Juilliard will experience a different type of debut later this month, with the publication of the Harry N. Abrams book Juilliard, by co-authors Maro Chermayeff and Amy Schewel. The book is a companion to the PBS American Masters documentary by Ms. Chermayeff and Ms. Schewel, which will be aired nationwide in January 2003. (The documentary will be shown on New York's Channel 13 on Wednesday, January 29, from 9 to 11 p.m.)

(Image courtesy of Harry N. Abrams, Inc.; photograph by Alfredo Miccoli)

Lavishly illustrated with approximately 300 illustrations, Juilliard reveals aspects of the School's past and its present through informative captions and excerpts from interviews with faculty, students, administrators, and alumni. Among those offering reflections on their Juilliard experiences are Milton Babbitt, Christine Baranski, Ed Bilous, Bruce Brubaker, Joseph Bloch, Martha Clarke, Michael Kahn, Kevin Kline, Eriq LaSalle, James Levine, Laura Linney, Robert Mann, Wynton Marsalis, Audra McDonald, Paula Robison, William Vacchiano, Bradley Whitford, and Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. The book includes a foreword by Frank Rich and preface by Juilliard President Joseph W. Polisi.

The book was compiled over a three-year period, which overlapped with the completion of the documentary film. When they began work on the documentary in 1999, Ms. Chermayeff and Ms. Schewel came to see me in the library to request access to the School's archives. Archivist Jeni Dahmus, Communications Director Janet Kessin, and I were kept extremely busy responding to requests for current and historical photographs, scrapbooks, catalogs, Juilliard periodicals—literally every document or image that could be used in the film and later in the book.

The School's archives house thousands of photographs documenting the history of the institution since its founding in 1905. It was a challenge for the editors to select archival materials that could best be used to illustrate the School's history in a 240-page book. In its nearly 100 years of existence, Juilliard has had a profound influence on the cultural life of the United States and, indeed, the world. The names of the many renowned artists who have been connected to the School over the years as students, faculty, and/or administrators could easily fill a "Who's Who" of 20th-century performing artists. Thus, every image selected or event profiled could have been replaced with another equally important or striking image or event.

In general, opera, dance, and drama productions tend to be better documented visually in the archives than instrumental, chamber, or even orchestral performances. As well, we have many more photographs of performances, master classes, and other special events than we do photographs of studio teaching or informal interactions between students and teachers. Some of the images used for the book come from the archives' collection of 65 scrapbooks of newspaper clippings, which cover school activities from the earliest years of the Institute of Musical Art through the 1950s. They are in remarkably good condition, given the high acidic content of the clippings that were glued onto scrapbook pages. All of them have been microfilmed for long-term preservation.

The images selected for inclusion in the book provide a fascinating glimpse into the School's rich history. In 1929 the Juilliard Graduate School inaugurated its program in advanced training in opera with a production of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. The book includes a photograph of this production, alongside the School's 1997 production of the same opera with original sets and costumes by Maurice Sendak.

The beginnings of the Drama Division are documented through photographs of the 1968 retreat that developed the division's curriculum, along with quotes from Michael Kahn and others who were present at this retreat. Similarly, the Dance Division's establishment in 1951 is represented through photographs of José Limón, Martha Graham, and other members of the distinguished faculty who were brought here by Martha Hill, the division's founding director.

Also included are photographs of all of the Juilliard String Quartets, from the group's establishment in 1946 with violinists Robert Mann and Robert Koff; violist Raphael Hillyer; and cellist Arthur Winograd, to its current iteration with violinists Joel Smirnoff and Ronald Copes; violist Samuel Rhodes; and cellist Joel Krosnick. And of course there are marvelous color photographs of some performances and events from the very recent past (including the 2001-02 season), as well as photographs and quotes from current students and faculty members. A chronology of significant events in the School's history is included at the end of the book.

As President Polisi writes in his preface, "…[Juilliard's] lofty aspirations and traditions come vividly to life in this book. Through never-before published images and an engaging narrative, the reader can experience the joys and challenges of the Juilliard experience." We extend our thanks to Ms. Chermayeff, Ms. Schewel, PBS, and Harry N. Abrams, Inc. for offering the world this special view of Juilliard.