Manhattan School of Music Alumni

On This Date in 1976 and 2018:

The Percussion Ensemble, conducted by Paul Price, gives the world premiere performances [1976] of “Ei Qui Tympanum Pulsat: In Memoriam” by Glenn Lieberman and “Prometheus” by Meyer Kupferman; and the Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, led by Bobby Sanabria, appears at Dizzy's Club [2018], Jazz at Lincoln Center, with special guest percussionist Cándido Camero.

On This Date in 1976 and 1986:

Pianist Arthur Rubinstein gives a master class [1976], arranged in part by faculty member Constance Keene, and is honored at a reception; and the New York premiere of the opera “The English Cat” by Hans Werner Henze is given [1986], conducted by David Gilbert, directed by Lou Galterio, and with costumes by Steven Rubin (borrowed from the Santa Fe Opera).

Congratulations to MSM classical flute alumna Janet Axelrod (MM ’87) on the release of her new album, entitled "Act One: New Works for Flute & Piano," on the Freedom Road Records label. The album is comprised entirely of instrumental classical commissions from composers with a background in musical theatre. The result is new repertoire with a breadth of stylistic influences. Each piece was written with the concert stage in mind and showcases a distinctive voice.

An integral member of New York’s commercial and classical scenes, Janet is equally comfortable in a Broadway pit, studio session, or chamber ensemble. She also enjoyed a two-decade tenure as the flute and piccolo chair in the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra.

https://www.janetaxelrod.com/
https://www.earrelevant.net/2025/07/janet-axelrod-expands-the-flutes-stage-with-act-one/

Janet Axelrod expands the flute’s stage with “Act One” | EarRelevant “Act One” by Janet Axelrod features new works for flute and piano by Broadway composers, blending theatrical flair with the depth of concert repertoire.

Manhattan School of Music welcomes Or Matias as Dean of Musical Theatre - Manhattan School of Music NEWS RELEASE: The award-winning composer, music supervisor, orchestrator, pianist, and educator succeeds Liza Gennaro and will assume the role effective July 1, 2026.

A remarkable eleven MSM alumni will be featured in the 2026–27 Metropolitan Opera season - Manhattan School of Music The Metropolitan Opera's 2026–2027 season features a remarkable eleven MSM alumni. Those eleven artists will account for nine principal roles; three performances in the Diamond Jubilee (see below for details); and one high-profile stint on the podium. Learn here about the performers and the produc...

March of 1965 and 1968: MSM students rehearse, study, and enjoy free time with their classmates.

TONIGHT! Join Modus Operandi Orchestra at 7 p.m. for their 5th concert at Merkin Hall in a program of Brahms and Boston composer Rachel Burckardt. TICKETS $25 (students)/$44 (standard)/$79 (premium). Led by Artistic Director & Conductor Dr. Justin Bischof (BM ’90, MM ’92, DMA ’98), works will include Brahms' iconic Tragic Overture and Symphony No. 4, as well as world premieres of Burckardt including 3 Psalms and October Fanfare. TICKETS: https://www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/modus-merkin-the-music-of-brahms-burckardt/

Congratulations to MSM Classical Composition faculty member Ashkan Behzadi (in photo on left), and MSM alumnus Rand Steiger (BM ’80) who have each received a 2026 Award in Music from the respected American Academy of Arts and Music. Ashkan Behzadi won an Arts and Letters Award that acknowledges composers "who have arrived at their own voice"; Rand Steiger received the Otto and Catherine Brunson Luening Award for artists "not yet been accorded due recognition."🎶👏

On This Date in 1983, 2008, and 2015:

MSM’s Philharmonia Orchestra appears at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in a program of Beethoven’s complete concert arias and songs with orchestra, as presented by The Beethoven Society — Robert Bass conducts and the soloists are Karen Williams, Shirley Love, Paul Sperry and John Ostendorf;

The Jazz Orchestra, saxophone soloist Dave Liebman, and conductor Justin DiCioccio (MM ’71) present a program [2008] of arranged works from “Porgy & Bess,” which is later released on the Jazzheads label;

And Director of Orchestral Activities George Manahan (BM ’73, MM ’76) conducts the MSM Symphony in a program [2015] that includes Richard Strauss’s “Ein Heldenleben” and the Sibelius Violin Concerto with Xiao Wang as soloist [New York Times critic James Oestreich later touts the evening’s “remarkably high level of performance”].

On This Date in 1941, 1981, and 2003:

The Roth Quartet — having undergone a major personnel restructuring by violinist Feri Roth, to include former members of the Manhattan String Quartet, violinist Rachmael Weinstock, cellist Oliver Edel, and violist Julius Shaier — begins a residency [1941] with the first of four programs;

A program by the Composition Faculty [1981] includes works by Ursula Mamlok (BM ’57, MM ’58), Elias Tanenbaum, Ludmila Ulehla (BM ’47, MM ’48), John Corigliano (’63), and Giampaolo Bracali;

And an 80th-birthday tribute to composer Ned Rorem [2003] is given by the Claremont Ensemble, artists in residence.

Congratulations to MSM Vocal Arts alumni Shelén Hughes Camacho (BM ’18, MM ’20), soprano (in photo on right), and Haolun Zhang (MM ’24), countertenor (on left) — they’ve advanced to the semi-finals of the respected The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition! 👏🎶 The semi-finals take place March 15. The competition discovers promising young opera singers and helps boost their careers: Some of today’s greatest singers got their start with it! Learn more here: https://www.metopera.org/about/auditions/competition/