Our Alumni Council is a group of former Manhattan School of Music students who assist the administration with issues regarding alumni development, activities, special events, and fund-raising. They also help the administration with issues concerning current and proposed programs, giving advice on issues as they arise during the year. The members of the Council act as ambassadors for Manhattan School of Music throughout the world by staying acutely aware of the activities and progress of the School.

Alumni Council Members (current)

Paul Beck *
BM ’98, bassoon
New York, New York
Music Librarian, Metropolitan Opera

Justin Bischof
BM '90, organ / MM '92, organ / DMA '98
New York, New York
Artistic Director & Conductor, Canadian Chamber Orchestra of New York City;
Artistic Director & Conductor, Modus Opera Company

Marc Chazaud
BM '89, cello
New York, New York
Executive MBA program, University of Chicago;
Treasurer, The Bagby Foundation for Musical Arts;
Former Chief Credit Officer at SG Cowen Securities, a subsidiary of Société Générale

Barron Coleman
MM '93, voice
New York, New York / Barcelona, Spain
Tenor;
Co-founder, Opera Noire of New York

Dianne Danese Flagello
BM '52, percussion / MM '52, music education
New Rochelle, New York
Former Director (1974-99),
Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division;
President, Maelos Music, Inc.

Salvatore Di Vittorio *
BM ’97, composition
Music Director/Founder, Chamber Orchestra of New York;
Adjunct Professor / Assistant Conductor of Symphony, Adelphi University;
Composer, (published by) Edizioni Panastudio/Carisch of Warner Bros. in Italy

Brenda Earle *
MM ’04, jazz piano
Free-lance jazz pianist / singer / composer;
Instructor, Diller Quaile School of Music

Captain Kenneth Force
BM '64, trumpet / MM '65, music education / PD ’70, music supervision and administration
Kings Point, New York
Director of Music, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy;
Former President, Goldman Memorial Band

Heather Hamilton
MM '93, piano performance / MM '95, orchestral piano
Fairfield, Connecticut
Owner, Hamilton Music Services
Freelance accompanist, conductor, and soloist in Fairfield County
Doctoral student in Educational Leadership, University of Bridgeport

Andrea Huber
St. Leon, Germany
Graduate studies '82, voice
Soprano

Jonathan Klibonoff
BM '79, piano
Bronxville, New York
Pianist, Trio Solisti;
Faculty, SUNY Purchase College

Cornelius Claudio Kreusch
MM '96, jazz piano
New York, New York
Jazz pianist, composer, producer: CCK, Inc.;
CEO/founder, MUSICJUSTMUSIC (Digital Music Distributor)

Ann McKinney
MM '81, music education
Litchfield, Connecticut
Executive Director, Joyful Noise;
Former Executive Director, InterSchool Orchestras of New York

James Petercsak
BM '66, percussion / MM '68, percussion
Potsdam, New York
Distinguished Professor, State University of New York - Crane School of Music

Chris Rosenberg
MM '85, jazz guitar
New York, New York
Jazz Guitar Faculty, Manhattan School of Music;
Manager for Jazz Administration, Manhattan School of Music;
Free-lance jazz guitarist

Alex Shapiro
'83, undergraduate composition
Friday Harbor, Washington
Composer;
Past President, American Composers Forum of Los Angeles

Marilyn (Teitler) Tyler
BM '48, voice / MM '49, voice
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Director of Opera Studies / Professor of Voice, University of New Mexico

Elizabeth R. Van Arsdel
MM '85, bassoon
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Free-lance bassoonist,
Vice President, Banc Investment Group, LLC

Jacqueline "Jackie" Venable
BM '81, voice
Poughkeepsie, New York
Vice President, Brakeley Briscoe (fundraising consultants)

Lola Cummings Weiss
MM '56, music education
Phoenix, Arizona
Docent, The Heard Museum;
Former President, Alumni Association  

Mateusz Wolski *
BM ’99, violin / MM ’01, orchestral violin / PS ’02, orchestral violin
Spokane, Washington
Concert Master, Spokane (WA) Symphony Orchestra

* new member

Staff Contact

John Blanchard
MM ’89, flute
Director of Alumni Affairs
917-493-4496
FAX (212) 749-7561
Email: jblanchard@msmnyc.edu

Past Alumni Council Members

Louis E. Alexander
Mercedes Alicea
Gail Archer
Alexandra Bacon
Phyllis Beeson Susen Barbash (deceased)
Blanche Heisler Blitstein
Darrin Blumfield
Anna Gabrieli
Dennis Jeter III
Michael Kaplan
Irwin Katz
Richard Kessler
Doris Konig
John Lewis (deceased)
Daniel Lorusso
Shirley Manuel (deceased)
Paula Mondschein-Daly
Steven Nugget (student representative)
Charles Bryan Nelson, Jr.
Barbara Tischler

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