Joseph W. Polisi, President of The Juilliard School

Joseph W. Polisi

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                Joseph W. Polisi became the sixth president of The Juilliard School in September 1984. Previously Dr. Polisi was Dean of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Dean of Faculty at the Manhattan School of Music, and Executive Officer of the Yale University School of Music. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Yale, as well as a degree in political science from the University of Connecticut and one in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. As a bassoonist, Dr. Polisi has performed throughout the United States in solo and chamber performances, as well as at The Juilliard School, Alice Tully Hall, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and at Avery Fisher Hall. He has written many scholarly and educational articles for professional journals, is a frequent speaker on arts and education issues, has produced several sound recordings, primarily focusing on contemporary American music, and has recorded a solo album of 20^th-century bassoon music for Crystal Records. His newest book, American Muse: The Life and Times of William Schuman is scheduled for release by Amadeus Press in October 2008, following the release of The Artist as Citizen in 2005.

Dr. Polisi’s twenty-four years at Juilliard have been a time of vitality for the school, with the establishment of new student services and alumni programs, a revised curriculum, and an emphasis on the humanities and liberal arts.  This period of growth also has seen the construction of the Meredith Willson Residence Hall, the creation of an exchange program with Columbia University and Barnard College, new emphasis on community outreach, a school-wide initiative to develop interdisciplinary programs, the creation of the Institute for Jazz Studies – a collaborative program with Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the development of a mentoring program open to all students.  Dr. Polisi led the process of developing a comprehensive long-range plan for the school via The Campaign for Juilliard, a $150 million capital campaign dedicated to further increasing student financial aid and faculty compensation, as well as developing school-wide programs to prepare Juilliard students for the changing demands of the twenty-first century.  Subsequently, the Campaign was expanded to a $300 million goal and renamed the Juilliard Second Century Fund.  Dr. Polisi led Juilliard’s celebration of its centennial in the 2005-2006 academic year. In coordination with Carnegie Hall, he helped found the Carnegie Hall/Juilliard Academy launched in September, 2006, a program that prepares post-graduate musicians for their roles as artistic and educational leaders. He currently oversees the planning and construction process for a $193 million renovation of the Juilliard building, with completion scheduled for September, 2009.