Providing fiscal leadership and oversight of MSM’s mission, strategic goals, and objectives.
Joan Taub Ades (HonDMA ’14) Carla Bossi-Comelli (HonDMA ’20) Susan Ennis Marcia Clay Hamilton (HonDMA ’23) Thomas Hampson Nancy Freund Heller, Treasurer Marta Istomin (HonDMA ’05), President Emerita David A. Rahm (HonDMA ’07), Chair Emeritus Robert G. Simon Robert Sirota, President Emeritus
Kishore Ballal is the co-founder and CEO of Advanced Care Oncology and Hematology Associates. Over the last 12 years, Kishore has founded and expanded the group to be one of the largest oncology practices in the New Jersey region with offices in 6 counties. Prior to being an entrepreneur, he has worked in several global technology companies including startups and multi-national Fortune 100 companies with roles ranging from leading billion dollar product lines, global strategy, M&A, private equity and fund raising.
Kishore has a passion for mentoring and connecting people and has served on the board of trustees of several organizations.
As conductor, Scott Dunn (MM ‘97) has served as Associate Conductor for the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra since 2012 and previously held positions at Pittsburgh, Glimmerglass, and New York City Operas. He also serves as music director for the Parnassus Society and regularly presents opera in concert at the Soka Performing Arts Center with his Parnassus Society Orchestra.
Dunn’s interest in music outside the usual classical canon can be traced to his long friendship with the late Sir Richard Rodney Bennett. Through Bennett, Dunn discovered the concert works of songwriter and composer Vernon Duke (a.k.a. Vladimir Dukelsky) whose ‘lost’ piano concerto (written for Rubinstein) Dunn orchestrated and premiered at Carnegie Hall in 1999. Most recently, Stunt Records released the much anticipated and highly praised recording I Watch You Sleep, featuring Claire Martin and the Royal Philharmonic.
Born and raised in Iowa, Dunn studied piano with the legendary Byron Janis and is a former assistant to Lukas Foss – whose complete solo piano works Dunn recorded (Naxos, 2007). He has had a remarkably extensive education, which, in addition to music degrees, includes an M.D., residency and board certification in eye surgery.
President James Gandre is an educator and musician with a deep commitment to students and the development of American conservatory learning. He returned to Manhattan School of Music (MSM) to assume the presidency in 2013, having served the School previously for 15 years (1985–2000), concluding that first phase of his time at MSM as Dean of Enrollment and Alumni. In 2000, Dr. Gandre became Dean of Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, where he went on to serve concurrently as the Interim Dean of the College of Education, and ultimately as Provost and Executive Vice President.
Working with his colleagues on the MSM Board of Trustees, faculty, and staff, President Gandre has led the School to several far-reaching accomplishments since returning to MSM as president in 2013. Among them is an extensive reimagining of the campus itself that has seen the completion of nearly $40 million in improvements. The most significant of these was a sweeping $16.5-million renovation of Neidorff-Karpati Hall, MSM’s primary performance hall, and a related campus transformation that included the School’s grand new entrance, patron lounge, and three new entry lounges. Other campus improvements have included the upgrade and expansion (by 30 percent) of practice rooms; the creation of two dance studios and several new teaching studios and offices; and the creation of a new Student Union and Lounge.
Additionally, President Gandre has overseen the launch of several innovative new programs, including:
In 2018–19, President Gandre led MSM through a successful year-long celebration of its Centennial built around three anchor performances (an opening-day, multi-venue music festival, including Beethoven’s 9th Symphony; a fall gala reopening of Neidorff-Karpati Hall; a spring gala at Carnegie Hall) and hundreds of other performances throughout a season that celebrated MSM history.
When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged the following year, under Dr. Gandre’s leadership, MSM effectively pivoted to online learning (in March 2020), following with a successful hybrid year of on-campus and online learning in 2020–21 and a full return to campus in fall 2021. And despite the ongoing pandemic, in 2020–21, President Gandre presided over the strongest year of fundraising in the institution’s history, an expansion of the School’s Board of Trustees, significant growth in its endowment, and, in fall 2021, its highest-ever enrollment (while sustaining its selectivity).
Throughout the School’s response to the global public health crisis, President Gandre oversaw the evolution of MSM’s Cultural Inclusion Initiative, which was launched in 2019. Among the many programs that have resulted from that launch and MSM’s full embrace of the urgency of the Black Lives Matter movement was the Black Creators Initiative. The initiative mandated that all MSM performances during the 2020–21 academic year feature work by African American creators or those from the African diaspora. Going forward, building from the Black Creators commitment, MSM has instituted a policy requiring that every department incorporate the work of discipline-specific, under-represented creators and ensure that cultural inclusion permeates every facet of the curriculum and every performance.
President Gandre has broad knowledge of the history and discourse of the American conservatory, the subject of his doctoral dissertation, And Then There Were Seven: An Historical Case Study of the Seven Independent Conservatories of Music that Survived the 20th Century. He has also written about conservatories and music schools in Music in American Life: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars, and Stories that Shaped Our Culture (ABC-CLIO, 2013) and in the 2014 Musical America Directory. In addition to music schools, he has also written about higher education administration as a contributor in two books by The Johns Hopkins University: The Provost’s Handbook (2015) and LGBTQ Leadership in Higher Education (2022).
