Mary Joan Negro and Norman Snow in The Hostage, 1972, presented by the Juilliard Acting Company, comprised of members of the Drama Division's first graduating class.

The following events in Juilliard's history occurred in May:


1934 May 1, the four-day Bach Festival opened with a program of the Magnificat and Cantatas No. 51, 53, and 104, performed jointly by the orchestra of the Juilliard School of Music and the chorus of the Oratorio Society of New York conducted by Albert Stoessel. Among the soloists were trumpeter William Vacchiano, tenor Roland Partridge, bass Harold Boggess, soprano Josephine Antoine, and contralto Risë Stevens. The festival concluded with organ works performed by George William Volkel and Hugh Porter, the “Peasant” Cantata, the “Brandenburg” Concertos featuring pianist Ernest Hutcheson and flutist Georges Barrère, and the St. Matthew Passion with combined ensembles from Juilliard, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, and the Oratorio Society of New York.

1941 May 10, the Juilliard Graduate School Orchestra gave a concert of original compositions by students from the classes of Frederick Jacobi and Bernard Wagenaar, including the premiere of Robert Ward’s Symphony No. 1 with the composer conducting. Cecily Lambert’s Symphonic Movement, Wendel Diebel’s Vathek Suite, Walter Mourant’s Overture, Norman Dello Joio’s Sinfonietta, and Dai-Keong Lee’s Naupaka Suite were also performed.

1972 May 9-11, the Juilliard Acting Company, comprising members of the Drama Division’s first graduating class, presented Brendan Behan’s The Hostage under the direction of Gene Lesser with music supervised by Roland Gagnon, dances by Elizabeth Keen, sets by Douglas W. Schmidt, costumes by Carrie F. Robbins, and lighting by Joe Pacitti. The Hostage and other repertory plays were presented during the Acting Company’s summer 1972 residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, joining the New York City Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra as a resident company.

1989 May 19, five honorary doctorates were awarded at Juilliard’s 84th commencement. The honorees were director Mike Nichols, choreographer Agnes de Mille, philanthropist Avery Fisher, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and conductor Zubin Mehta. Juilliard alumna Leontyne Price, who received one of the School’s first honorary degrees in 1987, delivered the commencement address titled “Foundations and Flashbacks.”

Jeni Dahmus is Juilliard’s archivist.