The Colburn Effect 2022–23

the colburn effect

2022–23 year in review

A Message from the President

It is with great pleasure that we present the 2022–23 issue of The Colburn Effect, a testament to Colburn’s ongoing commitment to access to excellence and the transformational power of a performing arts education. At Colburn, we believe that education is not just about imparting knowledge but also about transforming lives. We are dedicated to providing every student with the tools, resources, and opportunities needed to achieve their full potential.

At the heart of our institution are our artist faculty, who are not just experts in their fields, but also dedicated mentors who go above and beyond to ensure that each student receives personalized attention and support. With their guidance, our students are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in their chosen careers and make a positive impact on the world.

This year, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Conservatory of Music, which opened in 2003. Our faculty played a vital role in the creation of this unit of the School, laying the groundwork for the Conservatory to become a destination for exceptionally talented young musicians. Graduates play in orchestras and chamber ensembles around the world, perform as soloists, teach at top programs, and become musical leaders serving their communities.

In the following pages, you’ll read about the faculty and students in all units of the School, including the Conservatory, and the accomplishments of our alumni in the fields of music and dance as well as other pursuits. When students are provided with access to excellence, they excel in all endeavors.

Thank you to the faculty, staff, students, alumni, and supporters who have made this possible, and please enjoy this issue of The Colburn Effect.

Sincerely,

Sel Kardan, President and Chief Executive Officer

access to excellence

Located in the cultural corridor of downtown Los Angeles, the Colburn School provides the highest quality music and dance education to 2,000 students in a typical year. The School’s founding principle of “access to excellence” provides a performance-centered education with unparalleled faculty and facilities for all stages of development. Robust scholarship support for students levels the playing field in arts education.

Above: Yehuda Gilad, one of the founding faculty members of the Conservatory of Music, in rehearsal with the Colburn Orchestra

units of the colburn school

Community School of Performing Arts

From humble beginnings as a small music preparatory school, the Community School of Performing Arts now serves approximately 1,700 students and offers private lessons and group instruction in classical music, jazz, drama, and music theory, as well as early childhood classes.

Conservatory of Music

The diploma- and degree-granting Conservatory of Music is distinguished by a unique all-scholarship model, renowned faculty, and outstanding performance opportunities. It prepares the very highest level of collegiate musicians for professional careers.

Music Academy

The Music Academy offers pre-collegiate students a conservatory-style experience, balancing performance, musical instruction, and academics. Now in its second decade, the Music Academy has quickly developed an international reputation for developing young talent during students’ most formative years.

Trudl Zipper Dance Institute

The Trudl Zipper Dance Institute nurtures younger students through the Youth Dance program, as well as more seasoned pre-professional dancers in the Dance Academy. In addition to performance, the curriculum includes opportunities to learn about dance history, choreography, artistic inquiry, and more.

Center for Innovation and Community Impact

Created to serve all units of the School, the Center for Innovation and Community Impact empowers the music and dance leaders of tomorrow by nurturing students’ passion and ability to serve their communities, preparing them for sustainable careers, and embracing the development of new ideas. The Center for Innovation and Community Impact embodies Colburn’s commitment to developing young artists with the curiosity, skills, and desire to make a difference in their field.

community school of performing arts

your support matters

The Community School’s scholarship program opens the door for students to explore the arts through our various educational opportunities, including Early Childhood, Jumpstart, Chamber Music, Large Ensembles, and the Herbert Zipper Scholars program. Donors, foundations, corporations, and our endowment provided over $1,250,000 for the Community School scholarship program in 2022–23.

The Community School of Performing Arts is committed to making the highest quality music education available to all. Passionate, dedicated students of all ability levels and ages come to Colburn’s campus each year to play in ensembles and to study instruments, voice, music theory, drama, and more, with world-class teachers.

Above: A performance by students in the Community School’s Jazz Workshop

student success

Awards and Competitions

Community School students receive top honors nationwide each year. Highlights from 2022 and 2023 include:

Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship and Edison Scholar

American Virtuoso International Music Competition, First Prize

Bellflower Symphony Young Artists’ Concerto Competition, Two Prizewinners

Coltman Chamber Music Competition, First Prize and Junior Division Grand Prize

CSUN Youth Philharmonic Orchestra Concerto Competition, First Prize

Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, Semi-Finalists

Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition, First Prize

Hill Concerto Competition, First Prize

Los Angeles Youth Philharmonic Competition, First Prize

Music Center Spotlight Awards, 16 Semi-Finalists and three Grand Prize Finalists

Music Teachers’ Association of California VOCE Competition, Four Prizewinners

YOLA Concerto Competition, First Prize

“I have experienced the dedication, drive, and passion of this community that inspires me and my art, as well as the friendliness and welcoming ambiance that places Colburn so deeply in my heart. I look forward to carrying Colburn and the arts with me through every stage of my life, as I embark on my next journey.”

Scarlett Chen (Community School ’22)

alumni profile

Scarlett Chen, Herbert Zipper Scholar

A gifted Herbert Zipper Scholar pianist in the Community School, Scarlett Chen attended the 2022 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and headed to Vanderbilt University in fall 2022 to study violin performance.

Talented and dedicated music students who could not otherwise afford to attend the Colburn School, Herbert Zipper Scholars receive full-tuition scholarships for a custom curriculum to push them to new heights in their musicianship. They receive instruction in music theory, private lessons, and ensemble participation, among many other academic and performance opportunities.

