Manhattan School of Music history

She began organizing other young musicians to teach lessons and by 1918 had established an independent music school of 120 students and a faculty of 23.

The 1931 expansion — which included classrooms, studios, offices, and an auditorium — was designed by Arthur Harmon of Shreve, Lamb & Harmon.

Cellist Pablo Casals and pianist Harold Bauer joined her effort, becoming artist auxiliary board members of the Neighborhood Music School (as it was known prior to a name change in 1938), and Doctor Schenck soon financed a new building and concert hall on East 105th Street.

In 1943, the artistic and academic growth of the school resulted in a charter amendment to grant the bachelor of music degree.

In 1956, Doctor Schenck retired and Metropolitan Opera baritone John Brownlee was appointed director, a title later revised to president.

Now used primarily as a meeting room and teaching studio, its 1969 renovation was funded by the Heckscher Foundation for Children, and honors Manhattan School of Music’s early relationship with philanthropist August Heckscher.

John O. Crosby, founder and general director of the Santa Fe Opera, was appointed president in 1976.

Marta Casals Istomin, former director of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, was appointed president of the School in 1992.

A refurbishment of the hall in the summer of 1993, spearheaded by President Marta Casals Istomin, made cosmetic repairs, installed new seats, and restored some of the original German silver accents.

Marta Istomin’s tenure saw the construction of the G. Chris and SungEun Andersen Residence Hall, which opened in 2001, on property adjacent to the existing School.

Doctor Robert Sirota, former director of the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, took over the presidency in 2005.

Originally, this space was designated as the “Director’s Room.” Manhattan School of Music began using it as the main meeting room for its Board of Trustees and, in 2007, it was renovated through the generosity of Board Chair David Rahm and named in honor of him and his wife, Susan.

He instituted a graduate program in Contemporary Music Performance and, in 2010, the Center for Music Entrepreneurship, which continued MSM’s long history of career development services and offerings.