FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2010
CONTACT: Christine Paul, Director of communications
617.876.0956 x1623
christine.paul@longy.edu

27 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138

Celebrated Choreographer Mark Morris Addresses the 2010 Graduates of Longy School of Music

Receives the prestigious Leonard Bernstein Lifetime Achievement Award

Longy President Karen Zorn, Commencement speaker Mark Morris, Conservatory Dean Wayman Chin

Cambridge, Mass. — Famed choreographer and dancer Mark Morris delivered the keynote address at the 2010 Commencement Exercises of Longy School of Music, Sunday, May 16, in Edward M. Pickman Hall.

Addressing graduates, families and friends who filled Pickman Hall to capacity, Morris emphasized the importance of reading books and poetry, listening to music, being engaged in the world, reading full scores and witnessing live performances. “Music live is radically different than music recorded,” he said. “Live music is music.” He encouraged graduates to embrace the physicality of music: “All music is made with the body. You aren’t just the negative space around the instrument, you are the instrument.” Morris concluded with an inspirational challenge: “Music is alive. It has a point. Know the purpose; make the point…Music is you. Pass it around.”

At the ceremony, Longy honored Morris with the prestigious Leonard Bernstein Lifetime Achievement Award for the Elevation of Music in Society, which recognizes an individual musician of national and international stature who, as an artistic leader, teacher and symbol of all that is to be cherished in the art of music, has made exceptional contributions to the level of culture in our society. Established by Longy in 2000, the award previously was conferred on luminaries such as Leon Fleisher, Marilyn Horne, Eileen Farrell, Leonard Slatkin and Gunther Schuller.

“Mark Morris is one of the greatest choreographers and musicians alive today," said Conservatory Dean Wayman Chin. "His connection to music is deep, singular and riveting; it is manifest in every dance he creates. His work brings a rare understanding of cadence, gesture, motif, harmony and structure. It is pure synesthesia and pure genius."

In her farewell remarks to the Class of 2010, Longy President Karen Zorn congratulated the class for their artistic and personal achievements: “I am proud of you for shifting the way the world views music.” To view photo highlights of Commencement 2010, click here.


Longy’s Class of 2010 included five undergraduate students and 69 graduate students.

Degrees granted: Undergraduate Diploma, Master of Music, Graduate Performance Diploma, Dalcroze Certificate, Dalcroze License and Artist Diploma.

To view the Class of 2010 photo and graduates’ names, degrees, music specialties and hometowns, click here.