Choral Programs

The Community School eagerly reinstated its choral programs this year after taking a break during the pandemic and welcomed Adrian Dunn as Director of Choral Programs. He leads the Children and Youth Choruses and the Colburn Concert Choir as well as teaching students ages 5–18, about musicianship, vocal technique, and ensemble skills.

The program’s renewed spirit was on display during each of the three performances scheduled this year. An Open Sing at the Winter Choral Concert welcomed singers from the community, the annual Collaboration Concert highlighted choirs along with orchestra and dance students at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, and the spring Choral Concert showcased students’ advancing skills learned throughout the year.

program spotlight

adult learning

The Community School offers programs for students of all ages, including adults. The Adult Jazz program, led by Liz Kinnon, emphasizes improvisation, creativity, and performance.

“ We have the opportunity to play on a regular basis with others who are intensely involved with upping their game, learning the essential tools, and creating arrangements on the fly. We share what we learn and witness one another’s growth over the semesters. Too many of us adults have put off our plans to either dust off that old instrument or commit to a structured way of improving our existing skills. Five years ago, I vowed to be able to improvise jazz solos—and it happened. And as the jazz standard says, ‘It Could Happen to You.’”

alumni spotlight

Evelyn Wang

Colburn’s students succeed in all walks of life, not just on stage. Community School alumna Evelyn Wang was nominated, confirmed, and sworn in as the director of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) in 2022. She leads efforts to fund and develop earlystage energy research. Previously, Wang served as head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she became a leader in using nanotechnology for heat transfer as well as developing high-efficiency, clean energy, and clean water solutions.

faculty spotlight

Adrian Dunn, Director of Choral Programs

Adrian Dunn brings a rich background in multiple music genres and is an award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer. He has founded several organizations including the RIZE Orchestra and the Adrian Dunn Singers, and his work as a composer spotlights the influence of Black artists. During Black History Month this year, the School celebrated the release of Dunn’s Emancipation: Act 2 with a performance of a cappella spirituals and original compositions from the album.

David Swerdlove, Saxophone, Adult Jazz Program

conservatory

your support matters

Donor support allows Conservatory of Music students to concentrate on their education and begin their careers without large sums of debt. All Conservatory students receive full scholarships including tuition, room, and board. $9.9 million in scholarship support was awarded to students in the Conservatory of Music in 2022–23, representing 131 students and a scholarship award of $76,000 of support per student.

The Conservatory of Music opened in 2003 with one goal: to train the very highest level of classical instrumental performers for careers in music. As the Conservatory celebrates its 20th anniversary, students continue to enjoy a tradition of outstanding performance opportunities, unparalleled faculty, and full scholarships and grants covering tuition, room, and board. Our highly regarded program trains young artists to become dynamic soloists and the next generation of chamber and orchestral musicians.

Above: A Conservatory student rehearses for a Colburn Chamber Music Society performance

faculty spotlights

Tatjana Masurenko, Richard D. Colburn Viola Chair

In 2022, Colburn announced that Tatjana Masurenko would be the inaugural Richard D. Colburn Viola Chair, made possible by the generosity of the Colburn Foundation. Known for her passion for contemporary music as well as traditional compositions, Masurenko introduces students to a wide array of perspectives. Her career has taken her around the globe, performing with venerated musicians, and teaching in prestigious institutions, including the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg and the Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne.

Aaron Tindall, Tuba

Aaron Tindall joins the brass faculty of the Colburn Conservatory and the Music Academy in fall 2023. His students have accepted positions with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Florida Orchestra, U.S. Navy Band, U.S. Air Force Band, the West Point Band, and others. In addition to playing with orchestras and bands worldwide, Tindall has competed in a multitude of international competitions. He has been named an International Yamaha Performing Artist and Denis Wick-London artist and design specialist.

“

I am inspired daily by Colburn School’s exceptional students and esteemed faculty, and will continue to uphold the School’s—and Richard D. Colburn’s— commitment to excellence.” Tatjana Masurenko

student spotlight

Quartet Integra, Chamber Ensemble-in-Residence

Kyoka Misawa, violin; Rintaro Kikuno, violin; Itsuki Yamamoto, viola; and Anri Tsukiji, cello; found their unified voice as Quartet Integra in 2015, and had already accumulated numerous accolades before being accepted as the second Chamber Ensemble-in-Residence at Colburn. Just one month into their time at Colburn, Quartet Integra earned both second prize and the Audience Prize at the 2022 ARD International Music Competition in Munich, Germany.

As Chamber Ensemble-in-Residence, they have multiple opportunities to fine-tune and further develop their persona before a variety of audiences. In addition to their appearance at the ARD competition, Quartet Integra performed on Colburn’s Discovering Debussy series, appeared at Tokyo Opera City and Suntory Hall, and participated in the Quartet Festival Charity Concert for Humanitarian Aid in Ukraine in Los Angeles, among many other 2022–23 engagements.

They are the latest in a long line of celebrated Colburn string quartets—the School has also played an influential role in the development of the Viano Quartet, Calidore Quartet, and Calder Quartet.

colburn orchestra

This season, critics and audiences alike applauded the Colburn Orchestra at venues throughout Southern California. Students stepped onto the stages of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Pasadena’s Ambassador Auditorium, Beverly Hills’ The Wallis, and Orange County’s Soka Center for the Performing Arts.

Conservatory students learn under the baton of visiting conductors and Music Director Yehuda Gilad. See page 27 for a complete list of guest conductors in the 2022–23 season.

conservatory micro-courses

Micro-courses offer a variety of life lessons for artists in the 21st century. Topics cover career concerns such as budgeting and finance, personal brand development, speaking from the stage, bio and résumé creation, and creating video content for social media. Micro-courses are provided by Colburn’s Center for Innovation and Community Impact.

