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Juilliard Centennial Season Begins The Juilliard School's 100th commencement—which will take place on Friday, May 20, in Alice Tully Hall—marks the official launch of the School's centennial celebrations. On this momentous occasion, the format for the graduation ceremony will differ from previous years in that no new honorary doctorates will be awarded. Instead, the School will welcome back 17 previous honorees (most of whom are alumni, former faculty, or trustees) to be the first recipients of the Juilliard Medal. (Details of the commencement activities, including photos of the medal recipients and brief excerpts from citations read when they first received their honorary degrees, can be found here.)
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| The Juilliard Medal, designed by Milton Glaser. |
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As Juilliard was anticipating its centennial last fall, President Joseph W. Polisi commissioned the renowned artist Milton Glaser to design a commemorative medal that the School could bestow upon individuals who have made indelible impacts on the arts and have served as important role models for the profession and for Juilliard. Glaser, a longtime friend of Juilliard, had designed his first series of posters for the School in the late 1980s. He was "thrilled" to be given this opportunity, and, in his own words, "to share what music and the arts mean to [him], and to show the accomplishment and aspiration that The Juilliard School represents." Like President Polisi, Glaser was interested in developing an image that would be in keeping with tradition while looking ahead at the same time. The resulting design is a unique and powerful image that will surely become iconic in Juilliard's next century.The Juilliard Medal represents many of the values and attributes of the School itself: creativity, collaboration, vision, and artistry, with a touch of whimsy along with "the unknown." After its inauguration at Juilliard's 100th commencement, the Juilliard Medal will usually be granted to one individual at a time, in gratitude for significant service and contributions to the School and to the arts profession.The reach of Juilliard's centennial celebrations will begin to extend beyond the boundaries of the School this summer, when the Juilliard Orchestra heads to Europe in August and September for a series of debut performances at several respected festivals. The tour begins at the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland on August 21 and ends in London's Royal Albert Hall on September 3, with stops in Berlin and Helsinki along the way. (An article about the tour appears here.) While the Juilliard Orchestra is in Europe, the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Victor Goines, returns to Costa Rica to play in San José at the Eugene O'Neill Theater/Cultural Center. Throughout the 2005-06 season, The Juilliard Journal will provide extensive coverage of centennial performances and activities. Beginning later this month, a special centennial area on the Juilliard Web site will be launched and will feature event highlights, news articles, and slide shows. We look forward to celebrating our anniversary with you!
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