about MCW

In 1929, the Music Conservatory of Westchester began with six students and a big dream.  From the start, the school’s founders, including such renowned artists as Pablo Casals and Jacques Thibaud, sought not only to offer the highest quality music education but to make it available to everyone in the community.

Eighty years later, that spirit still guides us.  The Conservatory today is known for excellent teaching, high standards, and a welcoming environment that embraces the entire community.  From its modest beginnings, the school has grown to serve more than 3500 students of all ages and skill levels annually - 800 students onsite in our beautiful White Plains facility, and 2700 public school students (including those with special needs) who participate in outreach programs.  Our students hail from over 100 communities in five counties and represent more than 30 nationalities; we are known as the “United Nations of Music.” 

White Plains has always been our home, first in a modest residential building on Burling Avenue, then in 1979, in a former school building on Soundview Avenue.  Finally, when enrollment outpaced that building, the search for a larger home grew into a vision of creating a center for the arts, centrally located and housing a variety of performing arts programs.  In January, 2001 the Conservatory opened the doors to its beautiful new home at 216 Central Avenue.

Our leaders have guided our vision.  Under Michael Pollon (1963-1985), programs were expanded to include jazz, an intensive study program was started for talented students, and the school earned accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Music, a rare achievement for a community music school. 

Laura Calzolari (1985-2001) established the Music Therapy Institute, vastly increased the school’s outreach initiatives, built its scholarship endowment, and conducted a National Endowment-funded feasibility study to craft a vision for the new arts center. 

Lisa Deutsch (2001-2005) led the $7.8 million Building Dreams Campaign, which made possible the purchase and renovation of the Central Avenue building, to a triumphant conclusion; she began the process of building new programs and nurturing a new school spirit through events such as Performathon, a biennial celebration and marathon of student performances.   

Aaron Flagg (2005-2009) led a strategic planning process to forge a plan for realizing the potential of the school’s new home.  Carol Shiffman, who took over in July 2009, is guiding the Conservatory to explore exciting new directions in the 21st century, including programming for lifelong learning, and inclusion of music genres from other cultures.

We take great pride in our wonderfully talented and professional faculty, whose love of teaching is reflected in each of their students.  Many of our teachers have performed on the world’s great stages with major orchestras and ensembles.  They choose to spend their time educating all kinds of students, from young beginners to enthusiastic adults, because they understand the value of learning and of sharing their own love of music. 

Many distinguished artists have been touched by the Conservatory.  Some were Conservatory students, including tonight’s distinguished guest artist Garrick Ohlsson.  Others who studied here include concert pianist William Wolfram, New York Philharmonic flutist Mindy Kaufman, composer Todd Machover, and classical guitarist David Tanenbaum.  Artists who have chosen the Conservatory for their children’s music education include violinist Ani Kavafian, senior member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and Maestro Kurt Masur, former Music Director of the New York Philharmonic.

The Conservatory opens its home to many organizations in the county.  The Steffi Nossen School of Dance and the Westchester Choral Society are in residence in the building.  Many groups use the school’s facilities for meetings and events, including the Westchester County Arts Leadership Association, New York State Music Teachers Association, Westchester Community Foundation, Center for Creative Aging, and Summit Music Festival, to name just a few.   

The Conservatory touches many lives.  Generations of children and adults have walked through our doors to participate in music lessons and classes, performing ensembles, recitals, musical theatre, and music therapy, or to attend faculty and guest artist performances.  Thousands more are touched by our community outreach programs in partnership with more than 55 schools and agencies each year.

We are very grateful to our many gracious and generous donors over the years.  The school’s endowment grew in the past 20 years through the support of the DeWitt Wallace Fund, the William Randolph Hearst Foundation and others.  The Frog Rock Foundation provided major support of the Building Dreams Campaign and for our Head Start pre-school program in White Plains.  The Charles A. Frueauff Foundation has for many years funded the Music Therapy Institute as does the Westchester County Legislators through Arts Westchester.  In 2008, The Virginia & Leonard Marx Foundation awarded the school its largest gift of 1 million dollars for new initiatives and program expansion.  In 2009 and 2010, the Ernst C. Stiefel Foundation set up challenge matches for scholarships support which has allowed the Conservatory to offer needed tuition assistance to our families and students.

. The Music Conservatory is:

• One of only 18 non-degree granting institutions to hold fully accredited membership in the National Association of Schools of Music.
• Chartered by the New York State Board of Regents.
• A member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts.
• An IRS designated 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit institution with an active Board of Trustees that is responsible for
  strategic planning, financial oversight, community outreach and fundraising.