“ The symphonic season at the Colburn School is on another level.” San Francisco Classical Voice

student success Awards and Competitions

Each year, Conservatory students win top prizes in competitions worldwide. Highlights from 2022 and 2023 include:

Canadian Music Competition, International Stepping Stone

Carl Nielsen International Competition, Special Prize Winner

Casagrande International Piano Competition, Second Prize

Fernand Gillet-Hugo Fox International Competition, Honorable Mention

Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, Senior Wind Division, Bronze Medal

Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann, Third Prize and Haydn Cello Concerto Prize

Kronberg Academy Landgraf von Hessen Award

Naftzger Young Artists Competition, Winds/Brass/Percussion Category, First Prize

Paderewski International Piano Competition, Best Performance Prize

Stulberg International String Competition, Finalist

Professional Positions

Colburn Conservatory graduates are performing around the world. Graduating students and alumni won the following positions in 2022 and 2023:

Atlanta Symphony, Section Cello

Baltimore Symphony, Principal Percussion

Boise Philharmonic, Bass Trombone

Charlotte Symphony, Section First Violin

Florida Orchestra, Principal Bass

Naples Philharmonic, Assistant Principal/2nd Trumpet

New World Symphony Fellowships

New York Philharmonic, Fourth Horn

North Carolina Symphony, Associate Principal Second Violin

Opéra National de Lyon (France), Principal Clarinet

Oregon Symphony, English Horn

Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid (Spain), Principal Clarinet

Pacific Symphony, Associate Concertmaster

Pershing’s Own United States Army Band, Section Horn

Pittsburgh Symphony, Associate Principal Flute

San Diego Symphony, Second Clarinet and Section Violin

Santa Rosa Symphony, Section Percussion

Singapore Symphony, Principal Second Violin

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Principal Bassoon

Victoria Symphony (Canada), Principal Flute

Anne Akiko Meyers

Graduating from the Colburn Conservatory deserves a notable send-off, and who better to advise graduates about the exciting journey on which they are about to embark than important figures in the arts and culture world? This year, graduates heard from Anne Akiko Meyers, a renowned violinist and a Colburn School alumna. Meyers regularly performs around the world as soloist with leading orchestras, in recital, and as a prolific recording artist with more than 40 releases. She delivered the keynote speech to 60 students of the graduating class—the largest in the Conservatory’s history.

commencement speaker

music academy

your support matters

Kohl Scholarships, Thibaudet Scholarships, Greendale Scholarships, and additional special awards make studying at the Music Academy possible. Students received over $388,000 in scholarships in the 2022–23 school year.

The Music Academy brings exceptional pre-college students from around the world to Colburn, where they take their training to the next level. Young musicians, ages 12–18, balance performance, musical instruction, and academics in a comprehensive full-time program that allows them to flourish and develop their artistry.

Above: The Academy Virtuosi in rehearsal

student success

Awards and Competitions

Honors won by Music Academy students in 2022 and 2023 include:

Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, Junior String Division, Gold Medal

Hilton Head Young Artist Competition, Finalist

Music Center Spotlight Awards, Semi-Finalists and Grand Prize Finalist

Music Teachers National Association Competition, Senior Piano

Performance Category, Honorable Mention

Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts Instrumental Competition, Grand Prize

South Coast Symphony Young Stars of the Future, Winner

Stulberg International String Competition, Bronze Medal

student spotlight

Olive Trio

Music Academy students Anaïs Feller, violin; Mira Kardan, cello; and Daniel Wang, piano, are part of the award-winning Olive Trio, already a recognizable name on the competition circuit. The Olive Trio won the Gold Medal at the renowned Fischoff Competition’s Junior String Division. The trio was also recently featured alongside other students from Colburn on an episode of the nationally syndicated radio show, From the Top. Rounding out an eventful school year, the trio represented the Music Academy at the Sibelius Academy, in Finland, as part of an exchange partnership. The Olive Trio is coached by faculty members Martin Beaver, Fabio Bidini, Clive Greensmith, and Micah Yui.

sibelius academy partnership

Music has the power to erase boundaries and connect people across cultures. The Music Academy’s new exchange program with the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, highlights this uniting power and creates once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for Music Academy students. In February, the Sibelius Academy sent a precollegiate ensemble (pictured above) and faculty members to Los Angeles. Throughout their weeklong stay, the group attended lessons, chamber coachings, a performance, and experienced Los Angeles. In May, the Music Academy’s Olive Trio completed the exchange with their trip to Helsinki. There, they received instruction from Sibelius Academy faculty members and visited Kallio-Kuninkala, an artist commune where Jean Sibelius and his family once lived.

faculty spotlight

Margaret Batjer, Violin and Academy Virtuosi

Music Academy violin faculty member Margaret Batjer has served as concertmaster of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra since 1998 and is adjunct professor of violin at the USC Thornton School of Music. She also serves as director for the Academy Virtuosi. In this role, Batjer advises the Virtuosi members, who meet weekly as a conductor-less orchestra. The Academy Virtuosi program empowers students to collaborate and engage audiences with performances during the year.