As a performer, James Gandre has appeared as a tenor soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, London Classical Players, Philharmonia Baroque, and members of the San Francisco Symphony. His professional choral engagements include more than 175 performances with the New York Philharmonic, Aix-en-Provence Festival, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw, Israel Philharmonic, Warsaw Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Voices of Ascension, New York Chamber Symphony, American Symphony, and Opera Orchestra of New York. He appears on more than 20 commercial recordings on EMI/Angel, EMI/Capital, Teldec, Delos, MusicMaster, and Warner Records, and has made appearances on NBC’s The Today Show, PBS’s Live from Lincoln Center, ABC, and CBS. In these performances, he has worked under such conductors as Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, Sir Colin Davis, James Levine, Mstislav Rostropovich, Riccardo Chailly, Robert Shaw, Edo de Waart, Christopher Hogwood, Roger Norrington, Dennis Russell Davies, John Nelson, Giuseppe Patane, Dennis Keene, and Eduardo Mata.
President Gandre is a member of the Advisory Council of the Misty Copeland Foundation and is a member of the Recommendation Board of the Avery Fisher Artist Program. He was a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (GRAMMYS) and has been a judge for the Region Finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He was a panelist for the William Randolph Hearst Foundation/New World Symphony’s symposium on future multicultural recruitment for the orchestra and for the joint Andrew W. Mellon Foundation/Aspen Music Festival panel about bridging the worlds of musical training and future music performance. More than two decades ago, he led the effort to create the National Performing and Visual Arts College Fairs presented by the National Association for College Admission Counseling and served as the first and third Chairperson of the Advisory Committee.
President Gandre has lectured at institutions including the Curtis Institute of Music, New England Conservatory, Oberlin College, University of Michigan, Peabody Institute, Mannes School of Music, Stanford University, University of Michigan, Royal Danish Academy of Music, National Orchestral Institute at the University of Maryland, China Conservatory of Music, University of the Arts, University of New Mexico, and Interlochen Arts Academy. For four years he served as the external adjudicator for graduation performance examinations at Australia’s University of Melbourne School of Music. He has also presented numerous panels on issues affecting LGBTQ youth and college/high school professionals at educational conferences.
He has served on the Board of Directors of Chicago’s Grant Park Music Festival, Chicago High School for the Arts, and the Auditorium Theatre. He has also served on the Board of Visitors of the Walnut Hill School for the Arts, the Board of Advisors for Music in the Loft (Chicago), and on the Diversity Working Group sponsored by the Elizabeth Morse and Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trusts.
President Gandre has been a consultant to institutions as diverse as Canada’s Royal Conservatory of Music, Chicago’s Institute for Clinical Social Work, and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, and has served as a site team member for the American Bar Association’s accreditation division at City University of New York, University of Pittsburgh, University of North Dakota, and Indiana University–Purdue University.
A Wisconsin native, President Gandre earned a Bachelor of Music degree with honors from Lawrence University, a Master of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, a Doctor of Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and an Honorary Doctor of Music from his undergraduate alma mater Lawrence University. He also attended the Harvard University Institute for Management and Leadership in Education and pursued postgraduate music studies at the Blossom Festival School of Music/Kent State University and Manhattan School of Music.
He is married to Dr. Boris Thomas, JD, PhD, a psychotherapist and executive coach in private practice.
David G. Knott, PhD is a Senior Partner in McKinsey’s Global Health Practice and leads the Firm’s Center for US Health System Reform.
Over the past two and a half decades, he has worked with many of the industry’s leading stakeholders including health insurers, Medicaid health plans, health systems, PBMs, large employers, and health agencies. His engagements have focused on both strategy development as well as transformation programs, including the design and execution of future operating visions, organization re-designs, capability building programs, and M&A integration.
David has published research on a variety of topics, including most recently: Understanding and Engaging a New Era of Medicaid Consumers; Accounting for the Cost of US Health Care; The Big Data Revolution in Health Care; and Maximizing Value in High Performance Networks. Over the past two years he has presented to the management teams and Boards of over 75 companies on the implications of health care reform and has served as a keynote speaker at industry forums such as the National Governors Association, AHIP, World Health Care Congress, Health Datapalooza, National Institute for Health Care Management, Medicaid Health Plans of America, Alliance for Community Health Plans, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
In addition to his client commitments, David serves on the Advisory Board of the New York Metropolitan Opera, where in 2012 he and his wife, Françoise Girard, underwrote a new opera entitled The Enchanted Island, staring Placido Domingo, Joyce DiDonato, David Daniels, and Anthony Roth Costanzo. In 2012, they supported the launch of a new baroque summer music festival with Maestro William Christie in Vendee, featuring Les Arts Florissants and The Juilliard School, now in its fifth season. In 2013 David and Françoise sponsored the HD broadcast and DVD of a new production of Don Pasquale at Glyndebourne, starring Danielle De Niese. In 2015, they funded the PBS broadcast of the Chicago Lyric Opera’s commissioned work, “Bel Canto.” David also serves on the Advisory Board of Improbable, a UK-based theatre company with directorial credits that include two Philip Glass operas, Satyagraha and The Perfect American. In 2009 he was a David Rockefeller Fellow with the Partnership for New York City.
Prior to joining the firm, David earned a Ph.D. and Master’s in Political Philosophy from Oxford University as well as a B.A. Honours degree in Canada from Queen’s University, where he was a Gold Medalist. He and Françoise live in Manhattan, where she is a lawyer and President of the International Women’s Health Coalition, a non-governmental organization dedicated to advancing the health and rights of women and girls around the world. She is also President of American Friends of Les Arts Florissants. David and Françoise share many passions in life, including a love of opera, travel, reading, art, fashion, skiing, cycling, fine food, and wonderful wine (especially Burgundian!).
