rumiko K. Carroll

Joel Chatfield (MM ’82)

Xilun Chen

Tony Converse

The Cowles Charitable Trust

Steve Dawson

Talitha W. Day

Allan J. Dean (BM ’59, MME ’60)

Leon Lee Dorsey (MM ’86)

Michael R. and Nina I. Douglas

FireMaxx Systems Corporation

Dianne Flagello (BM ’52, MM ’52, HonDMA ’99)

Donis G. Flagello

Steve Foster and Friends from Knoxville, TN

James Gandre† and Boris Thomas

Loraine F. Gardner

Buzzy Geduld

Hans Gesell

Karen and Phil Glick

Ann Gottlieb

Joanne Greenspun

Jerald and Madelon Grobman

Coco Han

Hansoree

Fred and Ellen Harris

Stephen and Anne Hoffman

Xiyue Huang (BM ’19, MM ’21)

Bridget Hunt (MM ’93, PS ’94) and Rob Carli

Eric M. Katz and Susan Barbash

Jack and Helga Katz

Michael Keller (BM ’71)

Michael J. Kokola

Patinka Kopec† and Jay Selman

Jose Landauro

Chung Nung and Bik-Lam Lee (MM ’62)

George A. Long

Alan Lurie

The Madon Family

Mary Lou and George W. Manahan† (BM ’73, MM ’76)

Ann M. McKinney (MM ’81)

Linda McKnight

Marjorie Messer

Douglas J. Montgomery

Leslie Middlebrook Moore (MM ’78)

Michelle and John Morris

The Oliff and Waxenbaum Families

Carol and Edward Palanker (BM ’62)

Michael Parloff† and Inmo Parloff

Cathy R. Paul (MM ’84)

Bennett Pologe

Jonathan Raskin

Barbara L. Reissman

Robert and Regina J. Rheinstein (MM ’79)

Mary Riebold

Patrick and Marti Ritto

The Rodgers & Hammerstein Foundation

Daniel Rodas

Sabian

Claire and John Sarno

Anthony Scelba (BM ’70, MM ’71)

Steven P. Singer and Alan S. Salzman

Ted Smith

Annaliese Soros

Richard W. Southwick FAIA

Stecher & Horowitz Foundation

Richard Stewart

Henry Sung

Sussman / Steele Fund

John Sweeney (BM ’78, MM ’85)

Yael Taqqu

Thomas Trynin

Dace Udris

Nils Vigeland

Shalini P. Vijayan (BM ’95, MM ’97)

Mallory and Diana Walker

Reynold H. Weidenaar

Ronald G. Weiner

Daniel E. Weiss

We also gratefully recognize the 512 donors of gifts under $1,000.

The Applause Society, launched in 2021, recognizes the steadfast and loyal support of foundations and individuals who have made gifts to the School each and every year for ten years or more.

*Deceased †MSM Faculty/Staff Applause Society

(1) MSM Board Chair Lorraine Gallard and her husband Richard Levy with the cast of She Loves Me at the opening night performance on November 11, 2022, dedicated to them; (2) Maria Salgar, Magda Gutierrez, Gianluigi Vittadini, Carla Bossi-Comelli (HonDMA ’20), and Delin Bru at the MSM Annual Gala on May 17, 2023; (3) International Advisory Board member Masaaki Maeda at the 2022 Annual Gala; (4) MSM alumna Bebe Shopp Waring (BM ’52), Miss America 1943, with alumna Dianne Flagello (BM ’52, MM ’52, HonDMA ’99) at the President’s Annual Alumni Gathering on May 31, 2023; (5) President James Gandre with Los Angeles area alumni at a reception at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica on April 21, 2023; (6) Recipients of the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service Jeffrey Cohen and Lucie Robert, May 18, 2023; (7) Voice faculty member Isabel Leonard (PC ’98, HonDMA ’21), trustee emerita and International Advisory Board Chair Carla Bossi-Comelli (HonDMA ’21), Board Chair Lorraine Gallard, and President Gandre at the 2022 Annual Gala; (8) MSM trustee Angel Sosa and his wife Monica at the 2023 Annual Gala; (9) MSM trustee Eric Gronningsater with President Gandre, conductor George Manahan (BM ’73, MM ’76), and students in the MSM Symphony Orchestra at the September 30, 2022 concert presented in his honor; (10) MSM President James Gandre, Dean of Vocal Arts Carleen Graham, alumna Jeanine De Bique (BM ’06, MM ’08, PS ‘09), Vocal Arts faculty members Harolyn Blackwell and James Morris, and Alumni Council Chair Justin Bischof (BM ’90, MM ’92, DMA ’98) at an event for MSM patrons at the University Club on April 4, 2022.

