There was good news for pianists and chamber musicians. A new friend to Juilliard, John Moran endowed the Louise Chisholm Moran Piano Scholarship in memory of his mother. Nancy Marks, a member of Juilliard’s board of trustees, endowed the Nancy A. Marks Chamber Music Scholarship. The gala celebrating Mary Rodgers Guettel last spring resulted in the establishment of the Mary Rodgers Guettel Scholarship; it joins a Pre-College scholarship in this former board chair’s name. 

Prior to his death, in February, Van Cliburn (Diploma ’55, piano), who had previously endowed two piano scholarships in the College Division, endowed an award for Pre-College students. Richard Fisk (Diploma ’44, Postgraduate Diploma ’48, B.S. ’50, M.S. ’51, piano) made provision through his will to endow the Dr. Richard Bernard Fisk and Mrs. Sarah M. Fisk Scholarship, which will be awarded to pianists. Jerry Bywaters Cochran (B.S. ’58, dance) endowed the Jerry Bywaters Cochran Scholarship in Dance in Honor of Martha Hill. Hill was the founding director of the Juilliard Dance Division and Cochran’s teacher. The J. Victor Monke and Beulah E. Monke Scholarship, an award for cellists, flutists, and conductors, was endowed with a gift from the Monke Family Trust. The Monke Scholarship honors family members Keri Lynn Wilson (B.M. ’88 and M.M. ’90 flute; M.M. ’93, conducting) and Eric Wilson (B.M. ’72, M.M. ’73, cello). Sita Ohanessian, who established the Beatrice Ohanessian (’59, piano) Memorial Scholarship in 2009, has made it permanent with another generous gift. 

Alumnus and longtime piano faculty member Martin Canin (B.S., M.S. ’56, piano) has made a gift endowing the Martin Canin Piano Scholarship. The Martin E. Segal Scholarship is the result of a generous gift from Segal, a former chairman of Lincoln Center and a devoted friend to Juilliard who died in August. A new friend to Juilliard, Barbara Agosin, endowed a piano scholarship in her mother’s name last year and has now created the Barbara Rogers Agosin Scholarship for voice students.  Also new to Juilliard, Arthur Weiner endowed the Alice D. Weiner Classical Music Scholarship, an award for pianists and stringed instrumentalists, in honor of his wife. 

The Orlando and Edith Portano Trust provided generous support for organists with the endowment of the George Erick Scholarship. The Lily McKinley Scholarship is the result of a bequest by McKinley (Diploma ’43, Graduate Diploma ’46, piano). Two recent bequests came from generous arts patrons with no prior connection to Juilliard: the Eve Lyndlemarch Scholarship and the Jeanne M. Bennett Violin Scholarship.

Mel Silverman, who in the past has endowed scholarships in dance, drama, voice and violin, has added a fifth one, the Pauline and Arthur Feibush Memorial Scholarship. Designated for soprano and mezzo-soprano voice students, it pays tribute to Mel’s cousins. Hélène Bjornson, who has long supported Juilliard’s Russian students with an annual scholarship, has now made the Frederica Shick Horochiloff Scholarship permanent with a generous gift.

Juilliard trustees Pierre Bastid and Sanford Ehrenkranz, who have firsthand understanding of the School’s great scholarship needs, have established the Pierre T. Bastid Scholarship, which goes to a graduate-level jazz student for two years of study, and the Sanford B. Ehrenkranz Scholarship, which is an unrestricted award.

The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation is providing generous support for Juilliard’s voice students through the Toulmin Scholarship (see article above). The Nina Carasso Scholarship is an award for a French or Spanish student for four years of undergraduate study. This support has been made possible with a generous gift from Marina Nahmias, daughter of the late Daniel and Nina Carasso, longtime Juilliard benefactors. 

