Information on this page is arranged in ascending year order for this decade. It includes Manhattan School of Music historical facts and images from the School's archives, as well as items and quotes submitted by alumni. Each section also includes other highlights of New York City's music history. Submit your own memories and photos through the Class Notes section of the Online Community. View the Mysterious & Miscellaneous Photos section at the end and see if you can identify the time, place, and people in the photos. 2000 The Pan-African Student Union presents a Tribute to Betty Allen, faculty member and trustee, in February. The Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra is created, Bobby Sanabria, Director. A gala benefit, Salute to Glenn Dicterow, is celebrated on April 10 in cooperation with the New York Philharmonic to recognize Dicterow’s profound influence on the worlds of orchestral music and music education. A Mendelssohn symposium takes place on October 6 and features Kurt Masur conducting the Manhattan School of Music Symphony in Avery Fisher Hall. This is the third annual event of its kind organized by the School. Russian pianist Evgeny Kissin performs in John C. Borden Auditorium in October, offering the concert for the faculty, students, and supporters of the School. Kissin is awarded an honorary doctorate the following spring (see 2001). An alumni reception is held at Santa Fe Opera honoring alumna/soprano Lauren Flanigan and former MSM President John Crosby. Manhattan School of Music constructs an additional multi-use building directly north and adjacent to the School’s existing building. This long-awaited facility permits the School to house students and provide expanded facilities for both practice and performance. December — The Opera Theatre presents The House of Seven Gables by Scott Eyerly. A live, premiere recording is later released (Albany label). Other Highlights of New York City Musical History: • Alumnus John Corigliano receives Pulitzer Prize for his Symphony No. 2. • Isaac Stern is honored at Carnegie Hall with concerts celebrating his 80th birthday and his 40th anniversary as president of Carnegie Hall. • Alumna Dawn Upshaw (MM '85) is Musical America’s “Vocalist of the Year.” • Alumna Jane Monheit (BM '99) releases her debut album, Never Never Land, which remaines on the Billboard Jazz chart for over a year and is voted Best Debut Recording by the members of the Jazz Journalists Association. [SUBMIT YOUR OWN MEMORIES]   2001 January — Jazz department has three ensembles featured in performance at the International Association of Jazz Educators conference in New York City. An alumni reception is held in conjunction with the conference. Dr. David Noon’s 15-year anniversary as a faculty member at Manhattan School of Music is celebrated with a mini-festival of his compositions and includes an alumni reception. At the May commencement ceremonies, faculty member Adele Addison is awarded an honorary doctorate; Stanley Bednar (Class of 1949/54) and Lucile Lawrence are recipients of the President’s Medal for Distinguished Faculty Service. In a special ceremony on May 4, pianist Evgeny Kissin is awarded an honorary doctorate at ceremonies in Hubbard Recital Hall (pictured). May — Over one hundred student musicians from Manhattan School of Music travel to Caracas, Venezuela, for a musical and cultural exchange with the National Children’s Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. The second comprehensive alumni directory is published in print form and CD-ROM. New features of this edition include e-mail addresses, spouse/partner names, and up to three business/career affiliations for each alumna/nus. The G. Chris and SungEun Andersen Hall is dedicated and opened in the fall. Housing over 350 students, this wonderful new facility also provides students with much-needed practice rooms, doubling the practice space previously available. Future plans include an expanded library and two new performance spaces. SungEun Andersen is a member of the Board of Trustees and a Manhattan School of Music graduate, having studied piano with Constance Keene. September — The opening concert of the 2001–2002 season is dedicated to the memory of those lost in the events of 9/11: Zdenek Macal conducts and Kirill Gerstein is soloist in Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto, pictured. MSM students perform at Ground Zero for rescue workers. The Opera Theatre presents a double-bill of Amelia Goes to the Ball by Gian Carlo Menotti and Roman Fever by Robert Ward. A live, premiere recording is later released of the Ward opera (Albany label). Other Highlights of New York City Musical History: • “Concert for NYC” airs on