Times Square Gossip

  J'Nai Bridges Donna Mckechnie With James Gandre Manhattan School of Music hosted its 2026 Gala at the Rainbow Room in New York City, honoring MSM Board Chair Lorraine Gallard and celebrating MSM faculty under the evening’s theme, “A Tradition of Mentorship” on Wednesday, May 20th. The gala was hosted by Bebe Neuwirth, a Manhattan School of Music trustee, member of the school’s Artistic Advisory Council and recipient of an honorary Doctor of Musical Arts degree from MSM.   The evening recognized Gallard, an alumna of MSM’s Precollege Division, for her 12 years of dedicated service as board chair. Gallard joined MSM’s Board of Trustees in 2009 and was elected chair in 2014, helping guide the school through a significant period of growth and distinction. The program also celebrated MSM’s acclaimed faculty, whose work across classical music, jazz, vocal arts and musical theater continues to mentor and prepare students for careers on the world’s leading stages.   Ethan ...

  Dr. Maithili Rao With Elaine Quijano, Kavya Ballal & Kishore Ballal Manhattan School of Music (MSM) brought together supporters, artists, alumni, and distinguished guests for its biennial Precollege Gala - in support of MSM’s Saturday pre-conservatory program for students ages 8 to 18 - in New York City. Hosted by CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano, the sold-out event honored Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard (PC ’98, HonDMA ’21) and internationally renowned spine surgeon Dr. Han Jo Kim (PC ’98), celebrating their exceptional professional achievements and the lasting influence of MSM’s Precollege Division.   Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed standout performances by rising stars from the Precollege program, including violinist Isaiah Shin (PC ’32), pianist Christopher Ramos (PC ’26), soprano Isabella Moon (PC ’26), and multi-talented performer Winter Donnelly (PC ’27). Their appearances reflected the institution’s mission to cultivate artistr...

  Manhattan School of Music Manhattan School of Music (MSM) will honor two distinguished alumni, Dr. Han Jo Kim (P ’98) and Grammy Award-winning opera star Isabel Leonard (P ’98, HonDMA ’21), at its upcoming Precollege Gala on Saturday, November 15th, 2025, in New York City. Hosted by CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano, the evening will celebrate more than a century of MSM’s leadership in arts education and the enduring impact of its Precollege Division on generations of young musicians. The Precollege Gala recognizes individuals whose careers embody the artistry, innovation, and mentorship that define the institution’s mission. Dr. Kim, an internationally renowned spine surgeon and Director of the Complex Spine and Scoliosis Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery, is celebrated for his groundbreaking surgical contributions and humanitarian work in Ghana, where he has performed life-changing operations on pediatric and adult patients. Isabel Leonard, one of the most acclaime...

  Elaine Quijano With Chloe Flower And James Gandre Manhattan School of Music (MSM) hosted its MSM Precollege Gala at the world-renowned conservatory’s campus and neighboring St. James Chapel at Union Theological Seminary (UTS). The Gala benefited MSM’s Precollege Division and honored distinguished Precollege alumna Chloe Flower, a pianist, composer, producer, and passionate advocate for music education, with the inaugural Janet Daniels Schenck Award (named for MSM’s founder).  Hosted by CBS News Correspondent Elaine Quijano, the evening included a performance by the MSM Precollege Philharmonic Orchestra in the School’s exquisite principal performance space Neidorff-Karpati Hall and, later that evening, during the Gala dinner at UTS, special performances by Precollege students and honoree Chloe Flower.  Notable Attendees included:  Elaine Quijano (Gala Host; CBS News Correspondent), James Gandre (President, Manhattan School of Music), Chloe Flower (Gala Honoree; pian...

  Manhattan School Of Music Manhattan School of Music (MSM) will host its MSM Precollege Gala on Saturday, December 9th, 2023, at the world-renowned conservatory’s campus and neighboring St. James Chapel at Union Theological Seminary (UTS). The Gala will benefit MSM’s Precollege Division and honor distinguished Precollege alumna Chloe Flower, a pianist, composer, producer, and passionate advocate for music education, with the inaugural Janet Daniels Schenck Award (named for MSM’s founder).  Hosted by CBS News Correspondent Nancy Chen, the evening will include a performance by the MSM Precollege Philharmonic Orchestra in the School’s exquisite principal performance space Neidorff-Karpati Hall and, later in the evening, during the Gala dinner across the street at UTS, special performances by Precollege students and honoree Chloe Flower.  Fusing classical and pop music in a unique style she calls “POPSICAL,” Ms. Flower is an exciting, multi-hyphenate artist and Steinway Arti...

  J’Nai Bridges Manhattan School of Music (MSM) hosted the 2023 Gala at The Rainbow Room, Rockefeller Plaza, in New York City.   Bernie Williams   The gala honored long-time members of the MSM Board of Trustees Marcia Clay Hamilton and Edward Lowenthal. A celebration of the School’s prestigious Opera Studies Program, the evening featured performances by mezzo-soprano and two-time Grammy Award winner, Metropolitan Opera Artist J’Nai Bridges (BM’09), former New York Yankee, Latin Grammy-nominated jazz guitarist and MSM Trustee Bernie Williams (BM’16), recent MSM graduates and current MSM students, among other notable performers. All the scheduled performers were either MSM alumni or current students.  Among the recent graduates to perform included MSM alumni bass-baritone Le Bu (BM ’22) and baritone Daniel Rich (MM’19); both are currently in the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development program. Le Bu was a winner of the 2022 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Co...

  Philanthropist Jean Shafiroff Isabel Leonard With Carla Bossi-Comelli, Lorraine Gallard & James Gandre Manhattan School of Music (MSM) hosted its 2022 Gala on Wednesday, May 18th, 2022, at The Rainbow Room, Rockefeller Plaza, in New York City. The gala honored Trustee Emerita Carla Bossi-Comelli (HonDMA ’20) and celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the School’s prestigious Orchestral Performance Program (OPP). Hosted by Isabel Leonard (HonDMA ’21), an alumna of MSM’s Precollege program and recently appointed member of the School’s Vocal Arts College faculty, the gala featured performances by faculty and distinguished OPP alumni from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera Orchestra, Harlem String Quartet, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and New York Philharmonic. Notable attendees included: MSM Gala 2022 honoree Carla Bossi-Comelli; philanthropist Jean Shafiroff, MSM President James Gandre; MSM Board Chair Lorraine Gallard; Katherine Aulitzky...

Alec Baldwin With Almerinda & Anton Coppola MSM’s Centennial Celebration was hosted by Alec Baldwin, conducted by MSM Distinguished Visiting Artist Maestro Leonard Slatkin, and featured Susan Graham, Terence Blanchard, Glenn Dicterow, Olga Kern, André-Michel Schub, Kelly Hall-Tompkins, Kent Tritle, George Manahan, among 325 performers drawn from the distinguished ranks of the MSM extended family. Manhattan School of Music’s Centennial – explored, noted, and amplified through a range of programs during the 2018-19 season – reached a celebratory crescendo this April with the MSM Centennial Gala Concert at Carnegie Call and the Gala Dinner that followed, across 57th Street at the Park Hyatt’s Onyx Room. Patty Kopec With Leonard Slatkin, Kelly Hall-Tompkins & Alec Baldwin “The milestone of 100 years is both a culmination and a new beginning,” said James Gandre, President of Manhattan School of Music. “But most of all, for the extended MSM Community and for ou...