Alumna Kathleen McGuire (DMA, 2000) was one of only six conductors nationwide to have been awarded a special citation in 2010 from The American Prize for Excellence in Music Education, for her work with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. It is a recognition of distinction, noting her as among America’s finest teachers of the art of music.
The award letter reads, “As your work demonstrates, excellence in music education is not confined to the classroom or to the applied music studio. Conductors, whether leading school ensembles, community or professional organizations, have a major role in education, not only of the performers they lead with such diligence, but also of audiences of all ages, boards, donors, media, parents, and the community at large. In fact, everyone who comes in contact with an ensemble and its musical leadership benefits from the teaching and learning the conductor directs. As we witness more and more school music programs in peril, as the study of (and the knowledge of) music becomes more and more of an afterthought, the conductor assumes a greater role than ever before in bringing the value of this great art to the attention of American society.”
