Dear Members of the Community,

It is my great pleasure to report that our fundraising efforts are keeping up with our musical growth and expansion. In Fiscal Year 2011, we raised close to $5 million to support our musical and educational mission. Thanks to the vision and generosity of Kristy and James H. Clark, our Endowment fund has reached nearly $5 million. It is clear that the Perlmans’ special kind of music-making and unique educational approach will continue for generations to come. The outpouring of support we receive from you is a testament to the great work we do.

This is an exciting period of growth for The Perlman Music Program. We have established new residencies, expanded our Alumni Concerts Festival, and watched our students attain new heights of musicianship and artistry. Most significantly, our Campaign for The Perlman Music Program is placing our physical resources on par with our bold vision for the future.

On August 31, 2011, the 100-year-old building that housed our girls’ dormitory was demolished, making way for a brand-new landmark on our Shelter Island campus. Scheduled for completion by June 2012, The Kristy and James H. Clark Arts Center will feature a performance space for chamber music, orchestral, and choral concerts with an audience capacity of 50 people, 10 sound-proof practice rooms, and a modernized dormitory and living space for our female students, all in a properly heated and air-conditioned environment. The Clark Arts Center will allow us to function year-round on Shelter Island and effectively double our programming!

In order to fully fund the Clark Arts Center, we’ve set a fundraising goal of $3.2 million over three years. To date we have raised $2 million in gifts and pledges. The remaining $1.2 million can be achieved only through the generosity of our closest friends and supporters. As we work to fulfill the most ambitious fundraising and infrastructure campaign in our history, we hope you will consider making a gift in support of this pivotal project. To learn more, please review our campaign brochure.

This year has also been a remarkable time of artistic growth for our alumni. Last November we launched The Perlman Music Program’s Stowe Residency at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, which was made possible through the generosity and leadership of Sidney and Morgan Stark. Successful residencies also took place in Sarasota, Florida, and El Paso, Texas. Among the many accomplishments of our Alumni, the Linden and Ariel string quartets were named the 2012 Barnett Fellows, and PMP alumna Francesca Anderegg received the Leonore Annenberg Arts Fellowship. This year we celebrate our 10th anniversary in partnership with the Neue Galerie New York, which provides performance opportunities for our young artists throughout the year. Our talented PMP graduates are also performing alongside Mr. Perlman at the Kennedy Center, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Virginia Arts Festival, and in Miami, Toronto, and Valle De Bravo, Mexico.

We celebrated last year’s achievements with old friends and new supporters in Palm Beach, New York City, and East Hampton. The Annual Summer Benefit in East Hampton, generously hosted by Dorian and Gary Furhman in July 2011, raised close to $300,000. To learn more, please enjoy our Summer Journal.

The Perlman Music Program is a school where every gift counts. We rely on you each and every year, and we could not have achieved 18 years of accomplishments without your help. On behalf of our devoted and talented team, I am pleased and proud to acknowledge each individual, family, and foundation that has given so much in our Honor Roll of Donors. On behalf of all of the young musicians whose talent flourishes because of you, it is my privilege to simply say, thank you.

Maureen M. Nash
Director of Development

Next: Our Supporters