VH1, featuring Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, The Who, and Billy Joel. [SUBMIT YOUR OWN MEMORIES]   2002 Master classes include: violinist Pamela Frank, pictured; oboist Eugene Izotov; chamber musician Michael Tree; collaborative artist and pianist Joseph Seiger (Class of 1951); mezzo-soprano Fedora Barbieri; soprano Lauren Flanigan (Class of 1984); cellist Mstislav Rostropovich; collaborative artist and pianist Brian Zeger (Class of 1987); David McGill, principal bassoon, Chicago Symphony Orchestra; and violist Helen Callus. At the May commencement ceremonies, the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts, honoris causa, is awarded to mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick (MM '83). She treats the graduates to a performance (pictured) of "La luce langue" from Verdi's Macbeth. The Fall opera production features the New York premiere of The Seagull, a setting of the Chekov play by Thomas Pasatieri and Kenward Elmslie. A select group of students in the Orchestral Performance program work with members of the Berlin Philharmonic. Hubbard Recital Hall is given major renovations over the summer and renamed Gordon K. and Harriet Greenfield Recital Hall, in honor of the long-standing trustee and his wife. Dr. Joanne Polk (Class of 1990) is appointed to head the Preparatory Division, which is later renamed Precollege. Other Highlights of New York City Musical History: • Brooklyn-born Norah Jones receives 6 Grammy Awards for her debut album, Come Away With Me. • John Adams composes On the Transmigration of Souls for New York Philharmonic in commemoration of first anniversary of September 11, 2001. • Simon and Garfunkel release their album Live in New York City, 1967, a recording of their performance at Lincoln Center on January 22, 1967. • MSM alumnus Shuler Hensley (BM '90) wins a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Jud in Oklahoma!. [SUBMIT YOUR OWN MEMORIES]   2003 The School’s orchestras are led in concert by such conductors as Graziella Contratto, Sergiu Comissiona, JoAnn Falletta, Jean-Bernard Pommier, Jerzy Semkow, and Julius Rudel, with readings given by David Robertson and Charles Dutoit. A symposium on Berlioz is held in Borden Auditorium. Charles Dutoit, pictured with the MSM Symphony, conducts. The Claremont Ensemble celebrates the music of faculty member Ned Rorem in honor of his 80th birthday. The American Musical Theater Ensemble performs The Rhythm of Life: A Cy Coleman Celebration (pictured). Master class artists include Lauren Flanigan (alumna), David Sanchez, Joseph Seiger (alumnus), Licia Albanese, Pamela Frank, Brian Zeger (alumnus), and Anna Moffo. Justin DiCioccio (MM '71), pictured, who was recently named assistant dean of jazz studies, leads the Jazz Orchestra in two recordings released this year: Sketches of Spain, with guest soloist Dave Liebman, and a collection of contemporary jazz compositions dedicated to the memory of Manny Albam, jazz faculty member who passed away in 2002. A new degree offering in the doctoral program is announced for the fall: the jazz department will offer a DMA in Jazz Arts Advancement. This degree is unique in its shared emphasis on composition, performance, and pedagogy. A new Web site was launched in April, providing the School with a dynamic, comprehensive presence on the World Wide Web. May 18 — At the commencement ceremonies, the President’s Medal for Distinguished Faculty Service is awarded to Richard Elder Adams (Class of 1961) and Ursula Mamlock (Class of 1957/58). Honorary doctorates are awarded conductor/music director Paul Gemignani and jazz trumpeter Jon Faddis, who gives an impromptu performance. Other Highlights of New York City Musical History: • The Judy and Arthur Zankel Hall opens at Carnegie Hall. • Hairspray wins Tony Award for Best Musical. [SUBMIT YOUR OWN MEMORIES]   2004 January — Manhattan School of Music is a strong presence at the International Association of Jazz Educators Conference (IAJE) held in New York, including the debut of the School’s Jazz Philharmonic, and various performances by students, faculty, and alumni. An alumni reception is held, sponsored by the Alumni Council. March — A weeklong conducting workshop is established featuring Maestro Kurt Masur, Music Director of the New York Philharmonic from 1991 – 2002. May — At commencement, honorary doctorates are awarded to Sidney Harth, the acclaimed violinist and conductor, and Constance Keene, the renowned pianist and admired faculty member who is also a member of the board of trustees. The President’s Medal for Distinguished Faculty Service is awarded to Leonard Davis, Rosetta Goodkind, and Nathan Stutch. The commencement speaker is Ara Guzelimian, artistic director