Meditate on the opportunity today’s world uniquely affords to make community despite any distance.
Contributor’s Note
“This virtual performance from Juilliard Orchestra students, conducted by Itzhak Perlman, came out of the earliest weeks of the pandemic. In a time when students could not be together, much less rehearse together, we seized the opportunity to explore collaboration in a completely new way. The poignancy of this project rests not only in the power of these young musicians to move us, but also in the embedded message that there are always meaningful creative possibilities no matter what the challenges may be. This performance is just one of several virtual projects that highlighted that belief, including Bolero Juilliard and the Community Cadence series.”
About the Contributor and Organization
Damian Woetzel, a member of the Academy and of the Commission on the Arts, is a former principal dancer with New York City Ballet, president of The Juilliard School, and artistic director of the Vail Dance Festival.
Founded in 1905, Juilliard is located at Lincoln Center and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, drama, and music; the 800 students appear in more than 700 annual performances. The continuum of learning at Juilliard also includes the Preparatory and Extension divisions and the Tianjin Juilliard campus in China. Read more about Damian here, and more about Juilliard here.
Commission on the Arts
The Commission - drawing on the expertise of its members who are artists, scholars, activists, and leaders, as well as the input of people across the country who participated in listening sessions - dedicated itself to recognizing and supporting the essential role of the arts and artists in American life.