Joseph W. Polisi
President of The Juilliard School

Joseph William Polisi became the sixth president of The Juilliard School in September 1984, bringing to that position his previous experience as a college administrator, a writer in the fields of music, public policy and the arts, and an accomplished bassoonist.

Before coming to Juilliard, Dr. Polisi was Dean of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (1983-84), Dean of Faculty at the Manhattan School of Music (1980-1983), and Executive Officer of the Yale University School of Music (1976-1980). He holds three graduate degrees in music from Yale, having completed his Doctor of Musical Arts in 1980, a Master of Musical Arts in 1975, and a Master of Music in 1973. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Arts degree in international relations from Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

As a bassoonist, Dr. Polisi has performed extensively in the United States, in solo and in chamber performances. In addition to performing with faculty and students in concerts at The Juilliard School, he has participated in a benefit concert at the Vivian Beaumont Theater for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and in chamber performances in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. He first studied with his father, the late William Polisi, a distinguished musician who was principal bassoonist of the New York Philharmonic and a Juilliard faculty member for 30 years. Joseph Polisi continued his performance studies throughout his college years, and was a student of Maurice Allard at the Conservatoire National de Paris from 1973-74 as an "auditeur libre," after receiving his first master's degree at Yale. 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 20th-century bassoon music for Crystal Records.

Joseph Polisi's eighteen years at Juilliard have been a time of vitality for the school, with the establishment of new student services, alumni programs, a revised curriculum, and a new emphasis on the humanities and liberal arts. Under his tenure the Juilliard Orchestra has toured China and Hong Kong in 1987, Japan in 1987 and 1995 and, most recently, a combined tour of Japan and Korea in 1997. The ensemble performed in France and Bermuda in 1993 and 1994 and participated as the Evian Festival's resident ensemble in 1992. This period of growth at Juilliard also has seen enhanced student and faculty financial support; the construction of a 375-bed residence for students, the Meredith Willson Residence Hall, in the Samuel B. and David Rose Building; the creation of an exchange program with Columbia University and Barnard College; a new emphasis on community outreach with particular attention to under-represented students; creation of a CD-ROM product to teach music to children; a school-wide initiative to develop interdisciplinary programs involving actors, dancers, and musicians; the creation of the Institute for Jazz Studies, a collaborative program with Jazz @ Lincoln Center, which began in September, 2001; and the development of an undergraduate mentoring program to broaden educational and artistic opportunities for Juilliard's dancers, actors, and musicians. In addition, Dr. Polisi has led the process of developing a comprehensive long-range plan for the school that has resulted in The Campaign for Juilliard, a $150 million capital campaign dedicated to enhancing student financial aid and faculty compensation, as well as the development of school-wide programs that will prepare Juilliard students for the demands of the twenty-first century.

2/03