of Carnegie Hall. The hand-carved, stone replica of the School’s seal — which had been in storage since being removed in 1971 from the facade of the the School’s previous home on the East Side — is installed permanently in the main lobby. Work is completed on the Peter Jay Sharp Library in the new building, and doors open for use in the fall. November — The inaugural event to establish the Josephine Whitford Fund is held November 1 in John C. Borden Auditorium. Kenny Barron and guests performed in concert (pictured from left: Kim Thompson '03, Stefon Harris '97, and Anne Drummond ' 03). For detailed information about this fund and how to support its cause, please click here. READ MORE ABOUT MRS. WHITFORD November — The Opera Theatre presents A Month in the Country by Lee Hoiby. A live, premiere recording is later released (Albany label). Pictured are John Michael Ball and JennyRebecca Winans. Other Highlights of New York City Musical History: • Alumna/mezzo-soprano Susan Graham (MM '87) is named Musical America’s “Vocalist of the Year.” • Wynton Marsalis is named Musical America’s “Musician of the Year.” • Luciano Pavarotti gives his last performance in an opera, Tosca, at the Metropolitan Opera. • Jazz at Lincoln Center opens the Frederick P. Rose Hall, with the Rose Theater, the Allen Room, and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola. [SUBMIT YOUR OWN MEMORIES]   2005 February — Leading American soprano and Manhattan School of Music alumna Catherine Malfitano (BM '71) gives a four-part master class series that allows a group of students to work with her privately on interpretation, acting, projection of character, and body movement. The project culminates in a public class on February 16. (Pictured are students from the final class with Miss Malfitano, fourth from right.) April — Composer, conductor, and founding director of IRCAM Pierre Boulez is in residence for a week of lectures, rehearsals, and performances of his music. Marta Casals Istomin, president of Manhattan School of Music since July 1992, announces her retirement. May — The School’s 79th Commencement ceremony, which for many years has been held in Borden Auditorium, is held at Riverside Church. Honorary doctorates are awarded to retiring President Marta Istomin and renowned pianist and pedagogue Claude Frank. The President’s Medal for Distinguished Faculty Service is awarded to Joseph Robinson and Homer Mensch (in absentia). The Preparatory Division is renamed the Precollege Division. The Manhattan School of Music Board of Trustees vote unanimously on June 21 to name the distinguished American composer Robert Sirota the School’s eighth president, effective October 2005. Dr. Sirota had been the director of Baltimore’s Peabody Conservatory for the previous ten years. Other Highlights of New York City Musical History: • The Juilliard School celebrates its centenary. • John Harbison’s Milosz Songs for Soprano and Orchestra, a New York Philharmonic commission, receives its world premiere. • MSM alumna Margaret Juntwait (BM '80) succeeds Milton Cross and Peter Allen as host of the Metropolitan Opera Saturday Broadcast and begins presenting the Met’s broadcasts on Sirius radio. • Keith Jarrett plays solo concert at Carnegie Hall. [SUBMIT YOUR OWN MEMORIES]   2006 May — Held in The Riverside Church, the School’s 80th Commencement ceremony includes the presentation of an honorary doctorate to violinist Robert Mann. The President’s Medal for Distinguished Faculty Service is awarded to David Noon and Constance Colby. American mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne is awarded an honorary doctorate during the School's opening Convocation in September (pictured here signing souvenir MSM programs after one of her master classes). Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra gives world premiere of Gunnar Mosblad’s arrangement of John Coltrane’s Meditations Suite during MSM’s Coltrane Summit. Other Highlights of New York City Musical History: • Tania León is named Distinguished Professor at City University of New York. • Steve Reich saluted at BAM and Carnegie Hall with 70th birthday celebrations. • New York Philharmonic is first major orchestra to sign an agreement to produce downloadable concerts on DG Concerts label and first recording immediately reaches No. 1 on the iTunes classical charts. • Peter Gelb becomes general manager of the Metropolitan Opera and offers opera to the masses, simulcasting Madama Butterfly in Times Square and on the plaza at Lincoln Center. • Thelonius Monk is posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Music. [SUBMIT YOUR OWN MEMORIES]   2007 Construction of two new performance spaces is completed in the Spring. Architects