Professional Development and Career Preparation Opportunities

For many students, the focus on honing their talents typically takes center stage, but the encompassing education at Colburn prompts young artists to plan for their future. This year, Music Academy students received lessons in marketing and presentation from Colburn alumni, faculty, and staff across the School. Colburn alumna and professional flautist Gina Luciani led student sessions on personal branding, social media, website construction, and online etiquette, and staff from the Center for Innovation and Community Impact helped students write professional bios and résumés. Deb Devine, director of the Drama Department at the Community School of Performing Arts, instructed students on how to communicate from the stage for more engaging events.

“

In today’s world, being a well-rounded musician is imperative. They not only need to be wonderful young artists and instrumentalists but also be able to communicate from the stage and contribute to the community in a meaningful way through the lens of music.”

Margaret Batjer

“ The opportunity for me to play for Lang Lang was truly oncein-a-lifetime; not only being able to meet, but also receive feedback from one of the first pianists I was exposed to. This moment will be, without a doubt, one that I will remember for the rest of my performing arts career, and I greatly thank the Colburn School for making it happen.”

Daniel Wang, Piano, Music Academy

Lang Lang Master Class

An insider’s look at performance preparation, master classes offer a rare glimpse into the artistic, creative, and learning processes. Colburn’s annual public master class series began in a spectacular way this past fall with famed pianist Lang Lang. Heralded as “the hottest artist on the classical music planet” ( New York Times ), Lang Lang coached students from the Music Academy and Community School in front of a standing-room only crowd in Zipper Hall.

trudl zipper dance institute

your support matters

Dancers received over $196,000 in scholarships in the 2022–23 school year. New this year is the Margaret K. Turner Scholarship, which supports a remarkable graduating senior as they plan for a professional career.

The Trudl Zipper Dance Institute honors and extends the great traditions of ballet, modern, and tap dance, forming young people as collaborative agents who will take the art of dance forward. From beginners starting in Youth Dance to aspiring professionals in the Dance Academy, performers of all levels receive sequential training in a cohesive curriculum that emphasizes the joy of dance through artistic and technical accomplishment.

Above: Student performance at Tap Fest 2023

celebrating silas farley

This spring, Colburn said farewell to the remarkable Dean of the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute, Silas Farley. As a dancer, choreographer, and educator, his influence on faculty, students, and programs will remain evident for years to come. Dean Farley brought a spirit of collaboration, a focus on great traditions of dance, and a desire to create, which will be long felt at Colburn.

collaboration

Over the course of this year, Colburn dancers joined forces with student musicians from the Conservatory, Community School of Performing Arts, and Music Academy for a season of dynamic performances, including Joy, Counterpointe, and the Collaboration Concert.

tradition

Teaching the finer points of technique advances students’ skills. Directing them through choreographed pieces instructs on how to tell stories through movement. Farley also emphasized the intrinsic worth of understanding the historical significance of pieces and artists. Studying the people who influenced dance and the cultural impact of performances offers students a deeper understanding through contextualization.

original works

During his tenure at Trudl Zipper Dance Institute, Farley choreographed new works for Colburn students to music by Tchaikovsky, Barber, Orff, Praetorius, Billy Strayhorn, and Shelley Washington, as well as works for New York City Ballet, Houston Ballet, and the Washington Ballet.

Guest Artists Working with Students

A well-rounded performing arts education incorporates a variety of perspectives. Trudl Zipper Dance Institute students learned from visiting artists throughout the year. Guests included former Merce Cunningham dancer Silas Riener, who conducted a weeklong residency, teaching Cunningham technique and staging Cunningham repertory, including Cunningham’s Changing Steps and Scramble to both Dance Academy and Youth Dance students. In February, the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute welcomed master choreographer and teacher Alonzo King as part of Colburn’s Amplify Series as well as acclaimed choreographers Kyle Abraham and Joshua Beamish to lead master classes.

The Dance Academy’s performance of Antique Epigraphs was staged by former Colburn Dance Dean Jenifer Ringer during a fall residency, and later in the year the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute also hosted former New York City Ballet principal dancer Stephanie Saland—an original cast member of Antique Epigraphs—to guest teach and coach the work.

student spotlight

Michael Shavelle, Dance Academy

Seeking to explore his art form from a different perspective, Michael Shavelle challenged himself by assuming the creator role this season. The Dance Academy student participated in the fall semester’s Student Solo Showcase and the inaugural Student Choreography Workshop for the spring semester. These experiences offered a unique chance to inject more of his personal point of view into dance expressions. Shavelle choreographed an intricate solo for a fellow student to lively samba music.

“Choreography gives me a space to explore my artistry and individuality that regular ballet class does not. When I improvise movement or choreograph on myself, I enjoy searching for unique movement qualities that emphasize the things I love about dance, like fluidity in the arms, musicality, and sharp footwork.”

Michael Shavelle

student success

Summer Intensives

Each year, ballet students from the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute are accepted to prestigious summer intensive programs in this country and in Europe, many on scholarships. For the summer of 2023, students were accepted to the following programs:

Alonzo King LINES Ballet

Ballet Austin Academy

Ballet West Academy

Boston Ballet School

Canada’s National Ballet School

Charlotte Ballet Academy

Cincinnati Ballet Academy

English National Ballet School

Houston Ballet Academy

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

Joffrey Ballet School

Miami City Ballet School

Pacific Northwest Ballet School

Royal Danish Ballet School

welcoming our new dean

Margaret Tracey

School of American Ballet

School of Nashville Ballet

School of Philadelphia Ballet

The Ailey School in NYC

The Royal Ballet School

This summer, Colburn welcomes international dance educator, former New York City Ballet principal, and former Director of Boston Ballet School Margaret Tracey as the next Dean of the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute. “I’m thrilled to join the Colburn School, and be part of a community and institution dedicated to the future of dance,” said Tracey. “It is a privilege to build upon the exceptional work of my predecessors, and help young dancers achieve their personal and artistic goals at an institution that empowers and gives voice to the next generation of artists.”

center for innovation and community impact

your support matters

Foundations, companies, and individuals provided over $870,000 for Center for Innovation and Community Impact programs, which reach all corners of the School and help students serve our community beyond our walls.

