Greene Scholarship Challenge Raises $10 Million

By Irene Elias

In December, the school completed the Jerome L. Greene Foundation Scholarship Challenge by securing 50 new scholarship gifts of $100,000 each. The foundation matched each gift one-to-one, resulting in a total of $10 million invested in new endowed scholarship funding for students. The donors who generously supported this effort represent a cross-section of the Juilliard community. Thanks to the alumni, trustees, members, ticket buyers, families, and new friends of the school who participated, Juilliard is moving closer to its goal of becoming ever-more tuition-free. 

Throughout the Greene Challenge, donors were inspired to create and contribute to scholarships across all three divisions, naming them after themselves, loved ones, and mentors. These lasting legacies will provide scholarship aid to students for generations to come as the endowments grow over time. With more than 90 percent of Juilliard College Division students eligible for financial assistance, scholarship funds provide the crucial resources needed to make a Juilliard education possible for every actor, dancer, and musician with the talent and drive to pursue it.

“The excellence of a Juilliard education demands the utmost affordability,” said Juilliard’s president, Damian Woetzel, noting that “enduring support” of the Jerome L. Greene Foundation has been “a model for supporting young artists and the arts themselves and has laid the path toward making Juilliard ever more tuition-free.”

Jerome L. Greene served as a Juilliard trustee from 1985 to 1999. At the beginning of his tenure, he established Juilliard’s first major endowed scholarship to fund all three college divisions—dance, drama, and music. The Greene Foundation’s generous partnership with Juilliard has continued to deepen for four decades, leading to this generous commitment to provide $5 million in matching funds through this challenge. Dawn Greene, Jerry’s widow, continued the foundation’s support of scholarships during her tenure at the foundation. Christina McInerney, her daughter and the current CEO and president of the foundation, has been a member of Juilliard’s board since 2015 and is a dedicated champion of the arts and education.

“Funding scholarships in the arts is an investment in innovation and free expression that greatly benefits society,” McInerney said. “Making sure that Juilliard students continue toward fulfilling their goals unburdened by school debt is essential to bringing their gifts and talents to the world.”

Juilliard is deeply grateful to all donors who participated in the challenge and the Jerome L. Greene Foundation for their thoughtful dedication to our students and their generosity.

Greene Challenge Gifts

An anonymous donor established the endowed Classical Music Scholarship to support future generations of young musicians.

Barbara Agosin has made a gift for the Aunt Jo and Uncle Sol Scholarship. For students in the Drama Division, this is the fourth scholarship Agosin has endowed at Juilliard, and it honors her aunt and uncle.

A new scholarship intended for music students from China or Taiwan who are women has been established by Phillip Arnheim in memory of Jessie Liang Qiu, who was an accomplished musician.

Walter Arnheim and Marsha Rehns are longtime Juilliard donors with a passion for opera and drama. Their new scholarship will be designated for vocal arts students.

Powell Brown, who joined the Juilliard board in the fall, established a new endowed scholarship in honor of his mother, Cici Brown, to support jazz students.

Jazz vocal students will benefit from the Rondi Charleston Scholarship, endowed by trustee Rondi Charleston (Group 9; BM ’82, MM ’83, voice)

Global Council members Richard and Michelle Chen made an additional gift to the Tony and Cathy Chen Scholarship, which they had established in 2018. Their philanthropy is inspired by the work of the Chenter Foundation and its commitment to improving the lives of children through the arts, education, and health care.

Julie Choi (BM ’85, MM ’86, piano), vice chair of the board, established the Damian Woetzel Scholarship, a new endowment in honor of Juilliard’s president.

“The excellence of a Juilliard education demands the utmost affordability”—Damian Woetzel

The Family of Isabel Stewart Cunningham has supported Juilliard college and Preparatory Division students for the past eight years. Through the Greene Challenge, they endowed the Isabel Stewart Cunningham Scholarship, in memory of their mother, for piano and saxophone students.