Edward Lowenthal (HonDMA ’23), jazz enthusiast and Manhattan School of Music Board member since 2002, is cofounder of Wellsford Strategic Partners, a real estate investment and development company, as well as President of Ackerman Management, a private investment management and advisory company. He is a former director of both the American Campus Communities (NYSE) and Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE). He holds a B.A. from Case Western Reserve University (1966) and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center (1969). In addition, Ed serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of American Campus and is a Trustee of the Andrew Goodman Foundation.
Read Peter Andreacchi’s biography here.
Rohyt Belani is a serial entrepreneur and recognized leader in the cybersecurity industry. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Fortreum, a private equity–backed cybersecurity compliance firm. He also sits on the boards of several education-focused nonprofit organizations, including The Manhattan School of Music, Shanti Bhavan, and The Rudolf Steiner School of New York.
Belani is best known as the Founder and former CEO of PhishMe, which he built from inception into a global leader in email security before its acquisition by private equity in 2018. He has received numerous honors, including EY Entrepreneur of the Year and the Washington Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. A frequent speaker at leading industry conferences such as RSA and Black Hat, he is also a regular contributor to prominent national and international media outlets.
He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Mumbai and a Master of Science from Carnegie Mellon University. He has served as an Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon and remains active on the Dean of Engineering’s Advocacy Council.
Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo began performing professionally at the age of 11 and has since appeared in opera, concert, recital, film, and on Broadway. His debut album, ARC, on Decca Gold was nominated for a 2019 GRAMMY Award, and he is Musical America’s 2019 vocalist of the year.
Costanzo has appeared with many of the world’s leading opera houses including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, English National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Los Angeles Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Glyndebourne Opera Festival, Dallas Opera, Teatro Real Madrid, Spoleto Festival USA, Glimmerglass Festival and Finnish National Opera. In concert he has sung with the New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, London Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra, among others. He has performed at a wide-ranging variety of venues including Carnegie Hall, Versailles, The Kennedy Center, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Sawdust, Minamiza Kyoto, Joe’s Pub, The Guggenheim, The Park Avenue Armory, and Madison Square Garden.
Costanzo is a Grand Finals Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions and won first prize in Placido Domingo’s Operalia Competition. He was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for his role in a Merchant Ivory film. He has begun working as a producer and curator in addition to a performer, creating shows for National Sawdust, Opera Philadelphia, the Philharmonia Baroque, Princeton University, WQXR, The State Theater in Salzburg, Master Voices and Kabuki-Za Tokyo. Costanzo graduated from Princeton University where he has returned to teach, and he received his masters from the Manhattan School of Music. In his youth he performed on Broadway and alongside Luciano Pavarotti.
Lorraine Gallard was elected as Chair of the Board of Trustees in the spring of 2014. Ms. Gallard is president and CEO of Bonness Enterprises, Inc., an investment advisory firm for high net worth families that she joined in 1985. Previously, she worked in New York for Soros Fund Management and Arnhold and S. Bleichroeder, Inc. Lorraine began her vocal studies in Manhattan School of Music’s Precollege Division, then continued at Eastman School of Music and later privately with Marlena Malas and Renata Babak. She has released two cabaret CDs with her music director David Loud and recently performed at the Park Avenue Armory. Lorraine was Treasurer of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange for three years. She has a B.A. in French Literature from the University of Rochester and an M.A. from NYU. Lorraine is a Chartered Financial Analyst and qualified as a CPA; she also was granted the DALF by the French Ministry of Education. She joined the Board of Trustees in fall 2009.
Han Jo Kim, MD is a graduate of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (2002-2006). He did his residency at HSS followed by a fellowship in cervical spine surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital at Washington University in St. Louis (provides a common connection to the Neidorff’s and Centene). Dr. Kim serves as the Director of the Spine Fellowship, and he is the lead investigator for numerous research studies on interdisciplinary approaches to spinal abnormalities.
In additional to the heavy demands as a surgeon in New York, Dr. Kim has dedicated his time as a volunteer surgeon at the FOCOS hospital in Ghana, West Africa where he has surgically treated some of the most rare and complex spinal deformities in pediatric and adult patients. Over the course of his career, he has successfully operated on hundreds of rare and complex spinal deformities.
Dr. Kim is the author of numerous scientific articles and more than 35 book chapters, including his own textbook which he co-authored with Dr. K. Daniel Riew on cervical spine surgery (The Riew-Kim Manual for Cervical Spine Surgery). Dr. Kim was selected by the Scoliosis Research Society for the prestigious Edgar G. Dawson Fellowship in 2013 and the Scoliosis Research Society Traveling Fellowship in 2017.
Dr. Kim speaks English, Spanish and Korean.
Throughout Gina Malin’s 25-year career in education, she held various leadership roles, supporting both parents and schools. She began her career at the Brearley School, where she served as Assistant Director of Admissions, and later went on to lead the Parents League of New York as Executive Director. In that role, Gina oversaw the organization’s strategy, marketing, and operations. She also served as the primary spokesperson, raising awareness about the benefits of independent education and offering guidance to both schools and parents navigating the admissions process.
Since concluding her tenure at the Parents League, Gina has continued to share her expertise, working with ISAAGNY (Independent School Admissions Association of Greater New York) as a workshop leader and content creator. She has also consulted for Stony Creek Strategy and served as an advisory board member at the Wetherby-Pembridge School.
In addition to her work in education, Gina has a long history of volunteerism. She has served as a tutor, fundraiser, and in various leadership roles at private, public, and charter schools. She was a founding member of the Emmaus Bereavement Group at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in NYC and a former member of the New York City Traffic Safety Board.
