The Office of Alumni Affairs keeps alumni informed of the progress of the School, gathers and shares news of alumni accomplishments, and fosters on-going alumni involvement. It maintains alumni records, sponsors alumni gatherings, and facilitates contact between alumni and the rest of the Manhattan School of Music community.

The office also coordinates a 24-member Alumni Council and organizes the alumni Annual Fund appeal. Our Alumni Council is a diverse group of former Manhattan School of Music students who assist the administration with issues regarding alumni development, activities, special events, and fund-raising.

Here are some highlights of past and current alumni projects:

• Recent alumni reunions were held in October 2010 and 2011. Our next event is Friday, October 14, 2011.
• An Alumni Homecoming Reception and Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony was held in October 2009 and an All-Alumni Reunion, celebrating the School's 90th Anniversary was held October 16 – 18, 2008. Another Reunion is planned for October 15, 2010.
• Previous alumni events coordinated by this office have included: a reunion of alumni from the 1950s decade; regular jazz reunions at the International Association of Jazz Educators conferences; opera nights at New York City Opera and Santa Fe Opera; reunions on the West Coast; and annual alumni panel discussions about career development for the benefit of current students.
• In Fall 2007, Alumni Affairs launched an Online Alumni Community — a password-protected, free service to all alumni that features a Networking Directory and an automated Class Notes page.
• The Office completed a 90th Anniversary Alumni Directory (in hard- and soft-cover versions, as well as CD-ROM) in celebration of the School’s 90th Anniversary.
• The School’s new newsletter, interMezzo, is mailed to all alumni free-of-charge and includes Alumni News highlights.
• Alumni are offered complimentary career assistance through the Office of Career Development.
• Alumni are encouraged to help support the Annual Fund. Your generosity — on any level — helps ensure the continued excellence of the School's programs and sustains much needed scholarship dollars for students in both the College and Precollege Divisions.

We invite and encourage you to take part in activities at the School that interest you, as every great educational institution values the participation of former students. You are invited to return to your alma mater whenever you can to share in the joy of music-making that takes place here on a regular basis.

You create a strong network of alumni through your growing participation at Manhattan School of Music. This website and the Online Community will become an ever-increasing means of communication between you, your colleagues, and Manhattan School of Music.

As we continue to find effective and meaningful ways to stay connected with you, your feedback helps tremendously. We ask that you let us know what kinds of activities you would like to see us organize or facilitate by taking a few moments to download our Involvement Survey, and answer a some questions about your interests.

We look forward to hearing from you and to seeing many of you at future concerts, activities, and events.

Questions?

Contact John Blanchard, Director of Alumni Affairs: 917-493-4496 or e-mail jblanchard@msmnyc.edu