Lorna “Dee” Doan of Parksville, British Columbia, has endowed her second scholarship at Juilliard; it supports instrumental music students.

Joy Ferro is establishing an endowed scholarship for vocal arts students in memory of her husband, Daniel Ferro (BS ’48, voice; faculty 1972– 2006), who fostered in vocal students a love of vocal repertoire and a sure understanding of vocal technique.

Barbara and Jonathan File have created an endowed drama scholarship in memory of James Houghton, who was the Richard Rodgers Director of the Drama Division from 2006 until his death, in 2016. He was also the founding artistic director of the Signature Theatre.

Jeff Gates, who joined the board in the fall, established the Gates Moran Family Scholarship to support dance students.

Kenneth C. Griffin made a gift in memory of Joseph Kalichstein (BS ’67, MS ’69, piano; faculty 1983–2022).

Ralph Hamaker established the Leonie Rysanek and Lisa Della Casa Scholarship in Voice in 2017, in honor of two singers who were his longtime friends. He is making an additional gift through this challenge to strengthen this endowed fund.

Jeremy Hein endowed the John Hein Scholarship in memory of his father, John Hein (Diploma ’43, flute), who studied at Juilliard with Georges Barrère (faculty 1905–44).

Avi Kalichstein created the Joseph Kalichstein Memorial Piano Scholarship in memory of his father, Joseph Kalichstein (BS ’67, MS ’69, piano; faculty 1983-2022).

Anonymous donors have chosen to honor Alan Kay (BM ’82, MM ’83, clarinet; Advanced Certificate ’90, orchestral conducting; faculty 1987– present) with the Alan Kay Music Scholarship. His dedication to his students in the college and Pre- College has made a lasting impression on countless young artists.

Augustus Juilliard Society member Elizabeth G. Kolby honored her parents by establishing the Zofia and Henryk Szymanski Scholarship for Polish and Norwegian students.

A lifelong dance enthusiast and champion of the arts, trustee Terry Lindsay endowed the Teresa E. Lindsay Scholarship to support dance students.

Stephen Loeffler and Robert Viagas have established the Keith J. Viagas Scholarship to honor the lifelong passion for music of Viagas, a longtime Evening Division student, and to assist others in pursuit of their own artistic goals and achievements. Viagas was the director of artistic planning at New York City Opera.

Longtime trustee and current board chair Vincent Mai endowed the Vincent Mai Scholarship.

The McColgan siblings—Jack (Pre-College ’81, horn), James (Pre-College ’81, trumpet), Arleen, Colleen, Edward, and Sharon—endowed the Elizabeth A. and Edward J. McColgan Scholarship in memory of their parents. Jack and James were encouraged to pursue their musical studies at Juilliard by their parents’ love and support of the arts.

Joyce Menschel has contributed to the Barbara G. Fleischman Drama Scholarship.

Trustee Anne Akiko Meyers (Pre-College ’87; Certificate ’90, violin) has endowed the Anne Akiko Meyers Scholarship, supporting violin students.

John and Carole Moran endowed their second scholarship at Juilliard with a new fund dedicated to supporting classical music students.

Global Council member Terry Morgenthaler, a passionate supporter of the performing arts and arts education, endowed the Terry Morgenthaler Scholarship for drama students.

The Myron Howard Nadel Scholarship in Dance has been endowed by Jane Poss in memory of her husband, Myron Nadel (BS ’62, dance), who was a professor in the department of theater and dance at the University of Texas at El Paso and also the founding chair of the dance department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Gary Portadin, a psychiatrist who has supported piano and vocal arts students with current-use scholarships for the past 12 years, established an endowed scholarship fund to support future vocal arts and collaborative piano students.

Global Council member Julia Raiskin created the Dema and Lev Raiskin Scholarship in honor of her parents. The family shares with Juilliard a commitment to the value of education and the arts.