Gina graduated magna cum laude from the College of New Rochelle and earned a Master’s in Public Administration from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
Music has always been a central part of Gina’s family life. Her home is filled with a wide array of musical instruments, both acoustic and electronic, reflecting the passion and creativity that have shaped her children’s lives.
Russian-American pianist Alexandre Moutouzkine is Co-Head of the MSM Piano Department and a member of the MSM piano faculty
He has toured as a soloist with over 60 orchestras across Europe, North and South America, and Asia. Highlights of those performances include appearances with Cleveland Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, Israel Philharmonic and Israel Camerata, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Philharmonic Orchestras of Moscow and Kiev and Radiotelevision Orchestra of Spain.
As a recitalist and chamber musician, Alexandre has performed at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium and Zankel Hall, The Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, The Kimmel Center, Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv, Royal Hall in London, The Great Hall of the Berlin Philharmonic, Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, National Centers of Toronto and Montreal, Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall in Japan.
Alexandre’s recital at Wigmore Hall was described by International Piano magazine as “grandly organic, with many personal and pertinent insights, offering a thoughtful balance between rhetoric and fantasy…technically dazzling.” Alexandre’s recital of Frédéric Chopin’s Études at the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory was recorded live and released on the Classical Music Archives label in Russia.
Alexandre has claimed top prizes at more than 20 international competitions, including Naumburg, Cleveland, Montreal, New Orleans, Shanghai, Iturbi in Valencia, Maria Canals in Barcelona, and Arthur Rubinstein in Tel Aviv. At age 19, he won the Special Award for Artistic Potential for his performance of Brahms’ Op. 117 Intermezzi. A Dallas Morning News critic described it as being played “more beautifully, more movingly, than I’ve ever heard them. At once sad, tender and noble, this was playing of heart-stopping intimacy and elegance.”
Other career highlights include a performance of Rachmaninoff’s complete works in a six-part recital series with the Carnegie Concert Series in Nyack and the reception of the “Artist of the Season” award from Chamber Music International in Dallas.
His record of Cuban piano music released through Steinway & Sons was recognized by WRTI as one of the top 10 classical music recordings picks for 2017. It also won the Cubadisco award for the best classical music recording in Cuba. Alexandre most recently released a Steinway and Sons recording, “Ravel & Stravinsky” with violinist Chloé Kiffer. This album features his solo piano transcription of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, which debuted at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center and New York’s 92Y.
Alexandre has served as an adjudicator for the Concours International Genève Musicale, Bartok Competition in Budapest, Maria Canals in Barcelona, Santa Cecilia in Porto, Panama International Piano Competition, New Orleans International Piano Competition, and Vladimir Krainev Competition in Moscow.
Alexandre is co-head of the piano department at Manhattan School of Music. His students have won top prizes in numerous competitions throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia. He is a sought-after teacher and guest artist at music festivals around the world including Beijing International Piano Festival, Paris International Music Academy and MusicAlp Festival in France, Music Fest Perugia, Forum Musicae in Madrid, and the International Piano Festival Genève Musicale.
Anthony Napoli is a distinguished leader with over thirty years of experience in the destination management and incentive travel industry. As the former CEO of PRA/Briggs Inc., a leading special events company based in New York City, he has left an indelible mark on the field through his innovative approach and strategic vision. Born and raised in the Bronx, Anthony embodies the spirit of New York City with his deep-rooted connection to its vibrant cultural landscape. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Joseph’s Seminary and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Directing from CUNY Brooklyn College. After graduating, Anthony made his mark as a successful Off-Broadway theatre director, founding the GAP Theatre Company and collaborating with renowned playwrights such as David Rabe and Oliver Hailey to produce and direct a range of original works. Anthony’s commitment to the arts and his community is further evidenced by his service on various prestigious boards, including SITE, ADME, Second Stage, New York Theatre Workshop, New York Festival of Song, The Fisher Center at Bard, The Board of Regents at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and NYC & Co. Currently, Anthony is working on a book of personal short stories and enjoys exploring the city as a dedicated New York City flâneur, always finding new inspiration in the bustling streets and cultural richness of his hometown.
Noémi Neidorff, a native of Budapest, Hungary, escaped with her family, during the 1956 Revolution. She earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in piano at Manhattan School of Music, and continued post-graduate studies at Columbia University. An active volunteer, she serves on numerous boards; among them, as a Vice-Chair, Saint Louis Symphony, Radio Arts Foundation, Saint Louis Art Museum, and Artist Presentation Society. As past President of the National Trustees of the National Symphony, she remains active on the National Trustees Board and the International Committee on the Arts at the Kennedy Center. She also serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Opera Theatre Saint Louis.
Bill O’Connor is a private investor and angel investor (since 2008) focused on consumer packaged goods and service sectors. Prior to 2008 he spent 31 years at The Topps Company, Inc. where he held a variety of operations and human resources positions, including that of Vice President – Administration. His earlier work included business and technical recruiting at The Long Island College Hospital and teaching/publishing as a VISTA Volunteer in Houston, TX. He served on the Board of the National Association of Chewing Gum Manufacturers for 16 years and currently serves on the Board of The Discovery Orchestra (NJ) as Treasurer. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from Manhattan College and an M.A. in Corporate and Political Communications from Fairfield University. He is, at heart, a researcher (businesses, ideas, processes) and has a long history of pro bono work for individuals and small businesses.
