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While the women of Juilliard's orchestras may be miffed at the recent prohibition of pants as concert dress, as reported in last month's Voice Box column by Pala Garcia, I can assure you that some of us in the Juilliard community welcome this change. As a four-year member of the Juilliard Choral Union who has been privileged to perform with the Juilliard Orchestra on numerous occasions, I can tell you that more than once the women of the chorus have wondered why we are held to a strict dress code while the women of the orchestra have been permitted onstage in attire that would be more appropriate for a hairdresser in a trendy salon or a waitress in a Greenwich Village bistro. I would think that if the young ladies are preparing for careers with the world's major orchestras (and I find it hard to believe that the girls who are angry have never seen what the New York Philharmonic women wear), learning to dress for the gig is part of the training.Unfortunately in our society, immodest, almost indecent dress has become de rigueur as part of the image of "artist." Expecting the women at Juilliard to dress with dignity onstage should not be considered an inconvenience, but a recognition of the respect that the music deserves.Marsha Greenberg
Stanford, Conn. Pala Garcia's Voice Box column on Juilliard orchestral dress standards for women reminded me of a relevant incident at a recent concert that I had completely forgotten.Last December, at a performance of the New York String Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, an inebriated man in his 40s sitting just behind me in the parquet made loud, vulgar comments about the female musicians, conservatory students, many from Juilliard, as they came out onstage. What were they wearing? I shall be discreet on that point. But how I wish I had had the moxie to turn around to him and say, "That's my daughter you're talking about!" If these exceptionally talented young women had heard the ribald, mocking comments from a middle-aged male audience member that I heard, how mortified they would have been.If there is any lesson from this, as an audience member, I am not qualified to draw it. But beyond the institution's rules, there is the spirit of the law, and as to that, each musician must make her own choice as to self-presentation in a public concert setting.Eileen Pollock
New York City
I suggest that Anita Mercier has not done her homework in documenting her article "Pioneers of the Podium" (The Juilliard Journal, March issue). As the first woman to graduate with both master's and doctoral degrees in orchestral conducting from Juilliard—where I studied with Jean Morel (1972-73), Sixten Ehrling (1973-77) and Herbert von Karajan (1977 master class at Juilliard)—as well as the first woman to be appointed Exxon/Arts Endowment Conductor with the Pittsburgh Symphony, I have been acknowledged as a pioneer in every journal other than that of my own school. It is distressing to observe my accomplishments ignored by the very institution that nourished their development.Victoria Bond
New York City Anita Mercier replies:The focus of my article was on historical, rather than contemporary, orchestral conductors. My aim, connected to the national celebration of Women's History Month, was to call attention to the considerable achievements of women who are today barely remembered. No offense to contemporary musicians was intended, and I regret that any was taken.Some readers have questioned why I did not include choral and operatic conductors in my article. In the course of my research, I discovered that there are significant divergences in the historical experiences of orchestral and choral and operatic conductors. I felt I could not do justice to both groups within the bounds of one Juilliard Journal article. Certainly the story of women who have made their way as operatic and choral conductors, often in the face of enormous odds, is equally compelling. I would welcome the opportunity to tell their stories.
I was saddened to learn of Robert Koff's death (obituary, March Journal). Mr. Koff visited our conservatory about 20 years ago. At that time, he presented his philosophy of Baroque and Classical violin playing and interpretation. His lectures and violin playing touched us deeply and spoke to everybody's intellectual curiosity. I join his family and everyone at Juilliard who mourn the loss.Aharon Shefi
Retired director of the Givatayim Conservatory of Music
Tel Aviv, Israel
I read with laughter Konstantin Soukhovetski's story "Forbidden Juilliard: A Wild Ride of Musical Satire" in your March issue. It really brought back memories of preparing for a skit at Juilliard with a bunch of music geeks (including me), for the Coffee House on the 11th floor of the Rose Building (I think it was in 1994) where the rule was that you could not perform in your own field. Since I was such a Trekker (not a Trekkie!), I basically told my musician friends that we'd be doing a scene from a Star Trek: The Next Generation TV episode. They were such good sports, and we ended up using our metronomes as "phasers," black garbage bags as the "tar monster," and a friend's frying pan "converted" into the Starship Enterprise. The skit was a roaring success (I think even the drama majors were impressed with how resourceful we were), and I always wished we had more fun like that among the departments. I'm glad that some of the current Juilliard students are taking time away from the fourth-floor practice rooms to have some fun!
Clara Park (M.M. '97, piano)
New York City
I read Stephen Pier's article in the March issue, "After The Dancing Stops," and recognized myself. I was a modern dancer with the companies of Murray Louis, José Limón, and Donald Byrd for 22 glorious years before severe arthritis of the hip brought a halt to my career at age 40. I needed a lot of help finding a new identity and a new career, and I was lucky enough to get that help from a great organization.Dancing was all I'd done since I began at 18; I went to college for dance and never looked back. But when the pain in my hip went from inhibiting me from working fully to stopping me from working altogether, I went to two doctors, who concurred: I needed to stop dancing and consider surgery. My career of more than two decades was over.What does a dancer do then? I cried for about a month without stopping. I hid in my apartment, drinking heavily and watching movies on TV. Without dance, I didn't want to live. What other skills did I have? I had never even waited a table in my life (which I shamelessly boasted about during my career). I went from being the lucky dancer who was always working to someone who had no income.But I had bills to pay. Depressed or not, I needed my booze and cable service! I got out of bed and stumbled upon an organization called Career Transition for Dancers in New York City (there is also a branch in Los Angeles). I went to C.T.F.D. in tears, and sat in an office with counselor Suzie Jary. I was embarrassed, angry, and upset—but Ms. Jary let me know I was not alone.We made a detailed list of my interests. We set goals. I was skeptical at first, but I had nothing to lose. Much to my surprise, there were many options on that list—not easily met, but obtainable possibilities. Those options gave me confidence. Not being alone gave me strength. I took control of my life again.I couldn't go back to the physical demands of full-time modern dance, but I could still perform. I had never done a Broadway show, yet always dreamed of doing just that. I took voice lessons, while I taught dance to make money. I auditioned for everything I saw in the trade papers.I landed a tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, starring Deborah Gibson and Patrick Cassidy. So what if I was the oldest in the cast, at 41! When the tour was over, I didn't waste time being depressed—I went back to Career Transition. I enrolled at Empire State College to complete the undergraduate degree I never finished; C.T.F.D. gave me a grant to help pay the tuition. When I finished that degree with honors, I went on for a graduate degree, also partially funded by the organization.Now at 46, it's finally time to have that hip replacement. Career Transition came through once again, referring me to several contacts for a grant to help with expenses while I'm recovering from surgery (which is scheduled for next month). I may have lost an identity that I worked very hard to attain. But through that loss, I learned that I have skills I never dreamed I had. I have intellect I've never used. I have strength beyond the physical. And I have learned that I am not alone. Most importantly, Career Transition for Dancers has taught me that my spirit can continue dancing even though my body cannot.
Michael Blake
New York City
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