Juilliard moves to remote learning and postpones all performances until 29 March

The Juilliard School has announced that it will postpone all performances until 29 March 2020. More than 90 events will be affected, including many student recitals, and the school says it hopes to reschedule as many of these performances as possible. The most up to date information can be found on the Juilliard performance calendar.  

This news coincides with the school’s decision to move to remote learning across all divisions during that same period of time. Juilliard president Damian Woetzel announced that the switch to remote classes will begin on Monday 16 March, when classes are due to commence after spring break. 

In a statement on the Juilliard website, Woetzel said: ‘We will transition to virtual instruction starting on Monday, March 16 and continue in this mode for at least the next two weeks. Given this planning, we encourage all college students to remain home after spring break, pending notification of the resumption of normal activities.’ 

He added: ‘While I want to emphasize that there are no known cases at Juilliard, it is important to take further steps now to help slow the progress of the virus, in advance of any issues arising specifically at Juilliard.’

The College Division, Preparatory Division and Evening Division have all transitioned to remote instruction, suspending all in-person classes and activities as of Tuesday, 10 March. 

The full statement: 

Dear Juilliard Community,

I write to update you on Juilliard’s continuing response to COVID-19, known as the coronavirus. While I want to emphasize that there are no known cases at Juilliard, it is important to take further steps now to help slow the progress of the virus, in advance of any issues arising specifically at Juilliard. As such, we are temporarily moving to remote classes beginning Monday, March 16, the date we were scheduled to resume after spring break.

Juilliard will suspend all College Division in-person classes, activities, and performances between March 16 and March 29.

We will transition to virtual instruction starting on Monday, March 16 and continue in this mode for at least the next two weeks. Given this planning, we encourage all college students to remain home after spring break, pending notification of the resumption of normal activities. The Meredith Willson Residence Hall and cafeteria will remain open for those students on campus. We anticipate the Irene Diamond Building will remain open, but with limited hours, and whenever the building is open, the Lila Acheson Wallace Library and practice rooms will be available.

In addition to the College Division, our Preparatory Division and Evening Division will also transition to remote instruction, suspending all in-person classes and activities as of Tuesday, March 10. More details on those plans will be shared by division leadership.

We are working closely with our school community to ensure the continuity of classes to the best of our ability. We will make every effort to hold classes and lessons remotely, via video conference, and make sure that all students are able to meet their academic requirements. Performance and ensemble activities are canceled until at least March 29. We realize that this has wide-reaching implications for performance activities throughout the rest of the semester. We will modify these activities and requirements as needed.

It is vital that all members of the community check their emails regularly for updates. In the coming days:

• College students will receive more information from their faculty and individual departments about remote learning and performance activities.

• College students will also receive information about the availability of student services (including Health and Counseling Services) from the Office of Student Development. Our intention is to continue to make as many of these resources available as possible.

• College faculty will receive guidance from the Office of the Provost and Dean about preparing to shift to virtual instruction.

• Administrative staff will hear more from Human Resources and their department heads about working remotely as well as modifying work schedules.

• Preparatory and Evening Division faculty and students will hear more from their respective leadership.

If you have any questions, please use these contacts:

• College Students – Office of the Provost and Dean

• College Faculty – Academic Affairs

• Administrative Staff – Human Resources

• Preparatory Division Faculty and Students – Music Advancement Program or Pre-College

• Evening Division Faculty and Students – Evening Division staff

As we continue to monitor this evolving situation, we are closely following city and state guidance, as well as consulting with our medical advisors, other New York City colleges and universities, and Lincoln Center.

We will continue to keep you informed. You can visit our Health Advisory webpage for more information on Juilliard’s policies, best practices for staying healthy and links to the U.S. State Department, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and other resources. We will be updating it with developments that may impact our community, and we encourage you to check it regularly. You can also find resources for those who may be experiencing additional levels of stress at the end of this email.

We understand that these measures will cause disruption to the campus community, but we strongly believe that actions taken now will have the greatest chance of decreasing risk. These new policies will be in place at least through Sunday, March 29, and we will reassess our plans and communicate any changes as early as we are able.

Thank you for your continued cooperation in helping to ensure we continue to follow best practices to keep Juilliard healthy as we navigate this complex situation together as a community.

Sincerely,

President Damian Woetzel

This news story has been updated from a previous version published earlier today. Check back for further updates, or visit the Juilliard newsroom.