Paul Schnell has been named one of the leading lawyers globally and in the U.S., including in areas such as M&A/corporate (Band 1 ranking in Chambers in the U.S., International & Cross-Border, Latin America and Brazil categories), private equity, corporate governance, corporate, finance and health care. Additionally, Mr. Schnell has been recognized as a U.S. legal “legend” for being included among the top 500 lawyers practicing in the U.S. in each of the last 10 years (Lawdragon). Surveys that recognize Mr. Schnell include Chambers Global, Chambers USA, Chambers Latin America, U.S. News and World Report, The Best Lawyers in America, Who’s Who Legal, Latinvex, Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America and IFLR1000. Mr. Schnell has received numerous accolades for his work, including being named multiple times as a Dealmaker of the Year and Dealmaker of the Week by The American Lawyer and as a leading lawyer for the Financial Times’ most innovative M&A transactions.
Internationally acclaimed conductor Leonard Slatkin is Music Director Laureate of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and Directeur Musical Honoraire of the Orchestre National de Lyon (ONL). He maintains a rigorous schedule of guest conducting throughout the world and is active as a composer, author, and educator.
Highlights of the 2018-19 season include a tour of Germany with the ONL; a three- week American Festival with the DSO; the Kastalsky Requiem project commemorating the World War I Centennial; Penderecki’s 85th birthday celebration in Warsaw; five weeks in Asia leading orchestras in Guangzhou, Beijing, Osaka, Shanghai, and Hong Kong; and the Manhattan School of Music’s 100th anniversary gala concert at Carnegie Hall. He will also conduct the Moscow Philharmonic, Balearic Islands Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Louisville Orchestra, Berner Symphonieorchester, Pittsburgh Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, RTÉ National Symphony in Ireland, and Monte Carlo Symphony.
Slatkin has received six Grammy awards and 33 nominations. His recent Naxos recordings include works by Saint-Saëns, Ravel, and Berlioz (with the ONL) and music by Copland, Rachmaninov, Borzova, McTee, and John Williams (with the DSO). In addition, he has recorded the complete Brahms, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky symphonies with the DSO (available online as digital downloads).
A recipient of the prestigious National Medal of Arts, Slatkin also holds the rank of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor. He has received Austria’s Decoration of Honor in Silver, the League of American Orchestras’ Gold Baton Award, and the 2013 ASCAP Deems Taylor Special Recognition Award for his debut book, Conducting Business. His second book, Leading Tones: Reflections on Music, Musicians, and the Music Industry, was published by Amadeus Press in 2017.
Slatkin has held posts as Music Director of the New Orleans, St. Louis, and National symphony orchestras, and he was Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. He has served as Principal Guest Conductor of London’s Philharmonia and Royal Philharmonic, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and the Minnesota Orchestra.
He has conducted virtually all the leading orchestras in the world, including: New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, all five London orchestras, Berlin Philharmonic, Munich’s Bayerischer Rundfunk, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, and Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Slatkin’s opera conducting has taken him to the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis, Santa Fe Opera, Vienna State Opera, Stuttgart Opera, and Opéra Bastille in Paris.
Born in Los Angeles to a distinguished musical family, he began his musical training on the violin and first studied conducting with his father, followed by Walter Susskind at Aspen and Jean Morel at Juilliard. He makes his home in St. Louis with his wife, composer Cindy McTee. For more information, visit leonardslatkin.com.
With an engineering background and an MBA from IPADE Business School, Angel Sosa launched his career in the pharmaceutical industry working for a generics company in 1986. In 2003, he was appointed Mexico Country Manager of Octapharma AG, a position he still holds and where he leads the operations of the company and the Mexican Plasma Project.
During his professional tenure, Mr. Sosa held several influential board positions. From 1998 to 2006, he served as a board member of the German school in Mexico City, where he actively contributed to its pedagogical development. In 2007, he was appointed Chairman of the Board, assuming a leadership role in guiding its strategic direction. Additionally, he served on the Board of the National Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association for three two-year terms, leveraging his expertise to address industry challenges in the field of supply chain. Furthermore, Mr. Sosa is involved in the Mexican Health Foundation, a prominent think tank dedicated to improving the Mexican health system. These board experiences allowed him to make contributions to education and healthcare in Mexico.
Michael G. Stewart, MD, MPH, is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and Otolaryngologist-in-Chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He also serves as Senior Associate Dean for International Affairs and Affiliations of the Medical College. In the past he has served as Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, Interim Senior Associate Dean for Education, and Vice Dean. He is also the founder and Medical Director of the Center for the Performing Artist at Weill Cornell/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. He received a B.E. degree summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University, and an M.D. from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed residency training at Baylor College of Medicine in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, and received his M.P.H. degree from the University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston.
He is the author of two textbooks, and more than 30 book chapters and 140 peer-reviewed publications. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of The Laryngoscope journal (2011-19) and he also served as Associate Editor and on the Editorial Boards of several other journals before that. He is a former Director and the Past-President of the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and is also a Past-President of both the Association of Academic Departments of Oto-HNS and the Society of University Otolaryngologists. He was an elected member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery (AAOHNS) from 2011–15 and of the American Rhinologic Society from 2011–16, and he also served on the Council of the Triological Society from 2010–19, and was recently elected President-Elect of The Triological Society.
Dr. Stewart’s research interest is in outcomes and quality of life research, and he has received research funding from the NIH and AHRQ among others. He has received many awards and honors, including three Distinguished Service Awards from the AAO-HNS and Presidential and Vice Presidential Citations from four different national societies. He has been listed in Castle Connolly’s America’s Top Doctors from 2007-25, He has won several teaching awards at both Baylor College of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medicine. He has been a visiting professor at more than 40 institutions, and has given more than 500 invited lectures, both nationally and internationally.