An artist’s influence extends far beyond the stage. In addition to inspiring audiences, they educate and mentor new generations of performers. Serving all units of the School, the Center for Innovation and Community Impact equips the artists and educators of tomorrow with the tools to impart a deep and lasting impact on Los Angeles and the global performing arts community. Students benefit from coursework and programming in entrepreneurship, community engagement, and pedagogy as they prepare for fulfilling, sustainable careers.

20 Above: Salonen Conducting Fellows lead a performance with the Zipper Orchestra

pipeline of learning

The Center for Innovation and Community Impact offers a suite of programs available to students from 15 Title I public schools within a six-mile radius of campus. Fully funded through scholarship and program support, these pathways for students to access the very best in music and performing arts education are offered at no cost to the students, their families, or their schools.

Musical Encounter and Zipper Orchestra

6,500 student participants

After a long hiatus due to COVID, Colburn’s in-school programs came roaring back. The Zipper Orchestra returned to local partner schools this year and Salonen Conducting Fellows Molly Turner and Ross Jamie Collins led the complete process of scripting, choosing repertoire, and conducting a chamber orchestra concert.

For more than 40 years, the Musical Encounter program has introduced music and dance to young students from our partner elementary schools. Led by teaching artist Leeav Sofer, Musical Encounter engaged students from every unit of the School in 2022–23.

Musical Encounter Interactive 1,000 student participants

As a pathway to deepen engagement with these students, each year we invite fourth graders to attend a special performance called Musical Encounter Interactive. These shows are collaboratively written and produced by Conservatory students who work with a professional script writer, actor, and drama coach to create a theatrical interactive performance.

“After the first two days, Summer Encounter made me realize that performing arts could be unimaginably fun. I chose to be a counselor because I wanted to give back some of what I was given years ago, but by seeing the campers happy, engaged, and excited, I received so much more. The Summer Encounter experience benefits this group of campers because they learn so many skills in so little time. Most importantly the spirit. I felt the same spirit this time like I did five years ago, and I’m sure they felt it too.”

Summer Encounter 60 student participants

Summer Encounter is the Colburn School’s annual multidisciplinary arts immersion camp for rising fifth grade students from our local Title I partner schools. Campers take intensive classes in voice, guitar, keyboard, percussion, recorder, drama, spoken word poetry, and dance, while collaboratively creating and producing a full theatrical performance which they debut at the end of the camp. Sixty students and 20 counselors from the Community School of Performing Arts will participate in this two-week arts immersion camp in July.

Oseas Marin, Summer Encounter Counselor

Jumpstart 179 student participants

Jumpstart is an immersive after-school music training program to serve students at the intersection of need and merit from our local Title I schools and community partners. Jumpstart equips students with the knowledge and resources they need to become thriving artists by offering 100% scholarship-supported access to the highest quality music education. Jumpstart numbers increased to Colburn’s largest yet post-COVID, as we continued to provide services to our community, and the program remains a thriving one with students studying in all areas of the Community School.

current jumpstart programs include:

Early Childhood Band Strings Piano Dance Drama

Choir

Students in the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (icyola) also receive music instruction from Colburn as part of an ongoing partnership which offers in-depth teaching, artist support, and scholarships to attend the Colburn Community School of Performing Arts. 18 students from icyola received private instruction in the 2022–23 school year.

Each year Conservatory students gain valuable experience and give back to the community through teaching. For the past four years, Martha Chan has worked with flute students in the Jumpstart program, developing as an educator and finding opportunities to hone her playing along the way.

“ Teaching requires effective communication to convey concepts and ideas to the student. I learned how to articulate instructions clearer and provide feedback in a more constructive manner. It also requires patience and empathy to understand the student’s learning style and pace. As a teacher, I constantly demonstrate musical examples, technique, and musicianship. I took that as an opportunity to refine my own skills and become a better performer.”

Martha Chan, Conservatory Student

colburn center

Celebrating 25 years on Grand Avenue, the Colburn School has been a driving force in the revitalization of Downtown Los Angeles. Soon, Colburn will add a remarkable Frank Gehry-designed building to the artistic heart of Los Angeles. A 100,000 square-foot addition will spark collaboration and interdisciplinary educational partnerships across the region.

In planning for these spaces, we are connecting with presenters and creators throughout Los Angeles who are enthusiastic about calling the new Colburn expansion a home away from home. The 1,000 seat Terri and Jerry Kohl Hall, along with state-of-the-art dance studios and performance space, will be a destination for Los Angeles artists as well as for the world’s greatest performers—and enthusiastic audiences longing to welcome them to LA.

Since selecting McCarthy Building Companies as our general contractor, we look forward to further planning the project with the City of Los Angeles and working towards groundbreaking in the next year. In tandem, we continue to refine aesthetics of the new building with Gehry Partners and are excited to share details on the iconic paint coating that will define Terri and Jerry Kohl Hall amidst all of the other architecture on Bunker Hill.

