$200,000 GOAL

LEONARD BERNSTEIN
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Each year, Longy recognizes a performer or teacher who has dedicated their life to enriching the world with music. The award is given in memory of Leonard Bernstein, who reached wide audiences with his music as a composer, conductor, pianist, educator, and—perhaps most importantly—as a humanitarian.

Past recipients include Gustavo Dudamel, Marilyn Horne, Eileen Farrell, Leonard Slatkin, Mark Morris, Vijay Gupta, Thomas Wilkins, Joan Tower, Ellis Marsalis, Jr. (posthumously), and Marin Alsop.

HONORING PAQUITO D’RIVERA
Recipient of the 2023 Leonard Bernstein Lifetime Achievement Award

This year, Longy honors Paquito D’Rivera—saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and author, celebrated worldwide both for his artistry in Latin jazz and his achievements as a classical composer.

Born in Havana, Cuba, D’Rivera’s groundbreaking work fuses jazz, rock, classical, and Afro-Caribbean music. He is a 15-time GRAMMY winner and collaborator with fellow legends Dizzy Gillespie, Gloria Estefan, Yo-Yo Ma, Chucho Valdés, and Wynton Marsalis.

Sharing Longy’s commitment to music as social change, D’Rivera champions the rights and liberties of artists around the world. His work as a composer and musician has empowered him to build bridges between audiences of different backgrounds in every corner of the world. He chronicles his adventures in his recent memoir, Restless Books’ Letters to Yeyito—one of four titles he has authored.

Paquito D’Rivera exemplifies the Longy ideal that artists can make a difference in the world.

Arson Fahim arrived at Longy two weeks before the fall of Kabul in August 2021. In the ensuing months, life became increasingly dangerous for musicians back home under Taliban rule. By the end of the year, all 272 students and teachers at Afghanistan National Institute of Music—Arson’s alma mater and the country’s only music school—had fled.

For Arson, music wasn’t just a passion—it was his reason for living. But he doubted his dream would ever become a reality. He knew that even if he were accepted to a conservatory, his family would never be able to afford it. That changed when he was named a Longy Equity Scholar.

As a Longy Equity Scholar, Arson continually uses his platform to raise awareness for Afghan artists. He has organized concerts at Longy in solidarity with Afghan musicians. This past November, one of his original compositions was performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra as part of their ongoing series A Place to Call Home.

Full-tuition Equity Scholarships give students like Arson access to the environment they need for abundant growth. At Longy, they bloom into the musicians the world needs them to be.

Your support makes this possible!