Yvonne Tsao is a music lover and the mother of MSM Precollege cellist Sophie Tsao.
Yvonne is a Co-Founder and CFO of Muse Games Corp., an independent game studio based in New York City focusing on developing cooperative multi-player online games. At Muse Games, Yvonne manages the accounting and financial functions, including budgeting, operations, payroll, and fundraising. Prior to Muse Games, Yvonne’s experiences include work in private equity at Shinsei Bank in Tokyo and corporate restructuring consulting at Arthur Andersen in California. Yvonne is developing a passion for filmmaking and is currently working on producing a documentary film about young classical musicians in New York City.
In addition to joining the MSM Board of Trustees, Yvonne served as Co-Chair of the Parent Committees at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church Day School and at The School for Strings. She is active in the Parents Association at Trinity School where she held various volunteer positions. She is also a proud supporter of the New York Franz Liszt International Piano Competition.
Yvonne was born in California and spent her childhood years in Taiwan. She received her BA in Business Economics with a minor in Accounting from UCLA and her MBA from NYU Stern specializing in Finance and Entrepreneurship. She currently resides in Manhattan with her husband, Howard Tsao, and her children, Sophie and Theo.
Violinist Shalini Vijayan, deemed “a vibrant violinist” by Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times is an established performer and collaborator on both coasts. Always an advocate for modern music, Shalini was a founding member and Principal Second Violin of Kristjan Jarvi’s Absolute Ensemble, having recorded several albums with them including 2001 Grammy nominee, Absolution. Shalini was also a founding member of the Lyris Quartet, one of Los Angeles’ most beloved chamber ensembles. With Lyris, she has performed regularly at Walt Disney Concert Hall on the Green Umbrella series, for Jacaranda Music and helped to found the Hear Now Music Festival in Venice, California, a festival dedicated to the music of living composers in Los Angeles.
Shalini performed for over a decade with Southwest Chamber Music and can be heard on their Grammy nominated Complete Chamber Works of Carlos Chávez, Vol. 3. She has been a featured soloist with the Los Angeles Master Chorale in Chinary Ung’s Spiral XII and Tan Dun’s Water Passion, including performances at the Ravinia Festival.As a chamber musician, Shalini has collaborated with such luminaries as Billy Childs, Chinary Ung, Gabriela Ortiz, and Wadada Leo Smith on whose Ten Freedom Summers she was a soloist. Shalini joined acclaimed LA ensemble, Brightwork New Music in 2019 and also serves as the curator for Brightwork’s Tuesdays@Monkspace series, a home for contemporary music and performance in Los Angeles. As a teacher, she has been on the faculty of the Nirmita Composers Workshop in both Siem Reap and Bangkok and coaches composition students through the Impulse New Music Festival.
Shalini received her B.M. and M.M. degrees from Manhattan School of Music as a student of Lucie Robert and Ariana Bronne. As a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida, Shalini served as concertmaster for Michael Tilson Thomas, John Adams, Reinbert de Leeuw and Oliver Knussen. She was also concertmaster for the world premiere performances and recording of Steven Mackey’s Tuck and Roll for RCA records in 2000. Shalini was a member of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra for ten seasons and also served as Principal Second Violin of Opera Pacific. She lives in Los Angeles with her son, husband and two dogs and spends her free time cooking Indian food and exploring the culinary landscape of Southern California.
Growing up in Puerto Rico, Bernie Williams discovered his love for baseball and music at roughly the same time, when at the age of eight he fell in love with the sounds of a flamenco guitar his merchant-marine father brought home from Spain, and also felt the same exhilaration when he first picked up a baseball bat. The young student-athlete quickly excelled in both pursuits, going on to attend the special performance arts school Escuela Libre de Musica at the age of thirteen and becoming one of the most noted young athletes on the island, both as a track and field standout posting record times in the 400 meters, as well as one of Puerto Rico’s most sought after young baseball prospects. Bernie was signed by the New York Yankees after high school in 1987. After working his way through the farm system, the switch-hitting Williams made his Major League debut with the Yankees in May, 1991.
In his 16-year career patrolling centerfield for the New York Yankees, Bernie Williams was a four-time World Series Champion and a five-time All Star. Williams has more post-season RBIs to his credit than any other player in Major League history and his resume also boasts four Gold Glove awards, six American League pennants, the 1996 ALCS MVP award, and the 1998 American League batting title. Bernie is also among the Yankees all-time leaders in every major batting category, with his performance statistics often standing alongside such legetnds as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio. On May, 24, 2015, the Yankees retired Bernie’s uniform number 51 and a plaque was dedicated and placed in Monument Park in Yankee Stadium, cementing his legacy as an all-time Yankee great.
Throughout Williams’ years with the Yankees, his passion for music never waned, and the sound of his guitar would often be heard emanating from the clubhouse or during team flights. Whether acoustic or electric, a guitar was a constant presence in the star’s locker or equipment bag, and it was no surprise when he demonstrated how serious his musical pursuit was with the release of his first album, The Journey Within in 2003. The record featured fusions of jazz, rock and the tropical rhythms of Williams’ Latin heritage and was met with both strong critical praise and instant chart success- reaching #3 on Billboard’s “Contemporary Jazz Chart.”
Bernie Williams raised his musical game even further with the release of his second album Moving Forward. Featuring guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Secada, Dave Koz, and an All-Star cast of renowned studio musicians, Moving Forward debuted as Billboard’s #2 Contemporary Jazz album in the country, and continued to hold that chart position for five straight weeks, and spawned two consecutive Billboard #1 singles, Go For It, and Ritmo de Otono. The album was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Album in 2009.
