Alison Scott-Williams
Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Outreach

Chicago native Alison Scott-Williams attended Oberlin College, where she earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in opera theater. She also earned a master's degree in voice performance from the Manhattan School of Music (where she worked as an admission assistant before coming to Juilliard), and a master's degree in higher education administration from Baruch College.

Alison Scott-Williams in the role of Marcellina from Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart at the Oberlin Conservatory c. 1988.

How long have you worked at Juilliard, and what do you remember about your first day? And what is one of your favorite memories from your years here?

I began working at Juilliard in October 1994 and was so busy my first day, I could barely remember any names. I have many favorite memories, but one of them is when Leontyne Price said to me, after I had planned one of her master classes, "Alison, congratulations on your successful maiden voyage."



What job at Juilliard would you like to try out for a day and why?

I'd like to try either Carole Haas's job [director of the production department], because I think what our production team creates is magical and magnificent, or the job of Jon Rosenhein [vice president for finance and administration], to see at an "up-close and personal" level the complicated rubric of not-for-profit finance.



What is the strangest or most memorable job you've ever had and what made it so?

Before my current position, I worked at Juilliard earlier as associate registrar for academic advisement and as executive assistant to the president. They were my most memorable jobs, because they both required intimate knowledge of Juilliard with extremely different goals and outcomes.



If out of the blue your boss said to take the day off, what would you do with your free time?

Read, go to the Foundation Center to do research for my son's school, have a decent lunch, and prepare for my nighttime job of homework (Grade 1) and story time.



What book are you reading right now?

I am in a book club that is reading Augusten Burroughs' Magical Thinking and his Running with Scissors. I tend to read one nonfiction and one fiction work simultaneously. The last nonfiction was Shifting: The Double Lives of Black Women in America, by C. Jones and K. Shorter-Gooden. With my children, we are on the fourth book of a series titled Franny K. Stein Mad Scientist by Jim Benton.



What other pursuits are you passionate about?

Music, art, comics, wine, the news, and Renata Scotto—not in this order. I have been on the advisory boards of dance organizations and other nonprofit companies. I am deeply committed to the growth and nourishment of the arts in this country.



Have you continued to pursue your artistic endeavors, and if so, how do you balance them with your job?

Although I am a singer, I no longer pursue opera as a profession. When I made the choice to be an administrator, I wanted to commit 100 percent and not pursue a performance career. For now, I am happy with singing the hymns at church weekly, and have a set of "regulars" who sit near me to hear me sing. Perhaps one day I will join the church choir.



What was the best vacation you've had and what made that trip so special?

My husband and I used to regularly travel to the Napa and Sonoma Valleys for wine tasting and spas (especially mud baths). These trips were the most memorable and magical, due to the unique combination of pure indulgence: wine, great food, and massage/relaxation. The thought of it makes me say aaahhhh!



What might people be surprised to know about you?

I am a third-generation college graduate (my grandparents went to college). Although social, I have very few friends. I sometimes sing karaoke, and I love jazz as much as opera.



What is your favorite thing about New York City?

Tolerance. Out of all the places I have lived in the U.S., New York City has mastered social tolerance in a way that makes everyone feel that anything is possible and that everyone is valuable. There is a "common law of social practices" that everyone follows that helps keep order in the city (for example, in line at the post office, or on the subway). Although there are exceptions to this, I have yet to travel to an unknown neighborhood here and be treated poorly. I cannot say this for Ohio, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Massachusetts.