and planners Beyer Blinder Belle spearhead the design of the final phase of campus enhancement started in 2000. The new spaces include: the William R. and Irene D. Miller Recital Hall (pictured), an intimate jewel box space seating 153; and the Alan M. and Joan Taub Ades Performance Space, a multi-faceted space for informal performances of chamber music, jazz, opera, musical theater, as well as rehearsal space for large ensembles. Also completed is a president’s residence atop Andersen Hall, which features an important and much-needed facility for donor cultivation. A Concert Gala was held at the Mandarin Oriental in Midtown on May 1 to raise funds and inaugurate the School’s 90th Anniversary season. Honorees of the event were Pinchas Zukerman, Evgeny Kissin, and Thomas Hampson. Mr. Hampson was unable to attend due to illness; soprano Lauren Flanigan (Class of 1984) graciously agreed to step in on short notice and sing for the guests. May — The School’s 81st Commencement ceremony, held in The Riderside Church, includes the presentation of honorary doctorates to jazz musician Dave Brubeck and Manhattan School of Music Board of Trustees Chairman David Rahm. The President’s Medal for Distinguished Faculty Service is awarded to Sylvia Rosenberg and Justin DiCioccio (Class of 1971). Manhattan School of Music inaugurates graduate degree program in Contemporary Performance, the first of its kind. A dual-degree program in music education is begun. Graduates will earn a master's degree in performance, a master's degree in education (from Teacher's College at Columbia University), and 1-12 certification to teach n the New York City public school system. Manhattan School of Music launches its 90th Anniversary: "Manhattan Takes Manhattan," the kick-off to an 18-month calendar of special performances and events. Two performances — one in Times Square and one on 125th Street — take place on Thursday, October 18, which Mayor Michael Bloomberg proclaims "Manhattan School of Music Day" in the City of New York. [VIEW SLIDESHOW] In the fall, the School's first-ever Online Alumni Community and Directory is launched. Other Highlights of New York City Musical History: • Ornette Coleman receives Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Pulitzer Prize for his quartet album, Sound Grammar. • Margaret Garner by Richard Danielpour (MSM faculty), with libretto by Toni Morrison, receives New York debut at New York City Opera. A preview prgram is held at MSM. • Alan Gilbert appointed music director of New York Philharmonic to succeed Lorin Maazel • Dawn Upshaw (MSM alumnus) awarded a MacArthur Award. [SUBMIT YOUR OWN MEMORIES]   2008 The Opera Theater mounts a production of Kurt Weill's Street Scene as part of the 90th Anniversary Celebration. READ MORE Commencement ceremonies feature a once-in-a-life-time experiece for graduates: honorary doctorates are awarded to Pete Seeger (who leads the audience in a sing-a-long), Billy Joel (who adds his own verse to Mr. Seeger's song), and alumna Susan Graham (who gives the commencement address).The President’s Medal for Distinguished Faculty Service is awarded to Solomon Mikowsky and Toby Hanks. The third comprehensive alumni directory is published in print form and CD-ROM. An All-Alumni Reunion is held October 16–18. [SUBMIT YOUR OWN MEMORIES]   2009 The Opera Theater mounts a productions of John Musto's Later That Same Evening in the Fall and Johann Strauss's Die Fledermaus in the Spring. At the May commencement ceremonies, honorary doctorates are awarded to baritone Thomas Hampson and critic Alex Ross. Conductor JoAnn Falletta, who was also to have received an honorary doctorate, was unable to attend the ceremony; her recognition will happen in September. The President’s Medal for Distinguished Faculty Service is awarded to Maitland Peters and Marc Silverman (Class of 1977/1983). [SUBMIT YOUR OWN MEMORIES] Mysterious & Miscellaneous Photos If you can identify the people in these photos, please let us know. Dustin Robinett (’01) tells us: “the man playing the clarinet in the top photo is Freddy Figueroa.” Evgeny Kissin signs autographs after receiving an honorary doctorate in 2001. Who else is in this picture? Do you remember this event? Jazz drummer Elvin Jones gave a master class in 2003. Who else is in this picture? Do you remember this event? Jesse Stacken (’04) helped us identify John Benitez on bass, Brian Levy on tenor, Tim Green on alto, and Danny Kirkum on trombone. [HELP US IDENTIFY THESE PHOTOS] Do you have a photo with unknown people in it or are you just not sure when or where the photo was taken? Send us a copy and we'll help you find out.   Learn About Other Decades 1940’s | 1950’s | 1960’s | 1970’s | 1980’s | 1990’s