We’re paying tribute to four Juilliard anniversaries this year—20 years of Juilliard Jazz, 30 of the Music Advancement Program (MAP), 70 of Juilliard Dance, and 75 of the Juilliard String Quartet.

We will be posting articles about all four throughout the year, some of which, including this one, are adapted from exhibits in the Larkin Lobby of the Diamond building at Juilliard.

See the MAP Chorus, led by Adrian Rodriguez, in Why Not a Star? at Abyssinian Baptist Church on December 11 at 7pm.

Juilliard MAP 1991-2021

The Music Advancement Program (MAP) serves students from diverse backgrounds underrepresented in the classical music field with the goals of giving our students a unique musical education helping them grow into people who will change the world. In a typical music program, students learn how to play, and they go home. At MAP, we link our students’ artistic development to a wider sense of social responsibility. We combine Juilliard-level musical instruction with practices that teach each student how to be a better friend and a better community member. Each Saturday begins with MAP Rally, a class attended by every student in the program, which promotes citizenship and community building and helps establish the MAP culture. The day continues with lessons, theory and ear training, chamber music, studio classes, and large instrumental ensembles, and it concludes with our program-wide chorus. Whatever their age or musical acumen, wherever they live in the tristate area, every MAP student participates in these two rituals that bookend the day, reinforcing a sense of commitment to something greater than oneself. That commitment will not only help our students become the leaders of tomorrow. It will also ensure that the music we love thrives in the 21st century, because the future of classical music in America depends on its ability to connect with historically underserved communities. It’s no longer enough for young classical musicians, of any background, to master their musical craft. They must also build bridges with their broader communities and learn to advocate for the music they love. At MAP, we teach our students to do both.

—Anthony McGill, artistic director of MAP