“Pink Kandi,” the unique coating responsible for the hall’s vibrant glow, was developed in collaboration between Gehry Partners and Sherwin-Williams Coil Coating division. The color was inspired by Kandy paint, a high-gloss metallic color process used on automobiles. Specifically developed for its weatherability, UV and graffiti resistance, and superior gloss levels, Pink Kandi is sure to make Kohl Hall stand out amongst its neighbors on Bunker Hill as the building’s façade shimmers against the sunlight.

Leadership support from our generous community has provided $285 million to date, over 70% of the Building Our Future campaign goal.

Most recently, we are pleased to announce that both of the beautiful gardens incorporated into the building plans have been named.

The public garden, named the Choi Family Garden, is located on the ground level of the Dance School and will welcome students and families to gather, study, and converse in this outdoor environment. The rooftop garden, named the Mullin Family Garden of Thoughts and Dreams, is located on the fourth level of the building and will serve as a versatile space to host outdoor performances and gatherings and promote an even stronger sense of belonging amongst our community.

colburnschool.edu/future

performances and partnerships

Colburn School serves as a vibrant, longstanding anchor of the cultural corridor in Downtown Los Angeles, but its influence is felt throughout the city and beyond. More than 300 public music and dance performances take place each year. With superb venues, low ticket prices, and world-renowned guest artists performing alongside our high-caliber student artists, the benefits of performance reach beyond our students to our patrons. These performances in the community, on campus, and online develop the next generation of audiences.

Above: The Colburn Orchestra performs at the Ambassador Auditorium

Featured Guest Artists

Colburn’s emphasis on performance-centered education takes center stage with more than 300 public music and dance events every year. A full calendar and low ticket prices, along with streaming opportunities, welcome longtime patrons and newcomers to enjoy the arts from a variety of perspectives. Students showcase their artistry in solo and chamber music performances and Colburn Orchestra concerts. Members of our extraordinary faculty delight audiences and many of the world’s most influential names in classical music and dance come to Colburn.

This season featured the following guest artists:

Andy Akiho, Colburn Chamber Music Society

James Conlon, Colburn Orchestra

Marc Coppey, Colburn Chamber Music Society

Stéphane Denève, Colburn Orchestra

DuoSkope, Next Up Series

Karina González, See the Music, Hear the Dance

Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Colburn Orchestra

Sang Yoon Kim, Colburn Chamber Music Society

Jon Kimura Parker, Colburn Chamber Music Society

Alonzo King, Amplify Series

Tessa Lark, Colburn Chamber Music Society

Courtney Lewis, Colburn Orchestra

Leo Manzari, Tap Fest

Simone Menezes, Colburn Orchestra

Thomas Mesa, Amplify Series

Ruth Reinhardt, Colburn Orchestra

David Rejano, Colburn Chamber Music Society

Jason Rodgers, Tap Fest

Karissa Royster, Tap Fest

SAKURA Cello Quintet, Next Up Series

Joseph Wiggan, Tap Fest

Harper Watters, See the Music, Hear the Dance

Kileigh Williams, Tap Fest

Master Classes

Off stage, visiting artists share their expertise and experience through interactive master classes. This season, Colburn students heard from some of the top names in classical music, including Lang Lang, Gil Shaham, Emmanuel Ax, Stephen Kovacevich, Midori, and Ray Chen. Master classes in dance were led by Karissa Royster, Melinda Sullivan, Johnnie Hobbs III, Leo Manazari, Susan Jaffe, Michael Bearden, Janie Taylor, Stephanie Saland, Silas Riener, Kyle Abraham, Joshua Beamish, Jenifer Ringer, Olivier Pardina, and Alonzo King.

Alonzo King master class with Colburn students

celebrating years

Colburn’s beloved Zipper Hall continues to be a favorite venue for artists and audiences alike, and readers of SF Classical Voice named Zipper Hall “Best Small Venue” last year. In addition to hosting multiple Colburn performances, Zipper is the venue of choice for other LA performing arts organizations. This season, the LA Opera presented Benjamin Britten’s 1946 chamber opera, The Rape of Lucretia, featuring Resident Conductor Lina González-Granados and a cast from the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program. Zipper Hall also hosted an evening with LA Opera Artist-in-Residence Russell Thomas and a one-night-only occasion with Isabel Leonard and Pablo Sáinz-Villegas.

Bringing the performing arts to the larger Southern California community has always been a key pillar of the Colburn mission, and this year saw students traveling to a variety of locations.

Discovering Debussy

Colburn joined in a unique citywide celebration of Claude Debussy in March, collaborating with several of the city’s preeminent performing arts institutions. Directed and curated by LA Opera Music Director James Conlon, Discovering Debussy explored the life and legacy of the French composer, who is considered the founder of Impressionist music and one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. The celebration was anchored by LA Opera’s production of Pelléas et Mélisande , which returned to the LA Opera stage for the first time in over 25 years.

discovering debussy partner organizations

Hammer Museum

LA Opera

Opera League of Los Angeles

Norton Simon Museum

Laguna

Irvine

Long Beach

cerritos center for the performing arts

conrad prebys performing arts center La Jolla, CA soka performing arts center Aliso Viejo, CA

additional

local and regional performances

Ebell of Los Angeles

new and continuing partnerships

The Colburn School partners with several organizations throughout Southern California to provide performance opportunities for the next generation of artists and to introduce audiences to varied programming.

La Jolla Music Society

Fans of the Musical Preludes series were treated to the high-caliber skills and artistry of Conservatory and Music Academy students.

From the Top

The popular national radio broadcast came back to Colburn to record performances featuring students from the Music Academy and Community School of Performing Arts.

