Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute celebrates over 50 years of music

On Saturday, November 19, over 150 guests joined the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island for a celebration of the Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute’s Golden Anniversary.
 
Recognizing the need for a high-quality music school in the Staten Island community, the JCC’s Music Institute was founded in 1970. Since its inception, the Music Institute has offered private and group lessons taught by exceptional faculty members to students of all ages. Many of the Institute’s graduates, such as Emmy-nominated musician Ingrid Michaelson, have gone on to pursue music professionally.
 
Saturday’s Golden Anniversary celebration, long delayed due to the pandemic, was a special moment to honor more than half a century’s impact and the two women who made it possible, founders Bertha R. Mandel and the late Dorothy Delson Kuhn.
 
During the program, guests were treated to performances by current Music Institute students and alumni, as well as Viva Voce Winds, featuring Nicole Auriti, Dorothy Darlington, Dan Kelley, Barry Nudelman, and Carolyn Clark, and the Community Jazz Ensemble under the leadership of Ray Scro.
 
The event also served as a fundraiser for the Foundation for the Music Institute, which helps ensure that promising students continue to pursue their passion for music, regardless of financial hardship.
 
Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “Music is a gift that touches so many lives and we’ve seen that firsthand here at the JCC’s Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute. We are so proud to celebrate the history of our music school, which has given that gift to hundreds of talented students, and we look forward to a bright future ahead.”
 
Watch the video history of the Music Institute here.