A longtime champion of Juilliard’s piano department, trustee Suzy Rose established the Susan W. Rose Piano Scholarship more than two decades ago and took the opportunity of the Greene Challenge to add to her fund.

Sam Rotman (BM ’72, MM ’73, piano) and his wife, inspired by the Greene Challenge opportunity, established the Sam and Deborah Rotman Piano Scholarship.

Wendy Schilling established the Jean-Paul Schilling Memorial Music Scholarship in memory of her father, who loved music and played piano.

Thomas Schumacher and Matthew White support current-use scholarships for dance and drama students and have created a new unrestricted endowed scholarship to support future generations of Juilliard artists.

Anonymous donors established the Gertrude Goldhirsch Schwartz Scholarship Fund to support future generations of pianists and honor her love for music.

In honor of his mother’s recent 100th birthday, Paul Sekhri created the Betty Sekhri Scholarship, which will support piano students.

The Deborah Simon Scholarship, funded by Juilliard trustee Debbie Simon, will provide assistance to drama students.

To honor his parents, Alec P. Stais has created an endowed scholarship with a preference to support drama students.

The Sidney and Florence Stern Family Foundation continues to support an endowed dance scholarship in loving memory of Florence Natalie Stern, who loved to dance and would have been so proud to know that her granddaughter Shoshana B. Sklar received her BFA in dance Juilliard last spring.

Trustee Wes Stricker, along with his wife Pam and daughter Stephanie (BFA ’18, dance), established the Stricker Family Scholarship to support dance and jazz students.

Elliot Susseles and Lisa Kurlantzick established the Diana Friedman Susseles Memorial Scholarship in memory of his mother. The scholarship will support future generations of female cellists and honor Diana Susseles’ love of music.

Trustee Yael Taqqu established the Sylvia Chambless Scholarship in honor of her former piano teacher Sylvia Chambless (BM ’65, piano).

Passionate performing arts lovers and longtime Juilliard Ovation members Susan and Daniel Thys established a new endowed fund to support future generations of vocal arts students.

Philanthropist and trustee Laurie Tisch made a gift to endow the Laurie M. Tisch Scholarship.

Longtime council member Younghee Kim Wait and her mother, Chungsin Park Kim, created the Captain Hak Yong Kim Memorial Scholarship, honoring her late father.

Matt Walker and his family have created an endowed fund in honor of James Houghton (director of the Drama Division 2006–16) and his legacy at Juilliard.

The Williams family—Marsha and her children, Zak, Cody, and Zelda—pledged additional funds to the Robin Williams Scholarship. They created this endowment fund in 2018 to honor the Group 6 alum’s legacy of generous scholarship support to Juilliard.

Juilliard’s president Damian Woetzel and his wife, the Balanchine ballerina Heather Watts, both former principal dancers at New York City Ballet, were among Stanley Williams’ students at the School of American Ballet. They have established the Stanley Williams Scholarship in honor of their beloved late teacher, who was revered for his sophisticated balletic vision and musical emphasis. This scholarship will be used to support young artists with imaginative musical aspirations and big dreams.

A group of alumni and family joined together to create a new endowed scholarship fund named for a beloved former faculty member. The Moni Yakim Drama Scholarship honors this legendary mentor who began teaching movement for actors at Juilliard in 1968.

Richard York established the Don York Scholarship in Composition in 2021 in memory of his brother, Don York (BM ’69, composition), the longtime music director of the Paul Taylor Dance Company. He made an additional gift through the Greene Challenge to strengthen the fund.

Irene Elias, Juilliard’s stewardship manager, can be reached at (646) 459-1575 or [email protected]

We are very happy to have been among the first supporters of the Greene Challenge. The fund has allowed us to honor the memory of our dear friend Jim Houghton, who fostered our interest in Juilliard, and also to show our support for the school and the Drama Division. We are grateful to the Jerome L. Greene Foundation for this match program, which motivated us to be part of this amazing endeavor. —Barbara and Jonathan File