USC Brain and Creativity Institute

This association enables 20 students from Colburn’s partner schools to benefit from weekly group instruction along with private lessons from Conservatory students.

Chamber Music LA

As a member of Chamber Music LA, Colburn helps build a thriving chamber music community in Southern California. This fall, Chamber Music LA presented its first-ever live concert, dedicated to the memory of founder Warner Henry.

LA Violin Shop

Colburn partnered with LA Violin Shop to establish on-campus repair services, ensuring the instruments of our string students of all levels remain in top condition.

Philharmonic Society of Orange County

The Colburn Orchestra performs regularly on concert series presented by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, Orange County’s oldest and most recognized music organization.

international connections

Colburn continues to forge relationships with prestigious and historic institutions around the globe, giving students access to exchange programs and touring opportunities. Livestreaming from our home venues also invites international audiences to enjoy our numerous events.

May 2023 Chamber Music Tour

current exchange programs include:

Sibelius Academy in Finland

La Saline Royale in France

Conservatory students joined Colburn School Artist-in-Residence Jean-Yves Thibaudet and faculty members Clive Greensmith and Tatjana Masurenko on a European tour this spring. The group presented chamber music concerts and master classes in collaboration with the Royal College of Music in London, the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin, the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin, and performed at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

Livestreaming

Our livestreams have been embraced by music patrons from all corners of the world. Since the beginning of the fall semester, Colburn livestreams were viewed more than 74,000 times.

top-viewing countries:

United States

South Korea

Japan

Taiwan

United Kingdom

Germany

archival collections

Educating artists of the future depends on careful preservation of our musical and cultural past.

The Colburn School is proud to play an active role in archiving a number of special collections.

Gregor Piatigorsky at the Hollywood Bowl (July 1955)

the herbert and trudl zipper archives

Herbert Zipper was deeply involved with the development of the Colburn School. Now, the School is home to the Zipper Archive, containing materials from the lives of Herbert and his wife, Trudl Dubsky Zipper, for whom Colburn’s Dance Institute is named.

A Save America’s Treasures

Grant is funding efforts to digitize the materials, which date from approximately 1900–1997 and include Herbert Zipper’s handwritten letters describing his experience at Buchenwald concentration camp, identification papers from the Nazi regime, original manuscripts, photographs, extensive audiovisual materials, objects, and art from Herbert and Trudl’s travels around the world.

The grant, with a match from individual philanthropist Ann Moore, was awarded by the National Park Service in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

“At Colburn, we have long been dedicated to celebrating and preserving the work of those musical trailblazers who might otherwise have been forgotten by time.”

Sel Kardan, Colburn’s President and CEO

Performance photo of Trudl Dubsky Zipper from the Zipper Archive

Piatigorsky Archives

The Colburn Library holds a remarkable personal collection from renowned cellist Gregor Piatigorsky. Handwritten manuscripts offer a peek into his musical perspective. Other artifacts include scores, audio recordings, photographs, books, clippings, and programs. Personal items, such as drafts of his autobiography and correspondence with the greatest performers and composers of his day, construct a fuller understanding of Piatigorsky as an individual.

As a founding member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, James Arkatov’s legacy can still be heard from the stage. However, his photographs reveal a more intimate glimpse of the performing arts world. He captured portraits of celebrated artists, including Isaac Stern, Igor Stravinsky, and Yo-Yo Ma. Arkatov’s family recently presented the School with more than 300 of his photos for display on campus, inspiring students and faculty as they pass through the halls.

Standing in the space where master violinist Jascha Heifetz crafted music generates its own exciting energy. The Colburn School is privileged to be the home of the Jascha Heifetz studio, relocated from its original location in West LA. The redwood retreat was carefully dismantled after his death and eventually reassembled at Colburn. The studio contains many of Heifetz’s personal belongings and is used daily by Robert Lipsett, the Jascha Heifetz Distinguished Violin Chair at Colburn, allowing students to experience the legendary musician’s legacy.

Arkatov Collection

Heifetz Studio

recovered voices

Colburn continues its support of the Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices, led by Artistic Director James Conlon. The initiative strives to cultivate greater awareness of composers whose careers and lives were lost at the hands of the Nazi regime. Through performances, recordings, lectures, educational opportunities, competitions, and online content, Recovered Voices shares these artists with the world, so that they are not lost to history.

In addition to performances on the Colburn campus, events featuring Recovered Voices composers took place at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Holocaust Museum LA, and Mondavi Center at the University of California in Davis during the 2022–23 season.

“The musicians wonderfully succeed in extracting the vibrant energy from the music and transforming it into rousing sounds. Each piece sounds like a freshly created work.”

Shapeshifter Release

This fall, the Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices released Shapeshifter , an album featuring the music of Erwin Schulhoff. A powerful and amazingly varied composer, Schulhoff, was suppressed by the Nazi regime and died in captivity in 1942.

Featuring performances by James Conlon and students and alumni from Colburn, the album received critical acclaim with particular praise for pianist and Colburn alumnus Dominic Cheli and Recovered Voices Program Manager and Conservatory violin student Adam Millstein. It was also highlighted in an album launch event at Colburn, where students brought Schulhoff ’s pieces to life for a modern-day audience.