In addition to performing at concert venues, music festivals, and special events, since the release of Moving Forward, Bernie spent considerable time authoring his first book, Rhythms of the Game: The Link Between Music and Athletic Performance, published by Hal Leonard Books and released in July 2011. The book examines the symbiotic relationship between musical artistry and athletic performance through the eyes of a man who has mastered both.
Bernie is an active crusader for arts and music education in the lives of all students, and is a national spokesman for the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Foundation’s SupportMusic Coalition, which unites non-profit organizations, schools, and businesses working to assure that music education is supported in communities everywhere, and that all children have the opportunity to learn and grow with music. He has met with leaders of Congress on Capitol Hill for years lobbying to ensure that arts and music become part of a core education in our schools across the United States.
In 2015, he was appointed a Turnaround Arts artist by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in partnership with the White House, and U.S. Department of Education. Turnaround Arts brings arts education programs and supplies to a group of the lowest-performing elementary and middle schools in the country. These resources help schools improve attendance, parent engagement, student motivation, and academic achievement.
On May 13, 2016, Williams graduated from the Manhattan School of Music, in New York, NY, a prestigious music conservatory in New York, NY, receiving a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Performance.
In 2017, Bernie became the national spokesperson for Breathless, an educational awareness campaign for Ideopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a mysterious lung disease that took the life of Bernie’s father Bernabe Sr., and still has no cure. He has been touring the country visiting many cities, Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball ballparks, and speaking at major medical conferences to spread the word about the disease that affects up to 132,000 people and their families per year.
On June 13, 2019, Bernie became “Dr. Williams”, as he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the State University of New York through SUNY Potsdam and the world- renowned Drake School of Music, considered the “birthplace of music education”. Williams was recognized for his record-setting achievements as a New York Yankee, as well as his artistic accomplishments as a musician and dedication to philanthropy.
Joan Taub Ades is a prominent member of New York’s premiere music philanthropic circles.
At Manhattan School of Music, Joan oversees and generously funds the Alan M. and Joan Taub Ades Vocal Competition each spring, and she conceived of and oversaw the long-running “Joan’s Closet” program. An annual event, Joan’s Closet provided female MSM students with appropriate audition, recital, and concert gowns and clothing at no charge. Joan has also spearheaded additional MSM innitatives including Music for the Seasons, an interactive concert series that brings stellar students and alumni to perform at NYC care programs and facilities.
In 2007, MSM opened the Alan M. and Joan Taub Ades Performance Space, named in recognition of the important and generous philanthropic contributions to the School by Joan and her late husband Alan. The “Ades Performance Space” is a versatile performance and event venue that accommodates up to 215 audience members.
Joan is a former board member of the American Ballet Theater, served as president of Horizon Concerts, and was a docent at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among many other activities. She has a graduate degree from New York University.
Carla Bossi-Comelli is a resident of the world, having been born in Italy, lived in Argentina, and now residing in Switzerland. She served on Manhattan School of Music’s Board of Trustees from 2004 to 2021 and is the Chair of the International Advisory Board. Carla is a past president of the World Federation of Friends of Museums, an international non-profit organization with 18 different national federations and 27 associations affiliated with over 2 million supporters. She also serves as a member of the International Council of the Metropolitan Opera, the International Council of the Osterfestspiele Salzburg, the Venice International Foundation Board, and the Board of Advisory Trustees of Friends of FAI.
Susan Ennis is the Executive Vice President, Program Strategy & Planning at Home Box Office (HBO). Named to the position in November 2009, Ennis’ responsibilities include the overall linear and digital scheduling of HBO and Cinemax, as well as the strategic planning and operations for all HBO and MAX original programs. Under Ennis’ leadership, the Program Planning group encompasses program and promotion scheduling for HBO/Cinemax 15 linear services, HBO and Cinemax On Demand, HBO/MAX GO, and HBO’s new streaming service HBO NOW. She also oversees the Market, Audience, and Digital Analytics Research groups of HBO, which help advise senior management strategies as global technologies and viewer habits evolve. Ennis joined the Program Strategy & Planning group in 1992 as Director, and has been managing the long-range planning of HBO/Cinemax Original Series, HBO Films & Miniseries, HBO Documentaries & Family, and HBO Sports since being named Senior Vice President in 2000. Before working in Program Strategy and Planning, Susan was Director of Market Research for HBO and Cinemax from 1989 to 1992. She joined HBO in 1982 as a member of the Research department.
Prior to her employment at HBO, Ennis held research positions at Grey Advertising and Dancer Fitzgerald Sample. She earned a BA in Art History from Wesleyan University and an MBA from Columbia University. A Manhattan School of Music trustee emerita, Susan’s professional memberships include BAFTA, ATAS, AFI, and NYWIFT (NY Women in Film & Television). She is married to Owen Lewis, M.D., a clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia as well as a published poet. The couple lives in New York City with two beloved cats.
Nancy Freund Heller is a senior executive with a distinguished thirty- year career in financial services, managing investments, creating strategic plans, running new and established businesses, serving on boards and committees. Before retiring from TIAA in 2016, Nancy built and served as President of TIAA Charitable. Nancy also created TIAA Direct, an online retail bank, headed TIAA’s Institutional Relationships business, conceived and created TIAA’s third party asset management business and spent decades managing investments for TIAA’s general account. Ms. Heller currently serves on the board of Charles Schwab Investment Management, Jackson Life Insurance Company of New York, Manhattan School of Music and the investment advisory board of Geller & Company Family Offices.