Honor and memorial gifts continue to be a vital source of support for Juilliard. While the Marvin Hamlisch (Pre-College ’63; faculty) Scholarship in Composition was originally endowed in 2000 with gifts from Hamlisch’s colleagues and friends at his suggestion, it was significantly strengthened with contributions after the composer’s death, in August 2012. A memorial concert at Juilliard last October, featuring Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, and Liza Minnelli, among others, brought an even greater outpouring of support for this scholarship. 

 Carmine P. Fornarotto (B.S. ’51, trumpet), a 30-year member of the New York Philharmonic who died this past fall, has been memorialized with contributions to the new Carmine P. Fornarotto Brass Scholarship. Stefanie Nance, an Air Force officer and pediatrician, honored her late father by establishing the Gordon Watkins Scholarship. Watkins (B.S. ’58, M.S. ’60, voice) had a long career as a singer, choral conductor, and theater director. The Philip C. Kraus (’38 Diploma, percussion) Scholarship, and the Frank L. Biletzky (’42, music education) Scholarship have also been established.

The Elizabeth and Joseph Weber Scholarship was created with a gift from Susan Sariego to honor her parents who enjoyed New York City’s cultural life. Ruth Weichsel Hoffman, an enthusiastic Evening Division student, established the
L. Michael Griffel (M.S. 66, piano) Scholarship to salute the chair of Juilliard’s music history department. Morton Herskowitz paid tribute to his wife, a member of Juilliard’s viola faculty from 1987 to 2003, with the Karen Tuttle Memorial Scholarship. 

The Marion J. Stano Scholarship was established with a contribution from Christina Frazier and Judith Johnson. The Lucille and Jack Yellen Scholarship is designated for dance students and reflects the Yellens’ lifelong commitment to the arts. The Estate of Jerry Ragovoy made provision for the Jerry Ragovoy Scholarship, which memorializes the songwriter and record producer.

An important component of the Juilliard community is the members of our audience and those who join membership groups. As they see our students in performance and get to know them, they soon realize that the vast majority attend Juilliard with the help of scholarships—and they want to help.

Doreen and Martin Weisfuse, longtime Juilliard Ovation Society members, established an award for dancers called the Courageous Spirit Dance Award. The Roberta Schneiderman Scholarship is the gift of another devoted Juilliard patron. The Shaw Piano Scholarship was created with a gift from Juilliard patrons Lawrence Caplan and Dorene Kaplan. Henrie Jo Barth (known as Bootsie) funded two scholarships in recognition of her Juilliard interests: the Victor Goines Scholarship for jazz students in honor of the founding artistic director of Juilliard’s Jazz Studies program and the Bootsie Barth Scholarship for drama students. Scott Delman established two new awards for drama students: the David West Read (Playwrights ’12) Scholarship in honor of the playwright and the Stephanie P. McClelland Scholarship, which honors the Juilliard board member. A former Juilliard piano student with a career in psychiatry and a passion for the performing arts established the eponymous Dr. Gary Portadin (’64, piano) Scholarship for music students.

The Helen Meates and Simon Prisk Scholarship and the Caroline and Greenwald Scholarship were gifts from guests who were inspired by attending the gala honoring Mary Rodgers Guettel. The M.C. and Eric Roberts Scholarship will benefit drama students. The Philip and Barbara Kaplan Scholarship, given by a retired ambassador and his wife, is designated for graduate-level instrumentalists. The First Choice Bank Scholarship in Jazz provides welcome support for our jazz students. Noted opera director and Juilliard faculty member Stephen Wadsworth established the John S. Zinsser Jr. Scholarship in memory of his father.

The School always welcomes the opportunity to discuss ways to support our educational and artistic activities, which can be done in a variety of ways, including unrestricted gifts, currently funded or endowed scholarships, instrument donation, special project support, bequests, and other planned gifts. Named current scholarships in the College Division begin with a gift of $2,500 or more, and permanently endowed named scholarships may be established with a gift of $50,000 or more. For more information about contributing to Juilliard, please call the Office of Development and Public Affairs at (212) 799-5000, ext. 278, or visit juilliard.edu/giving.