Host Sam Hopkins invites you to join
our Classmate Joel Sachs, for a Discussion of his Recent Challenges:

Juilliard’s War with Covid-19

Joel Sachs, who recently celebrated his 50^th year of teaching at Juilliard, will try to shed light on how one of the world’s premiere performing arts schools has functioned in time of plague – and how has it done so while adjusting to a new president, a new provost, and a student body left scattered around the planet when 2020 Spring Break ended and Covid-19 was rapidly taking control of that planet.  Since he functions both as a performer and as a historian – with students ranging from first-year undergraduates to fifth-year doctoral students, conducts a chamber orchestra, curates and directs an annual six-concert festival, and even has close ties with Juilliard’s Drama students, he was in an ideal position to grapple with the full range of Pandemic challenges, including teaching while he was dealing with a mild case of Covid-19.  His talk for ‘61’s 60^th Reunion comes at an appropriate  time, when the school has begun its planning for a fully in-person 2021-22, and live concerts are already being scheduled, to begin in September.  

Joel’s informal talk will include a few examples of how performances were possible under the evolving conditions.  First will be Julliard Bolero, which was created with astonishing speed after lockdown in mid-March 2020. 

Next, the first movement of a Brahms sonata for viola and piano, by two of my students, the violist playing in Chicago, the pianist in China. 

If it is ready in time, there will be a third number, a trumpet concerto by a South African (Zulu) composer. 

Discussion of each piece will be welcome, and we can have a Q&A with the audience in the final half-hour.  

Saturday, April 24^th from 1 to 3 pm Eastern

RSVP to Tom Blodgett by Thursday, April 22^th  

with Julliard as your subject line.  We will send you
    the Zoom log-in information a few days before the event.  

Thank you.  Hope to see you there.