Marta Casals Istomin, gifted musician and seventh President of Manhattan School of Music, was named President Emerita of the School in 2015. During her Presidency, the School grew greatly in stature and quality, revitalizing its curriculum and enhancing its exemplary community outreach programs. The governments of Spain, France, and Germany have decorated Mrs. Istomin with their highest civilian honors for her achievements in the arts. She is the recipient of several honorary doctorates and has been awarded many distinctions throughout the United States.
Marcia Clay Hamilton (HonDMA ’23) was introduced to MSM through her daughter, Alexandra (BM ’08). Marcia’s career spans nearly four decades and includes positions of leadership in both corporate and small companies, community organizations, and entrepreneurial enterprises. A former Board member of the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra and founding member of the Greenwich Music Festival, she currently serves as a Trustee and Executive Committee member of MSM, the Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic, Greenwich Pen Women, a branch of the national and Washington D.C.-based Pen Women, a group of professional women writers, artists and musicians. An ardent believer in the power of music to transform lives and enhance academic learning, she is an advocate of making music part of the core curriculum at all school grade levels. She and her husband Don support this initiative at the leading-edge Gateway School in NYC and within both the Greenwich and Stamford, CT public school systems. Marcia received her B.A. in English Literature and Urban Studies from Wheaton College and an M.B.A from the London Business School. She joined the Board of Trustees in fall 2010.
Thomas Hampson, Visiting Distinguished Artist and Honorary Professor of Distance Learning at Manhattan School of Music, is one of today’s leading baritones. His versatility, imagination, and vocal charisma have set new standards on stages the world over. His operatic repertoire encompasses over 60 roles, spanning known repertoire as well as rarely performed works and world premieres. To provide a forum for intercultural dialogue and understanding through the art form of song, Hampson established the HAMPSONG Foundation in 2003. He joined the Board of Trustees at Manhattan School of Music in summer 2007 and is a member of the Artistic Advisory Board.
Visit: thomashampson.com
David A. Rahm, Chairman Emeritus, served on the Board from 1989 until 2016 and was Chairman from 1994 to 2008. He has been a longtime supporter of music education and with his wife, Susan, a devoted partner to the Manhattan School of Music. David is a retired Senior Partner of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan and in addition to his role as a philanthropic leader, David realized the artist in himself and now is a dedicated student of classical piano. He received his A.B., cum laude, from Princeton University (1962), his LL.B. from Yale Law School (1965), and an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Music from Manhattan School of Music in 2007.
Robert Simon was a banker in the JPMorgan Private Bank from 1990 to 2009 and was a member of Manhattan School of Music’s Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2009. Rob is a patron of the Metropolitan Opera and a former Chairman of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York’s Board of Directors. Rob earned a B.A. from the University of Vermont (1970), and a J.D. from the University of Maryland (1973). He is a member of the bar of the District of Columbia and the State of Maryland.
Over five decades, composer Robert Sirota has developed a distinctive voice, clearly discernible in all of his work—whether symphonic, choral, stage, or chamber music. Writing in the Portland Press Herald, Allan Kozinn asserts: “Sirota’s musical language is personal and undogmatic, in the sense that instead of aligning himself with any of the competing contemporary styles, he follows his own internal musical compass.”
Robert Sirota’s works have been performed by orchestras across the US and Europe; ensembles such as Alarm Will Sound, Sequitur, yMusic, Chameleon Arts, and Dinosaur Annex; the Chiara, American, Telegraph, and Blair String Quartets; the Neave, Peabody, Concord, and Webster Trios; and at festivals including Tanglewood, Aspen, Yellow Barn, and Cooperstown music festivals; Bowdoin Gamper and Bowdoin International Music Festival; and Mizzou International Composers Festival. Recent commissions include the Neave Trio, Judith Clurman/Essential Voices USA, Jeffrey Kahane and the Sarasota Music Festival, Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, Palladium Musicum, American Guild of Organists, the American String Quartet, Alarm Will Sound, the Naumburg Foundation, yMusic, and arrangements for Paul Simon. Commissions for Sirota@70 in honor of his 70th birthday in 2020 included works for Thomas Pellaton, Carol Wincenc, Linda Chesis & the Cooperstown Summer Music Festival, and Sierra Chamber Society.
Recipient of grants from the Guggenheim and Watson Foundations, United States Information Agency, National Endowment for the Arts, Meet the Composer, and the American Music Center, Sirota’s works are recorded on Navona Records, Legacy Recordings, National Sawdust Tracks, and the Capstone, Albany, New Voice, Gasparo and Crystal labels. His music is published by Muzzy Ridge Music, Hal Leonard, MorningStar Theodore Presser, and To the Fore.
Before becoming Director of the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in 1995, Sirota served as Chairman of the Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions at New York University and Director of Boston University’s School of Music. From 2005-2012, he was the President of Manhattan School of Music, where he was also a member of the School’s composition faculty.
A native New Yorker, Sirota studied at Juilliard, Oberlin, and Harvard and divides his time between New York and Searsmont, Maine with his wife, Episcopal priest and organist Victoria Sirota. They frequently collaborate on new works, with Victoria as librettist and performer, at times also working with their children, Jonah and Nadia, both world-class violists.
For complete information, visit www.robertsirota.com.
Board Chair Emerita Lorraine Gallard, who joined the MSM Board of Trustees in the Fall of 2009, receiving a President’s Medal for Service to the School from MSM President James Gandre at the 2026 Commencement Ceremony at Riverside Church.
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