High Notes Above Manhattan: Manhattan School of Music Celebrates Philanthropy at the Rainbow Room

On February 2, 2026, Manhattan School of Music marked its 2025 Gala with a setting that matched the occasion. The evening unfolded at the Rainbow Room, bringing together patrons, artists, and advocates for a night that placed music, mentorship, and global impact at center stage.

Hosted by MSM alumnus Anthony Roth Costanzo, the gala leaned into what the institution does best. Performance and education moved in tandem, spotlighting alumni and soon to be graduates who would walk across the stage at Commencement the following day at The Riverside Church.

The evening paid tribute to the MSM International Advisory Board, led by Chair Carla Bossi-Comelli. The Board’s role in advancing both financial support and international advocacy for the School anchored the philanthropic focus of the night. Actor Alec Baldwin served as presenter, recognizing the Board’s continued commitment to expanding MSM’s global reach.

Remarks from MSM leadership reinforced the School’s long-standing mission. MSM President James Gandre and Chair of the Board of Trustees Lorraine Gallard addressed the audience, joined by special guest Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose presence underscored the broader cultural and civic value of arts education.

Music carried the evening with a program that mirrored the School’s breadth across classical, jazz, and musical theatre. Grammy nominated jazz pianist Christian Sands delivered a solo interpretation of Stephen Sondheim’s “Company,” setting a reflective tone early in the night.

A specially arranged “Sign off Medley” followed, bringing together Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage,” Joe Hamilton’s “I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together,” and Harold Arlen’s “Over the Rainbow.” The performance united June Cavlan, Ingrid Jensen, Bernie Williams, Ted Rosenthal, John Benitez, and Kabelo Mokhatla in a collaborative moment created exclusively for the gala.

Operatic selections followed with arias and a popular standard performed by Hannah Jones and Costanzo, accompanied by MSM Collaborative Piano faculty member Myra Huang. Musical theatre students Niko Charney, Emma Dalessio, Ayla Gittelman Ipek, and Jake Koch later took the stage for a Frank Loesser medley arranged by MSM Musical Theatre Music Director David Loud, with MSM Artistic Staff member Shane Schag on piano.

The program concluded with an all star performance of Felix Mendelssohn’s String Octet, performed by Ilmar Gavilan, I Jung Huang, Jinwoo Lee, Julia Choi, Shmuel Katz, Cong Wu, Tommy Mesa, and Niles Luther. Each musician represented the continuum of MSM’s community, alumni and graduating students sharing the same stage on a milestone evening.

Among the attendees were leaders from across music, philanthropy, and culture, including Clinton, Bossi Comelli, Baldwin, Costanzo, Gallard, Noémi K. Neidorff, Gandre, Maribel Lieberman, Rupert Holmes, Williams, and Hilaria Baldwin. Their presence reinforced the role of the gala as both a cultural gathering and a strategic moment for sustaining the arts.