Image: El Lissitzky, Proun 19D (detail)

Pizzicato

james conlon artists from the colburn school

music of erwin schulhoff

your support matters

Students received over $11 million in scholarship support this year, and the School hosted more than 300 live and virtual performances, free to the public. Your gifts make this possible. If you share our unshakable passion for music and dance, we invite you to join us in cultivating future generations of performers, audiences, creative thinkers, and arts leaders by making a gift today.

colburnschool.edu/give

“ I have designated a planned gift in my estate for the Colburn School because I believe it will be around for the future, and will continue to prepare students for life via the study of music and dance performance. It does this at the very highest level, and having long-term resources to count on means the school can evolve and develop as it needs to. It’s a vote for the future of the school and its mission.”

Jennifer F. Diener

77%

of the School’s operating budget is made possible through philanthropy

Gifts from individuals, institutional partners, our trustees, and legacy gifts allow us to provide unparalleled educational and artistic opportunities.

Endowing of the Gaylord “Nick” Nichols Chair, Center for Innovation and Community Impact

Our dear friend Gaylord “Nick” Nichols, who was a fierce advocate of Colburn’s community engagement activities, left an estate gift to the Colburn School to endow the Gaylord “Nick” Nichols Chair, currently held by Dr. Nathaniel Zeisler, Dean of the Center for Innovation and Community Impact. His gift is a tribute to the School’s decade-long commitment to community engagement initiatives, and innovation and entrepreneurship in the arts, and will ensure this work in perpetuity.

Honoring Marilyn Ziering

In February, a celebration in honor of Marilyn Ziering—the namesake for the Colburn School’s Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices—was held at the home of her daughter Rosanne Ziering. This special event featured performances by Colburn students, alumni, and faculty, and remarks by Artistic Director James Conlon to raise a toast to the program’s founding supporter.

Image: Wassily Kandinsky, Dominant Curve (detail)

colburn travels abroad

In 2023, our Colburn students benefitted from two unique travel programs funded by our donor community.

The Sibelius Academy Exchange Program offered the Olive Trio— consisting of students from the Colburn Music Academy—a chance to spend a week in Helsinki at the Sibelius Academy. The students immersed themselves in a rare week-long cultural encounter, which included taking up residence in the artist commune where Sibelius himself lived with his family.

In May 2023, artist-in-residence Jean-Yves Thibaudet, faculty members Clive Greensmith and Tatjana Masurenko, and Conservatory students Aubree Oliverson, Duncan McDougall, and Javier Morales-Martinez performed in renowned locations in London, Dublin, Berlin, and Paris, including at the Frank Gehrydesigned Boulez Saal in Berlin. This international experience playing alongside celebrated performers shapes a young artist’s career in unparalleled ways. A very special thank you to the patrons who helped fund this tour, some of whom traveled with us. Programs like these make the Colburn experience so unique and extraordinary for our students, and it is the generosity of our donors that makes this possible for them.

leadership

board of directors chairman

Andrew Millstein

life chairman emeritus

Carol Colburn Grigor

vice chairmen

David D. Colburn

Diane Naegele

directors

Daniel L. Avchen

Robert N. Braun, M.D.

Henry Choi

Richard W. Colburn

Alice Coulombe

Jennifer F. Diener

Anthony E. DiResta

Darren Edwards

Greg Guyett

Carol F. Henry

Catherine Colburn Høgel

Bob Kelly

William T. Kennedy

Molly Kirk

Aliza Lesser

Robert E. Lewis

Beverly C. Marksbury

Worthy McCartney

Greg McWilliams

Ann Moore

Mahnaz Newman

Heinrich Schelbert, M.D., Ph.D

Harry B. Suh

Keith Terasaki

Peter W. Wardle

Dylan Yolles

honorary life directors

Robert S. Attiyeh

Toby E. Mayman

in memoriam

David N. Barry

Iona Benson

Edmund D. Edelman

Robert B. Egelston

Warner Henry

Ann Ronus

colburn school leadership

executive leadership

Sel Kardan President and Chief Executive Officer

Linda Cormier Vice President, Administration

Adrian Daly, DMA Provost

Jennifer Kallend Vice President, Communications

Maeesha Merchant Chief Financial Officer and Vice President, Business Development

Annie Wickert Vice President, Philanthropy

academic leadership

Susan Cook Dean, Community School of Performing Arts

Lee Cioppa Dean, Conservatory of Music

Adrian Daly, Provost Music Academy

Silas Farley Dean, Trudl Zipper Dance Institute

Margaret Tracey Dean (beginning 2023–24),

Trudl Zipper Dance Institute

Nathaniel Zeisler, DMA Dean, Community Initiatives 40

“ Being at Colburn provided a real openness and freedom for me to do a lot of things. Not just because of the financial support, which of course is huge, but also because of the personal support of the teachers and the staff.”

stay connected

At the Colburn School, we ensure young people have access to the most exceptional learning and performing opportunities. These experiences are made possible by friends and supporters like you.

To find out how you can play a part, visit us online at colburnschool.edu.

Katalin La Favre (Conservatory ’12)

200 South Grand Avenue Los Angeles, California 90012 colburnschool.edu

Cabrera, Steve Cohn, Dina Douglass, Jenny Douglass, Andrew Eccles, Jeff Fasano, Brian Feinzimer, Christina Gandolfo, Gehry Partners, Shayne Gray, Matthew Holler, Abby Mahler, Jon McKee, Philip Pirolo, Piatigorsky Archives/Colburn School, Olivia Richardson, Peter Ringenberg, Otto Rothschild, Elyssa Ruiz, Skye Schmidt, Peter Christiansen Valli, Bryce Vickmark

Design: Philip Pirolo

Igor Burlak,

Photos: Hal Banfield,

Pablo