Joseph William Polisi (born 1947) was the President of The
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became ...
from 1984 to May 2017, having assumed the position upon the death of his predecessor,
Peter Mennin.
Born in New York City to an Italian family, Dr. Polisi is the son of William Polisi, a bassoonist who performed with the New York Philharmonic. He oversaw the construction of Juilliard's first dormitory— the
Meredith Willson Residence Hall,
and focused his tenure on "
community building". Polisi is the author of ''The Artist as Citizen'', a book which implores the
classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
world to reach out to society at large.
Education
Joseph Polisi earned a B.A. in Political Science from the
University of Connecticut, an M.A. in International Relations from
The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...
, and a
D.M.A. from
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
in 1980. Polisi studied the bassoon with his late father, and performed through his undergraduate years. He also studied with
Maurice Allard at the
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...
, France, from 1973 to 1974.
Professional career
Polisi was the Executive Officer of the
Yale School of Music (1976–1980), then served in the capacity as Dean of the Music Department at the
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory
A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music a ...
(1983–1984), and the
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music from 1983-1984.
Juilliard Biography
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Polisi has performed with the Juilliard Orchestra.
Works
*
*
References
External links
Interviews
* ttp://www.juilliard.edu/update/journal/j_articles885.html Conversation with the President*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polisi, Joseph W.
Living people
Juilliard School faculty
University of Connecticut alumni
The Fletcher School at Tufts University alumni
Yale University alumni
University of Cincinnati faculty
1947 births
Yale School of Music faculty
Manhattan School of Music faculty
Presidents of the Juilliard School