Manhattan School of Music Leadership

Board of Trustees

Lorraine Gallard, Chair*

David G. Knott, PhD, Vice Chair*

James Gandre, EdD, President**

Nancy Freund Heller, Treasurer

Noémi K. Neidorff (BM ’70, MM ’72, HonDMA ’17), Secretary*

Kishore Ballal

Terence Blanchard (HonDMA ’17)

Delano R. Copprue

Anthony Roth Costanzo (MM ’08, HonDMA ’22)

Scott Dunn (MM ’97)

International Advisory Board

Carla Bossi-Comelli (HonDMA ’20), Chair, Switzerland**

Mita Aparicio, Mexico*

Delin Bru, United States*

Alejandro Cordero, Argentina*

Artistic Advisory Council

Terence Blanchard (HonDMA ’17)

Anthony Roth Costanzo (MM ’08, HonDMA ’22)

Glenn Dicterow**

Peter Duchin

Alumni Council

Justin Bischof (BM ’90, MM ’92, DMA ’98), Chair**

Michael Fahie (MM ’02), Vice Chair

Chira Bell (BM ’22)

President’s Council

James Gandre, President**

Susan Ennis

Eric Gronningsater

Han Jo Kim, MD

Nicholas Mann

Bebe Neuwirth (HonDMA ’15)

Bill O’Connor

Paul T. Schnell

Leonard Slatkin (HonDMA ’13)

Angel Sosa

Yvonne Tsao

Shalani Vijayan (BM ’95, MM ’97)

Bernie Williams (BM ’16)

Edith Hall Friedheim (MM ’72), Canada/United States

Eric Gronningsater, United States

Raul M. Gutierrez, Mexico/Spain*

Masaaki Maeda, Japan/United States

Margot Patron, Mexico*

Thomas Hampson (HonDMA ’09)*

Stefon Harris (BM ’95, MM ’97)

Marta Istomin (HonDMA ’05), President emerita***

Bernard Labadie (HonDMA ’18)

Blair Cagney (BM ’18, MM ’20)

Ming Fong (PC ’86, ’87)

Peng Guan (MM ’23)

Brian Holman (MM ’04)

Joyce Griggs, Executive Vice President and Provost

Jeff Breithaupt, Vice President for Media and Communications

Rebecca Charnow, Dean of Youth Education and Community−Career Connections**

Monica C. Christensen, Dean of Students**

Melissa Cocco-Fernandes, Vice President for Enrollment Management

Reiko Füting, Dean of Academic Core and Head of Composition**

Liza Gennaro, Dean of Musical Theatre

Nicolas Gonzalez, Assistant Vice President for Strategic Innovation and Special Initiatives

Carleen Graham, Dean of Vocal Arts

Bryan Greaney, Associate Vice President for Facilities and Campus Safety*

Department Chairs and Program Directors

Michelle Baker, Chair, Brass**

David Chan, Head of the Orchestral Performance Program

Linda Chesis, Chair, Woodwinds

Mark Delpriora, Chair, Guitar***

Reiko Füting, Dean of Academic Core and Head of Composition**

John Forconi, Chair, Collaborative Piano***

Christopher Lamb, Chair, Percussion***

Jeffrey Langford, Associate Dean of Doctoral Studies***

George Manahan, Director of Orchestral Activities*

Trustees emeriti

Joan Taub Ades (HonDMA ’14)***

Carla Bossi-Comelli (HonDMA ’20)**

Marcia Clay Hamilton (HonDMA ’23)*

Thomas Hampson (HonDMA ’09)*

Marta Istomin (HonDMA ’05), President emerita***

Edward Lowenthal (HonDMA ’23)**

David A. Rahm (HonDMA ’07), Chair emeritus**

Robert G. Simon

Chiona Xanthopoulou-Schwarz, Germany*

Angel Sosa, Mexico

Flavio Varani (BM ’68, MM ’70), Brazil/United States

Guillermo Vogel, Mexico*

Lang Lang (HonDMA ’12)

Bebe Neuwirth (HonDMA ’15)

Leonard Slatkin (HonDMA ’13)

Melissa Wegner (MM ’05)

Pinchas Zukerman (HonDMA ’93)***

Kyunghee “Kate” Kim (MM ’96)

Penny Prince (BM ’74, MM ’76)

Eganam Segbefia (MM ’18)

Jarrett Winters Morley (BM ’20)

Ingrid Jensen, Dean of Jazz Arts

JT Kane, Dean of Instrumental Studies and Orchestral Performance

Devon Kelly, Chief of Staff and Liaison to the Board of Trustees

Neeraj Kumar, Interim Chief Information Officer

Susan Madden, Vice President for Philanthropy

Carol Matos, Vice President for Administration and Human Relations**

Nathan Mortimer, Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Ruben Mullodzhanov, Associate Vice President of Finance and Controller

Kelly Sawatsky, Dean of Academic Affairs**

Madeline Tolliver, Dean of Performance and Production Operations

Nicholas Mann, Chair, Strings

Ryan Kamm, Assistant Dean for Youth Programs and Director of Precollege

Alexandre Moutouzkine, Co-Head, Piano*

Erin Rogers, Co-Artistic and Administrative Advisor, Contemporary Performance Program

Inesa Sinkevych, Co-Head, Piano*

Matt Ward, Co-Artistic and Administrative Advisor, Contemporary Performance Program